In my book, “Looking Back,” I wrote about some of the challenges facing our nation, including the rising cost of healthcare and the lack of availability of basic healthcare for the uninsured. I mentioned that it was cheaper to fly to India and other foreign countries for surgery than to have in here. Below is information from a recent article that appeared in “AARP Bulletin.” Who knew that in some instances, traveling to a foreign country was cheaper than even paying the co-pay on insurance?

OVERSEAS FOR OPERATIONS?

Recently AARP Bulletin had an article about traveling to places like Indonesia for major surgery. Costs can be dramatically less than even the out-of-pocket expenses for the same operation in the U.S. For example, a spinal stenosis surgery for one man cost $4,618.03. It would have cost him at least $14,000 out-of-pocket in the U.S. Other countries that cater to U.S. citizens needing surgery are India, Singapore, Hungary, South Africa, Dubai, Cosa Rica and Brazil. Thailand is the most popular choice. There are downsides, of course, such as limited or no legal recourse in the case of negligence. There are now books on medical tourism and agencies that will book your trip! Read the whole story and find resources at http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourhealth/traveling_for_treatment.html

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