The Key to the Fountain of Youth: Medical Tourism

The Cost of Facelift Surgery Goes Under the Knife

Elective surgery is known for burning a hole in your pocket and ruining your eyesight as you desperately scan the fine print of your insurance paperwork in search of a loophole.  The cost of facelift surgery, for example, ranges from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on the type of surgery and amount of work required.  And that’s without even considering the fees that are applied for the facility, anesthesiologist, aftercare, and so on.  As part of the solution, medical tourism has done a great job of cutting down prices to more manageable levels without skimping on quality of care.  As Tico Times put it, “Once a euphemism for cheap cosmetic surgery abroad, medical tourism is now a booming industry that is filling the gap between affordable health care and unaffordable health insurance.”  The article suggests that one explanation for this phenomenon lies in the fact that labor costs in developing countries are quite low in comparison to developed nations.

Surgery in Costa Rica

The allure of Costa Rica has stretched far beyond its beaches, volcanoes, and cloud forests now that elective and life-saving surgery for medical tourists has become easily available.  The Tico Times article cites the Costa Rican Tourism Board statistics, noting that the majority of the 5,000 medical tourists visiting the country each year are either uninsured or underinsured.  Approximately 95% of these tourists are Americans seeking relief from high prices in the United States.  In response to the growing trend toward medical tourism in Costa Rica, the Council of International Promotion of Costa Rica Medicine (PROMED) was formed by Costa Rican hospitals, doctors, and government agencies.  PROMED aims to establish quality standards for medical providers, which will make it much easier for medical tourists to find qualified doctors and certified hospitals.  This, in turn, will likely increase the flow of tourists to Costa Rica since its proximity to the United States makes it a popular choice for both elective and emergency procedures.  Hernán Campos, manager of Costa Rica Medical Holding, commented, “Over 750,000 Americans received medical care abroad last year.  We estimate that in 2010, at least 40,000 of them will visit Costa Rica.”

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