Medical Tourism

Going abroad for medical procedures is probably not anyone's idea of a good time, but for residents of countries like the United States where medical costs can be very high, it may be a money saver. According to the Website Patients Beyond Borders (www.patients beyond borders.com,) going abroad for medical care can result in savings of 30 to 70 per cent over what you would pay in the U.S.

It is even possible to find packages that combine tourism with medical procedures, such as safaris with plastic surgery (on you, not the animals.)

I have not had much experience with medical procedures abroad, though I did spend a night in a hospital in Gerona, Spain following a riding accident and received good care at a small price, but that was quite a few years ago. I know that many doctors abroad are trained in U.S., Canadian and British medical schools and hospitals, so there is no reason to believe that care abroad is inferior.

According to an article on www.flyertalk.com, the top countries for those seeking medical care at cut rates are Thailand, Mexico, Singapore, India and Brazil.

One useful thing to remember if you are ill or injured abroad is that local pharmacies often dispense medications that require a doctor's prescription in North America.