Medical Tourism: Traveling Internationally for Care

Image Source: Dynamic Busan

Medical Tourism, also referred to as medical travel or health tourism is the practice of traveling internationally to obtain healthcare. Healthcare coverage in costs in certain countries (such as the United States) can often be very costly, and many people opt to travel to obtain cheaper healthcare than obtain healthcare in their respective countries.

Disclaimer: Let’s be honest, no healthcare system in the world is perfect and of course their are flaws in every system. This article is simply an analysis of the good parts of the healthcare systems in various countries and where it is possible to obtain inexpensive healthcare coverage around the world.

Korean Healthcare System:

I will focus on the Korean healthcare system more heavily than other countries since I took part in it for two years as a public employee in South Korea. Before coming to South Korea, I was covered by various private healthcare companies in the United States. I have used my knowledge plus the combined knowledge  of Ask A Korean.

Coverage: Available to everyone for everything. Not insured? No problem. Obtain a medical visa or travelers insurance before arrival. Of course, certain medical conditions might require private insurance.

Cost: CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP! Under my insurance plan (50% coverage), I pay around $4 USD to talk a doctor, any doctor. In America, I had to check to first find out if a company would accept my insurance plan, and then I paid a co-pay of around $30 USD just to talk to a doctor (Difference: -$26 USD/visit). I once needed an x-ray because I had some really bad cramping in my stomach. How much did I pay? $10 USD!

The benefits of this system are obvious. First, everyone gets affordable healthcare. This is huge, and cannot be stated with enough emphasis — in Korea, everyone can visit just about any doctor for anything for less than $5 [fixed because of overstatement] relatively small amount of money. Koreans very frequently visit the doctor’s office for any common cold. Often, this leads to early detection/treatment of a more serious illness.

Also, Korean patients almost never have to deal with any bureaucracy, since main exchange of paperwork happens between the doctor and the NHIC. As long as the patients can pay the deductibles, they can visit any doctor in Korea. Given that nearly every corner in the country can be traveled under three hours on a high-speed train, it is very easy to visit the best doctor in the country (who would likely be in Seoul) if anyone wants to.

On top of that, the whole system is really cheap. No one likes taxes, and Koreans grumble on the national health insurance fee as much as anyone. But Koreans on the whole spend about 6.3 percent of its GDP on healthcare, which is lower than Europe/Canada (which is around 10 percent) and a lot lower than America (which spends appalling 15 percent.) The low cost is partly achieved by having a single-payer system, which significantly lowers the administrative cost.

- Ask A Korean

Why South Korea? According to CNN, South Korea is one of the hottest destinations for Medical Tourism. Check out the benefits of opting for healthcare in Korea.

Need More Proof? Check out this article by Expat Jane on her experience with the South Korean healthcare system.

How do I get to Korea? Well there is the obvious way of getting to Korea by just traveling here and getting the aforementioned medical visa. You could also work here as a teacher or in other various kinds of professions and get 50% coverage for medical expenses.

Services Elsewhere:

Of course Korea is not the only destination in the world where healthcare is inexpensive. Let’s look back at the CNN article to find out other inexpensive healthcare options.

1. Brazil – inexpensive cosmetic surgery
2. Singapore – cancer treatment / stem cell research / general healthcare
3. Mexico – dental
4. Panama – dental / plastic surgery
5. Costa Rica – dental / plastic surgery
6. South Africa – cosmetic surgery / dental
7. Malaysia – cardiac surgery / cosmetic surgery
8. South Korea – cosmetic surgery / comprehensive health screenings
9. Hungary – dental / cosmetic surgery
10. India - orthopedic procedures/ cardiac procedures / general healthcare

For more information on Medical Tourism, check out the Medical Tourism Wikipedia Page (with citations).

About Chanel
Chanel is the founder and creator of La Viajera Morena. Chanel currently resides in New York City where she is currently pursuing her passions of teaching, traveling, and photography. Chanel resided in South Korea from 2010-2012 and plans to live abroad again in the next couple of years.
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