Medical Tourism in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has become one of the most sought-after destinations, not only by adventurous travelers willing to experience the many natural attractions in the country, but also by many foreigners (Americans and Canadians mainly) seeking to get quality medical treatments at lower prices.

A forecast by Deloitte Consulting published in August 2008, projected that near 750.000 Americans traveled in 2007 to some of the main medical destinations, such as, Thailand, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico, Argentina and Costa Rica.

According to the Joint Commission International (JCI, relative of the Joint Comission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization in the United States), medical tourists spent more than $2.200 million in different medical treatments and surgeries, which means these patients saved over $14.000 million by undergoing medical treatment abroad.

Near 22.000 Americans and around 2.000 tourists from Europe, Central and South America, selected Costa Rica as their medical destination in 2008.  Services typically sought by travelers include elective procedures as well as complex specialized surgeries such as joint replacement (knee/hip), cardiac surgery, dental surgery, and cosmetic surgeries.

Benefits

Medical attention fees in the United States are 2 to 3 times higher than what’s charged in Costa Rica. 
While gastric bypass surgery costs over $30.000 in the U.S., medical tourists pay less than $10.000 for the exact same procedure in Costa Rica.  This rate includes personalized attention, hospitalization and the surgeon and anesthesiologist’s fees.

Over 45 million Americans do not have medical insurance or have insurance with insufficient coverage.  Medical insurance’s cost went up 6 to 8 times faster than people’s salaries and most policies won’t cover dental treatments, eye surgery plastic surgery, gynecological or dermatological procedures, unless the conditions were caused by an accident or chronic disease. 

Aside the fact that Costa Rica’s high quality medical procedures are offered at affordable prices for travelers, the beautiful landscapes and many natural attractions in the country provide the perfect healing conditions for many medical tourists.  Several personalizes packagess are offered for less than $1.500, including transportation, meals, tour guide, accommodation, tours, hot springs and even canopy.

Rent-a-Car companies have special rates and deals for those who come to Costa Rica seeking medical treatment.  Some of the services offered by Rent-a-Car companies are: 4x4 cars, wheelchairs, walkers and canes.

In Costa Rica medical tourism represents around $120 million a year and provides many jobs to Costa Ricans in the tourism and medical fields. There’s no doubt that foreign patients are a big profit for this small country, which is why organizations in charge like Promed (International Medical Promotion Council), make sure doctors keep providing high quality services, that all fields involved work coordinately and that the development of new infrastructure is a reality in order to cope with the growing demand.

Medical centers such as Clínica Bíblica and CIMA (both accredited by the JCI) are already aiming in that direction.  Clínica Bíblica will be opening a medical center in the Guanacaste province in the near future, so that they can provide their services to those living and traveling in the area.

Clínica La Católica (Catholic Clinic) is only steps away from being JCI certified and have invested over $23 million remodeling their facilities and opening a new recovery center for medical tourists.

Recovery Centers

As it is important for medical travelers to receive top-notch medical treatment, the recovery period is just as vital.  There are several recovery centers throughout Costa Rica that offer comfort, personalized attention and even outdoor activities to patients.  Some of these recovery centers are:

• Las Cumbres:  located in Escazú, this center offers 14 fully equipped rooms, experienced nurses and support personnel to help with medical traveler’s needs.  Fees are around $100 per night.
• Che Tica Ranch:  located in the Braulio Carrillo area, only 20 minutes from downtown San José. Che Tica Ranch has 30 hectares filled with nature and comfort.  It has several cabins specially designed for recovering patients and offers key services such as transportation, meals and tours.  Fees are also around $100 per night.
• Posada El Convento:  this recovery center recently opened its doors to the many international patients receiving medical treatment in Clínica La Católica.  It offers 33 fully equipped rooms and guests have access to special services and routine check-ups.

Considerable Savings
Obtaining health care in Costa Rica is up to 75% cheaper than receiving it in the United States.  The services constantly sought by medical travelers are listed below.