The Informed Patient and Medical Travel

Recently, USNews.com posted a study of two different patients that saved a large amount of money by traveling overseas for their medical needs.

The first patient traveled to Ezcazu, Costa Rica to receive dental care that was too expensive in the United States. For $2,600 – minuscule compared to prices in the U.S. - she received care from an oral surgeon trained in the U.S. The surgeon used premium equipment and material for the surgery, and even with the cost of travel, she saved a significant amount of money by traveling abroad for the procedure.

The second patient traveled to Chennai, India for hip resurfacing, and was able to save over $40,000 by traveling overseas for medical care. He was able to bring his wife along and receive care in a high quality facility with exceedingly skilled doctors.

Though these are only two individual experiences, they exhibit the increasingly well-informed personality of the patient, and the growth in demand for medical travel. Patients are researching their options online, figuring out how to save money with medical travel, and experiencing great results.

View the case study at http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/10/01/two-case-studies-in-medical-travel.html.