Experts project the international market for medical travel to explode in the coming years as more Americans and others, fed up with high costs and long wait times, seek everything from knee and hip replacements to bypass surgeries.
Medical Tourism is increasing rapidly in Latin American countries, particularly Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico and Panama, among other countries, where patients can undergo heart operations, cosmetic surgery or dental work at less than half price, including airfare and hotels. and with more personalized attention. Costa Rica, for example, is receiving about 150,000 medical tourists every year.
Latin American countries offer hospital-and-tourism packages to US and Candadian residents. Central American nations are marketing their dentistry, plastic surgery, and many surgical procedures, along with a “getaway” vacation.
Andrés Oppenheimer, a Latin America correspondent for the Miami Herald, believes that medical tourism will be one of Latin America's biggest industries in the 21st century.
While many hospitals meet international standards and some are even supervised by inspectors from America, tourists should be aware that few hospitals in Latin America are, at present time, accredited by the Joint Commission International, the international branch of the U.S. agency that accredits U.S. hospitals.
Lack of JCI accreditation does not mean that a hospital offers lower quality of service, however. Having JCI accreditation, while raising costs of doing business somewhat, does give the prospective client a sense of comfort when comparing U.S. hospitals (which themselves are NOT all JCI accredited) to foreign ones.
Treatments available abroad
Common list of Medical Procedures, Dental Procedures and Cosmetic Surgery carried out around the world for medical tourists.
Alternative medicine offered abroad.
Health Tourism (Health Spas and Massage) offered abroad.
Here’s a look at a few countries best poised to ride the wave.
Medial Tourism in the Americas
Medical Tourism In Asia
Data sources
Return to Health care
Other resources
hospitalscout.com provides the most comprehensive hospital directory of the world. You can find addresses and in many cases more details about nearly 60,000 hospitals in 195 countries.
Key figures (as of 11/04/2008):
- 54,243 Hospital addresses out of 195 countries
- 11,877 links to hospital homepages (9,915 unique)
- 7,255 email addresses of hospitals (available via secure e-mail form)
