| An article on medical tourism covering plastic | | | | Of course there is a "do it yourself" alternative. |
| surgery and dentistry in Mexico, Costa Rica, | | | | Some try to find clinics in Mexico, Costa Rica, |
| Thailand, Hungary and other countries. The article | | | | Thailand, Hungary, Poland etc. without the use of |
| focuses on an alternative for the service provided | | | | medical agency services. But, researching an |
| by hundreds of medical tourism agencies in the | | | | entire health industry in foreign countries seems |
| USA and UK. | | | | to be time consuming, confusing and could be |
| Medical tourism also referred to as health tourism | | | | risky. Despite higher than local pricing of medical |
| or health outsourcing means traveling to other | | | | procedures it seems better to take advantage of |
| countries to obtain cheap medical, dental, and | | | | the experience and expertise medical tourism |
| surgical care. The exorbitant costs of healthcare in | | | | agencies have. |
| industrialized nations has led to the worldwide | | | | However there is a new medical tourism trend |
| popularity of medical tourism. More and more | | | | finding its way on the Internet: do it half yourself |
| people are traveling abroad as an affordable and | | | | after the agency has taken care of the other half |
| enjoyable way to undergo plastic surgery and | | | | first. This alternative is offered by the companies |
| dental procedures. | | | | "Dentist Abroad SA" and "Plastic Surgery Abroad |
| Practically all medical tourism agencies, most of | | | | SA" both operating from Tijuana Mexico. For $15 |
| them located in the US and the UK, promote the | | | | the companies provide a thoroughly screened |
| dentist and the plastic surgeon abroad on the | | | | exclusive list of dentists, plastic surgeons, doctors, |
| Internet. Those agencies have contracts with | | | | hospitals, cosmetic surgery clinics, dental surgeons, |
| hospitals, doctors, dentists and plastic surgery | | | | and clinics in Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Hungary, |
| clinics overseas. Using the service of medical | | | | Poland and several other countries. The service |
| tourism companies includes the fact that cross | | | | includes contact info, pricing, years of experience, |
| border medical facilities usually add 10-20% for | | | | working procedures, specialties and the necessary |
| commissions payable to the agency that refers | | | | background information. Since there are no |
| the patient. That makes medical treatments more | | | | contracts, the companies claim not to receive any |
| expensive than local pricing. Moreover patients | | | | commissions. If this is true, then it makes |
| cannot choose their own plastic surgeon or | | | | treatments much cheaper and patients may have |
| dentist. Usually it's the agency that selects the | | | | 100% freedom to choose their own doctor or |
| doctor or a limited group of doctors or medical | | | | dentist. |
| facilities the patient can choose from. | | | | |