medical tourismFirst of all, residents of high medical cost countries, the United States in particular, really can save a lot of money with medical travel and tourism. Surgery in India or Thailand is much cheaper than in the United States, and the same is true of many other countries. The savings can be quite significant, especially for procedures that aren’t covered by insurance, or for people who are not insured.

Number 2, it is becoming common for insurance companies or employers who are trying to cut health care costs to motivate their customers or employees to practice medical tourism. They can save a lot of money this way. They may pay partial refunds, or at least cover transportation and housing.

Third, if you are concerned about the quality of care in a foreign country, there is some help available. Several agencies, including the Joint Commission International, study health care facilities and hospitals around the world. They will grant accreditation when it is deserved. Quality of care is a very complicated issue and may vary a lot within a country or between countries. Accreditation provides at least some comfort in knowing there is a lower bound on the quality of an accredited facility.