Medical Tourism & Cosmetic Surgery

Costa Rica has now gained worldwide recognition as a respectable place to have medical work done. This reputation has also earned Costa Rica the name “Beverly Hills South,” others refer to it as the “Fountain of Youth.” Many people can fly down to Costa Rica, stay in a nice hotel, go on a tour, have some medical procedure done, recover in a nice hotel and then fly home for the same price or less than what it would just cost them to have the procedure at home. Even though these types of surgeries are usually not covered by insurance policies, people find that the cost is still incredibly low to have an operation done in Costa Rica. Most people claim between 30% and 70% savings depending on the type of surgery.

Costa Rica is an even more popular destination for these types of surgery due to specialized doctors, bilingual staff, and of course it’s close location and tropical setting. These surgeries are usually equally as fast, safe, and comfortable as services in North America but for significantly less. And as for privacy, most women especially love that they can go on vacation, pamper themselves, have their surgery, get a tan and come back looking like a million bucks for a fraction of the price. There are a variety of medical tourism companies, hospitals, and clinics emerging.  It is difficult to make specific recomendations without knowing all about the patient so we will not try and do that in this section.

The types of reconstructive or plastic surgeries available in Costa Rica include face-lifts, tummy tucks, liposuction, breast reduction/reconstruction/augmentation, nose jobs, calf implants, etc.  Usually  most foreigners  find the costs for these procedures to be 1/3 of what they would pay at home. Because plastic surgeries require touch ups every so often, Costa Rica has become an affordable option.

The doctors that perform these procedures are highly skilled, well trained, have quite a bit of experience usually, have modern facilities, and give an excellent service. There are many really great doctors in the country so it is important to take your time and find the doctor that is right. Be sure to ask to see prior work the doctor has done, talk to some of his/her previous clients, and/or get a recommendation from a friend who has also had a surgery. It is important that doctor and patient can communicate clearly so pick someone who speaks the same language. Even though consultations may run  $50 a session one should definitely check into a few different doctors, this could save a lot of money in the long run.

Because personal appearance is SO important in Costa Rica, many Costa Ricans invest in plastic surgery. You will find that even Costa Rican's are plastic surgery junkies despite their economic background, the surgeries are usually reasonable enough and have payment plans so they are accessible to just about anyone. People are shocked to find out that plastic surgery is so popular in fact that it is given to graduating high-school girls in the form of a graduation gift. Husbands give their wives plastic surgeries for Christmas too. Therefore,  January and February are the busiest times for clinics and times when the prices may be just a little higher.  Many Costa Ricans by the age of 25 have already had one or two plastic surgeries.

If going to have an operation done it is good to take someone for support. After the surgery patients are normally in pain and need to recuperate. Make sure to get adecuate time off to relax in a private place while healing. Results are dramatic so be prepared for jaws to drop and people to comment.  Only consider surgery if it is for the right reasons.

Some people actually do regret having their faces and bodies altered claiming they no longer feel like themselves or they feel they have something foreign inside them that they cannot bear to feel. Doctors will also conduct interviews to see if certain patients are a good candidates.  One may also have to change some of their lifestyle habits before going under the knife such as overeating, drinking alcohol abuse, and smoking. If someone is taking any medications it is vital to share this information with the doctor. In these matters, honesty is the best policy.

The Future of Medical Tourism & Statistics in Costa Rica

According to the National Coalition on Health Care, in 2005, more than half a million US residents traveled abroad for medical or dental treatment. Then in 2007, that number jumped to 750,000.[1] With current legislation changes occurring in the US, medical tourism for primary care could also jump along with that of elective care.

 

Over 3000 US participants took part in a Deloitte online survey which reportedly found that outbound medical tourism is expected to experience explosive growth over the next three to five years because it is safe, accredited, affordable, in many cases cutting edge/alternative, and available. [2]

 

Reasons care costs less abroad include: lower wages for health care professionals, no third party payments, and any medical supplies or medications are accessible at much lower margins. Deloitte estimates that by 2010 over six million people will participate in some type of medical tourism and earnings generated from medical tourism in the USD hundreds of billions.[3]

 

In 1995, the World-wide Organization of Commerce included Costa Rica among the 20 countries of the world with the best healthcare systems and was placed third, with life expectancies increased by the professional quality of specialists in the area of health and the low costs of the medical treatments, causing Costa Rica to be positioned as one of the favorite sites for medical tourism. In 2006, around 150,000 foreigners sought care in Costa Rica.[1]

Other inexpensive sites for medical tourism around the world include Malaysia, Thailand, Hungary, Brazil, and South Africa for example. These places are not as accessible to the US market as Mexico and Costa Rica; however, Mexico does not provide strong competition to Costa Rica because it has a reputation for doing botchy surgeries and many people view Mexico as a “you get what you pad for” medical destination.

Costa Rica has now gained worldwide recognition as a respectable place to have medical work done. This reputation has also earned Costa Rica the name “Beverly Hills South,” others refer to it as the “Fountain of Youth.” In November of 2008, Oprah and Dr. Oz shared a special on Blue Zones.  Blue Zones are those areas of the world where people live the longest and have the highest quality of life. According to the program, Costa Rica is one of only 5 Blue Zones in the world due to its long life expectancy, high water quality, a healthful diet, and a slower pace. Due to Costa Rica’s growing reputation, medical tourism to Costa Rica increases every year. For example, from 2004 to 2005 the increase was 15 percent.[2]

According to ICT, 95 percent of patients who come from the US for treatments covered by their insurance back home  claim between 50% and 70% savings depending on the type of surgery, from what they would  have paid in their home country.[3] Coldwell Banker Peninsula Trading Co. reported on May 20th of 2009 that a rapidly growing trend in Costa Rica real estate investments in property developments planned for health care facilities, recovery centers, hospice homes and wellness retreats.

Many people can fly down to Costa Rica, stay in a nice hotel, go on a tour, have some medical procedure done, recover in a nice hotel and then fly home for the same price or less than what it would just cost them to have the procedure at home. Even though these types of elective surgeries are usually not covered by insurance policies, people find that the cost is still incredibly low to have an operation done in Costa Rica.  Gonzalo Vargas, President of CANATUR, assures that: “Costa Rica gives the excellent option of choosing existing hotels specialized in post-operative recovery, which without a doubt allows a quick and complete recovery in a comfortable, beautiful setting. It is unquestionable that tourists enjoy the price, providing that we maintain a competitive cost advantage over other countries.”[4]

The Costa Rican government is very interested in promoting medical tourism so they can boost the economy and also because many politicians are involved in the medical business. The President of the Republic of Costa Rica put out an Executive Decree in La Gaceta on the 26th of October 2008 stating that[5]:

-          There is a world crisis in health care and Costa Rica should take advantage of this opportunity.

-          Declares that medical tourism is in the best social interests of the country and therefore, shall be promoted heavily.

-          Medical tourism currently is a USD $60 billion dollar a year business worldwide, and can provide economic growth for Costa Rica.

-          There are over 220 million people in developing countries who will be in need or care as world populations are beginning to age.

-          Costa Rica has many competitive advantages when it comes to medical tourism such as: geographic location, political stability, democratic government, economic stability, climatic conditions, environmental protection, and positive international reputation as having one of the best healthcare systems in the world.

- Costa Rica holds a world position in the areas of pharmaceuticals, investigation, and manufacturing of medical equipment.

- Costa Rica can build off of and take advantage of their strong international reputation as an attractive ecological tourism destination and mix the two to create stronger potential.

The doctors that perform many of the procedures in Costa Rica are highly skilled, well trained, have quite a bit of experience usually, have modern facilities, and give an excellent service. Because personal appearance is extremely important in Costa Rica, many Costa Ricans invest in plastic surgery. You will find that even Costa Rican's are plastic surgery junkies despite their economic background, the surgeries are usually reasonable enough and have payment plans so they are accessible to just about anyone. Plastic surgeries are given by upper class Costa Rican families as Christmas, anniversary, or graduation gifts.

Medical tourism is not just for elective surgeries. As Costa Rica becomes more and more respected in the international community more patients come looking for more necessary surgeries or medical attention including diabetes treatment, cancer, AIDS, urology, fertility, orthopedics and neurology. Many of these types of treatments are covered by US insurance companies and even though the procedure is done abroad the patients are being reimbursed.

 



[1] Medical Tourism Global Competition in HealthCare, page 6.

[2] Living Abroad in Costa Rica, page 180.

[3] Living Abroad in Costa Rica, page 180.

[4] Living Abroad in Costa Rica, page 180.

[5] La Gaceta Oct 26 2008.



[1] 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers. page 4.

[2]2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers, page 3.
[3]
2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers. page 4.

 

Costa Rica has now gained worldwide recognition as a respectable place to have medical work done. This reputation has also earned Costa Rica the name “Beverly Hills South,” others refer to it as the “Fountain of Youth.”

Many people can fly down to Costa Rica, stay in a nice hotel, go on a tour, have some medical procedure done, recover in a nice hotel and then fly home for the same price or less than what it would just cost them to have the procedure at home. Costa Rica is an even more popular destination for these types of surgery due to specialized doctors, bilingual staff, and of course it’s close location and tropical setting. These surgeries are usually equally as fast, safe, and comfortable as services in North America but for significantly less. And as for privacy, most women especially love that they can go on vacation, pamper themselves, have their surgery, get a tan and come back looking like a million bucks for a fraction of the price.

The types of reconstructive or plastic surgeries available in Costa Rica include face-lifts, tummy tucks, liposuction, breast reduction/reconstruction/augmentation, nose jobs, calf implants you name it. Usually you will find the costs for these procedures to be 1/3 of what you would pay at home.

The doctors that perform these procedures are highly skilled, well trained, have quite a bit of experience usually, have modern facilities, and give an excellent service.

 

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