Clark Howard's Tips
"Medical tourism" on the rise
October 21, 2004
Last winter, Clark talked about a move that had caught on in Europe, where people are traveling to India and Thailand to have surgery because it costs much less there.
At the time, Clark did a poll on the topic. More than three-quarters of people said they would not be willing to go overseas for any kind of surgery.
But the portion of people who would be willing to travel for surgery is growing, according to recent news reports. One man profiled in a recent Washington Post story traveled from North Carolina to India for much-needed heart bypass surgery. He had no insurance and couldn't afford the $200,000 bill the American hospital wanted. The hospital in Durham also wanted a $50,000 deposit up front.
He couldn't afford any of it, so he traveled to India, where he had a vacation and the tricky surgery for about $10,000.
An MRI usually costs about $700 in the States. In Asia, it's about $60.
Hungary has become the low cost, high quality home for dentistry. People are traveling from all over to have dental work performed there because it's much less expensive and the care is just as good.
It's being referred to as "medical tourism." If you or a family member is facing some type of surgery or treatment, check out these options. There is a fear that the quality of surgery is not as high. But so far, there have been no problems.
Consumer advice courtesy of
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