| Medical tourism, also known as travel or | | | | $500 in India or Bolivia and only $200 in the |
| health tourism, is popularized widely by | | | | Philippines, a knee replacement in Thailand |
| travel agencies and mass media to provide a | | | | with six days of physical therapy costs about |
| back-up for today's rapidly growing trends of | | | | one-fifth of what it would in the States, and |
| traveling to different countries to get | | | | Lasik eye surgery worth $3,700 in the U.S. is |
| cheaper and modern health-care facilities. | | | | available in many other countries for only |
| | | | $730. |
| Report shows that medical tourists are | | | | |
| traveling largely from U.S., Europe, U.K., | | | | Cosmetic surgery savings are even greater. A |
| Canada, Middle East, Japan because of their | | | | full face-lift that would cost $20,000 in the |
| expensive health-care system or lack of | | | | U.S. runs about $3,000 in Cuba, $2,700 in the |
| health-care options locally. It's been | | | | Philippines or $2,500 in South Africa or |
| established now that due to a sort of lengthy | | | | $2,300 in Bolivia. Medical tourism has got |
| procedures for some of complicated illness, | | | | momentum in India as some of the U.S. firms |
| such as a hip replacement, patients have to | | | | prescribe India for health-care. News goes |
| wait several months in U.K. or Canada. | | | | around just like that get a new knee or hip |
| Whereas the same procedures may be | | | | at a discount,take a companion along for free |
| started-off immediately just after their | | | | plus pocket some of the money saved on the |
| arrival at in countries like India, | | | | operation.Thats the kind of incentive some |
| Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Colombia, | | | | U.S. companies are offering employees who |
| Philippines etc. In Colombia, the cost of | | | | travels to India for health-care. |
| knee replacement comes around $5000 USD | | | | |
| including all associated fees. | | | | Although individual foreign patients have |
| | | | been coming to India for quite some time now, |
| According to research found in an article by | | | | this kind of initiatives open up the |
| the University of Delaware publication-the | | | | floodgates of new wave of medical tourism. |
| cost of surgery in Argentina, Cuba, India, | | | | Blue Ridge Paper Products,a North Carolina |
| Bolivia, Thailand, Colombia, Philippines or | | | | based company, looking for outsourcing of its |
| South Africa can be one-tenth of what it is | | | | 2,000 employees to save up substantially as |
| in the United States or Western Europe, and | | | | the cost of treatment in India is 80-90% less |
| sometimes even less. | | | | than in the U.S. |
| | | | |
| A heart-valve replacement that would cost | | | | Here's the sheer economics at work where Blue |
| $200,000 or more in the U.S., for example, | | | | Ridge plans to pay all the travel, lodging, |
| goes for $10,000 in Philippines and India-and | | | | meals, etc. for the patient and one family |
| that includes round-trip airfare and a brief | | | | member, plus give up to 25% savings and they |
| vacation package.Similarly, a metal-free | | | | tied up reputed hospitals such as Apollo, |
| dental bridge worth $5,500 in the U.S.costs | | | | Wockhardt, Escorts. |