Affordable Health Care Abroad: The Good and the Bad

Two Sides of Affordable Healthcare

Listed among the top ten hospitals in the world, Bumrungrad Dental Clinic in Bangkok, Thailand has earned a reputation for providing excellent treatment at low costs.  Many from the U.S. believe that less expensive health care provided in various countries is often of much higher quality.  Others disagree, in part, because dentists in the U.S. are constantly rectifying mistakes committed by underqualified dentists from abroad.

Affordable Dental Care

As in other countries, Mexican dentists have studied in accredited universities, some of them in the U.S.  However, U.S. dentists have more safeguards already in place.  The rigorous process of obtaining and maintaining a license to practice, combined with liability insurance in case anything goes wrong, increases both the cost and the quality of care from U.S. dentists.  Dental care provided elsewhere may not have these safeguards.

There Are Exceptions When It Comes to Affordable Dental Care

Bumrungrad Hospital and Dental Clinic in Bangkok, for example, is considered a medical Mecca.  It boasts of doctors trained in Western medical schools and offers sophisticated equipment.  Though the IRS may not allow travel expenses for flying to Bangkok solely for affordable dental care, combining treatment with a vacation could make a lot of sense.

Source: Kate Lohnes, “US dentists fear tourists, Valley residents oblivious to potential risks of cross-border procedures”, THE MONITOR, 11/22/06