The Stanley Rubenti Medical Tourism Blog

What You Don't Know about Hungary’s Dental Tourism Packages Could Cost You Thousands

Do You Know How Much Your Dental Implants Could Cost?

Medical tourism has become somewhat renowned because of its tremendous affordability; even more so because of they types of procedures offered.  Procedures like boob jobs and butt lifts are hot commodities in today’s voyeuristic society where anything goes and seemingly everything shows.  Less sexy and less glamorous are dental tourism packages; although the savings sometimes rival those of medical tourism.  Consider, for example, how much dental implants cost.  Typically $1,250 to $3,000, the cost of the procedure could reach as high as $30,000.  Some sources suggest that the cost of dental care in the US has increased nearly 300% in the past 2 decades.  Granted, the implants help rejuvenate appearances—completing a smile that once had a missing tooth—but they can also stop gum decay or tissue damage.  Likewise, when coupled with a dental cap or crown, the implants aid digestion by enabling proper chewing. 

Hungary’s Dental Tourism Packages Can Complete Your Smile

One country that has capitalized on the affordability of dental tourism packages is Hungary.  Known across Europe as a hotspot for dental tourists, Hungary offers savings up to 75%.  It has staked its claim in the dental tourism market by performing quality work and providing vacation packages at prices people can actually afford.  And for a foundation procedure like dental implants, you certainly want them done right in preparation for the dental caps or crowns that will sit on top.

Universal Health Care Saves Patients Money, not Time

Even countries with universal health care or similar policies have been losing patients to Hungary’s dental tourism packages.  Dental tourists are tired, and sometimes becoming sicker, of waiting for procedures under universal health care.  Long wait times and sometimes substandard care makes it difficult to see the advantage of the low, or even non-existent, prices.  Despite the label of universal health care, free health care isn’t free when you can’t get it, or if your condition worsens before you’re able to be treated or seen.

The Lowdown on Low Priced Breast Augmentation Surgery in India

India Calls for Affordable Cosmetic Surgery

India, among the foremost medical tourism destinations, is known for its affordable heart surgery, hip resurfacing, hip and knee replacement, dentistry, bone marrow transplants, and cancer therapy.  In more recent years, however, the country has made significant progress in elective, beauty-enhancing procedures.  In fact, the cosmetic industry in India has grown from $61.8 million in 2005 to $110.7 million in 2007, with the number of people opting for affordable cosmetic surgery growing about 20% to 30% per year. 

In India, liposuction and breast augmentation make up a whopping 38% of all invasive procedures, that is, procedures requiring surgery; these also account for 44% of revenues generated.  Apart from the affordability, what also draws medical vacationers to India is the fact that most doctors and medical personnel speak English.  For the tens of thousands of medical vacationers coming from countries like the UK, Canada, Australia, and the US, this added level of comfort is difficult to beat.

Low Priced Breast Augmentation Surgery in India

For all those women out there who are unhappy about the size of their breasts, there is good news.  Breast augmentation (aka mammoplasty), a procedure that was once prohibitively expensive, is now within reach of many women thanks to low priced breast augmentation surgery in countries like India, Thailand, and Singapore - countries that have become pioneers in affordable cosmetic surgery and medical tourism. 

Foreigners are not the only ones opting for low priced breast augmentation surgery in India; the procedure quite in vogue among young Indian girls getting ready for marriage.  Breast enlargement commonly requires the insertion of either silicone gel-filled or saline filled breast implants. 

Medical Vacation Safety Considerations

While more and more people are heading for a medical vacation in exotic locales, one must not ignore basic safety considerations.  There have been many horror tales like the one of a Sydney woman who had severe infection and scarring after a breast procedure gone bad in Thailand.  She required additional surgery back home to get back into shape.  To avoid such incidents, vacationers need to check the doctor’s references and hospital accreditations before opting for any treatment.  Legal aspects, insurance coverage, food, culture and associated safety norms also need to be thoroughly researched before one takes off to rejuvenate.

Get Your Trip to Costa Rica Paid for

Happy with Their Low Priced Dentures

Patients want to be and feel safe while traveling abroad for affordable health care.  A Treatment Abroad Medical Tourism survey found that 90% of medical tourists are more than satisfied with their procedures.  That statistic includes dental tourists who sought low priced root canals, dentures, or implants.  Although some question the validity of such a high percentage, why wouldn’t that number seem high?  Places like Costa Rica are filling a void in low priced dental care for even simple procedures like dentures, fillings, and physicals.

Merging Affordability with Safety in Health Care

When considering safe health care, patients must take into account the doctor, facility, and nature of the procedure.  One wouldn’t want to travel to Costa Rica for low priced dentures only to get an infection and be worse off than before.  However, another facet of safe health care is accessibility.  If you don’t have access to dental care, like nearly 50% of Americans today, your safety may still be in jeopardy.  As dental tourism grows, so too does the visibility of its safety record and the need for that record to remain high.   The safety of dental tourism obviously attracts more patients, but it has also been enticing insurance providers to add it to patients’ coverage.

Dental Tourism Provides Unique Coverage Opportunities

A Deloitte Center for Health Solutions report estimates 1.6 million Americans will travel abroad for 30 to 70 percent savings on medical and dental procedures by 2012.  The growth of dental tourism has created a unique opportunity for insurance coverage.  Insurance providers can take advantage of the large numbers of travelers to Costa Rica and other countries by including dental tourism. 

Perhaps insurance providers can also catalyze another level of growth for dental tourism with coverage that both enables and encourages patients who currently can't afford the out of pocket expenses of travelling abroad for health care.  Even airfare for the short trip to Costa Rica, compared to India, can put a burden on a budget.  For now, most insurance companies are skeptical or haven't developed a workable model for tapping into medical and dental tourism; but, as more providers include coverage for treatment abroad, there stands the potential for a surge in the numbers of medical and dental tourists.

Why More Patients Are Smiling When They Leave India

Looking for Affordable Dental Veneers?

Lately, we’ve been hearing quite a bit about the lack of affordable health care in the United States, but truth be told, dental care in the United States may be in even worse shape.  Nearly half of American patients lack dental insurance.  Of the 50% who actually have insurance, their coverage may still be insufficient for the treatment they need. 

So far, dental insurance remains separate from and apparently unequal to overall health insurance.  Part of President Obama’s reform plan is to include coverage of dental treatment with general health insurance.  Ideally, this will provide American dental patients with a reason to look domestically for their affordable veneers and more.

Affordable Health Care in India

Until the US develops an affordable health care solution, the number of patients looking abroad for their dental veneers and other treatments will continue growing.  For example, India has created a draw for patients seeking affordable treatments like dental veneers or implants by combining affordability and quality dental care.  With so many baby boomers having greater needs for dental care and more disposable time in their retirement, including vacation packages to countries like India may be in the best interests of insurance companies.  Some providers are finding ways to lower their costs by adding variations of dental vacations to patients’ insurance coverage, which may prove to be a true win-win scenario for patients and providers.

Paying for Tour Indian Dental Care

Although typically dental tourists save between 30 and 70 percent on treatment abroad, most of us can’t just travel to India on a whim.  Some dental tourists make mini-vacations of their procedures; saving for months for the opportunity to flash their new veneers while exploring India’s culture.  Financing is one option to ease at least the immediate financial burden of your trip, but rather than the costs coming out of pocket, you’re billed…with interest.  The preference would be to have the insurance you’re already paying into cover your veneers in India, just as it would in the US.  As corporations expand globally, some have included medical and dental vacations as part of their insurance coverage for employees, sharing in the savings.  Until this becomes the norm; however, dental tourists will likely continue paying out of pocket as best they can for the savings they receive abroad.