Vacationing Takes on New Meaning with Medical Tourism

Medical Tourism is the New Face of Holidaying

Fading are the days when one goes on a vacation to get away from the humdrum of life, relax, and unwind.  Vacationing today has a new face - medical tourism.  On a medical tourism vacation, you can not only rest and relax, but you can also take advantage of fabulously lowered prices on medical, cosmetic, and dental procedures.  This is particularly true for medical tourists from the United States and Europe who suffer from unbearable wait times and/or exorbitant prices.  The famous Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, is a JCI certified hospital and treats over 400,000 international patients each year.  Claudia Auger, a satisfied patient says, "You go to Bumrungrad's website and you say ‘I'd like to see a rheumatologist, or a gynecologist, or an orthopedic surgeon,’ there's a link to all those doctors. Then you can click on their name and up comes a photo of them and a full bio." 

Sky Rocketing Cost of Dental Bonding

Let’s look at dental bonding (a fairly middle of the road procedure in terms of cost and difficulty).  Even with a relatively simple procedure like this, the price can still be well beyond reach of the average American (120 million of whom don’t have dental insurance).  Abella Bayanos of Miami realized this when she was told that the dental work her son required would cost approximately $7,000 in the US.  She took her son to the Philippines where the cost of dental procedures is usually much lower.  She ended up paying only $3,000 for the whole trip, including the cost of dental treatment and two round-trip tickets.  "For me, I think if there's any kind of problem again I'd rather go back to the Philippines," Bayanos says. "It's a lot cheaper."

Affordable Cosmetic Surgery in Thailand

Thailand is a country that is at the forefront of the medical tourism industry.  Many patients come to this mecca of medical care for cosmetic surgery in addition to standard dental work.  Combining a holiday with medical treatment in an exotic locale is not just cheaper and safer, but it is also proving to be more convenient and hassle free for patients.   However, careful research is necessary since many facilities claim to be “medical tourism” specialists even though they aren’t.  Make sure you ask the right questions before taking the plunge.