Nov 20, 2009 8:14 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Medical Tourism
More Americans Are Going Overseas To Have Major Surgeries At A Fraction Of Cost; Doctors Point Out Huge Risks
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Travel to places like India, Korea and even Cost Rica is on the rise. But it's not just for the scenery and tourist attractions.
More and more Americans are traveling to foreign countries for cheaper medical care. But just how safe is it to have an operation overseas?
CBS 2 HD examines the growing trend of medical tourism.
Chuck Rychner recently returned from the trip of a lifetime to Costa Rica.
"The scenery was beautiful," Rychner said. "The rain forests … the incredibly beautiful, fertile valley."
But it was his visit to a hospital in the country's capitol of San Jose that was the main attraction.
"The staff was really great," Rychner said.
Rychner was there for a knee replacement surgery. In fact, his whole trip was planned around the procedure. He is one of an increasing number of Americans taking part in a new trend called medical tourism.
"You have urology, gynecology, knee replacements, hip replacements," said Tom O'Hara of travel company Surgical Trips.
Until recently, most Americans traveling abroad for medical care were either uninsured or bargain hunters looking to pay less for procedures like cosmetic surgery.
But now all that is changing. More and more insurance companies and employers are not only agreeing to pay for foreign medical procedures, they're encouraging people to have them. The reason? Costs are up to 80 percent less than they are here. Experts say these savings are ultimately passed on to the consumer.
"It becomes a win-win situation for both parties," O'Hara said.
O'Hara's company -- Surgical Trips -- acts as a sort of travel agent for the sick, making all the arrangements -- from hotel accommodations to insurance payments. He organizes these trips in more than a dozen countries.
"There's a number of opportunities for people to take advantage of not only the surgical expertise and quality but also the tourist attractions," O'Hara said.
Korea is just one country enthusiastically rolling out the welcome mat to medical tourists. James Bae's Korea Health Industry Development Institute recruits patients out of a Manhattan office.
"In general our cost is about 25 to 30 percent of U.S. cost," Bae said.
Rychner could have had his knee surgery anywhere but chose Costa Rica, partly because of the beauty, but mostly because he couldn't afford the $50,000 procedure here in the U.S.
"The hospital basically packaged the whole thing to a cost of about $10,300," Rychner said.
Rychner's wife joined him on the trip. After the surgery he recuperated in a private cottage on the site of a former cattle ranch.
But there are questions about the safety of having a major medical procedure so far from home.
"Who is going to follow up? What if you have a complication?" said Dr. John Cahill of St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital.
Cahill advises patients to research the foreign hospital. Talk to the doctor performing the surgery before traveling abroad and make sure to find out what type of post-operative care is available.
"This should be discussed with your primary care doctor as well so everybody is on the same page," Cahill said.
Four of the largest health insurers in the U.S. say they are exploring medical travel programs. The hospitals they partner with are all accredited by the same organization that certifies healthcare programs here in the States.
Some U.S. care providers are now offering price breaks to counter the foreign competition. You can read more by clicking
here.
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