In the past, wealthy Costa Ricans would travel to the U.S. for superior medical care and procedures. However, a turnaround has occurred recently and patients from Canada and the U.S. are coming to Costa Rica, not only for the incredible biodiversity, but for the high-quality medical care at lower cost and with shorter wait times than in their own countries.
Costa Rica has many well-trained doctors in various specialties, many of whom are trained in U.S. institutions, speak excellent English and perform procedures in top quality hospitals and facilities. In fact, much of the equipment is state of the art and imported from the U.S. as are many of the dental supplies.
These procedures, however, are much less expensive in Costa Rica even when you include airfare, hotel and other travel expenses. Canada especially has long waiting times for some procedures, and many people are underinsured in the U.S. and could never afford the costs back at home.
The turnaround began in the late 1980’s as U.S. citizens began traveling primarily for dental work as many procedures are not covered by insurance. In Costa Rica, the large majority of procedures take place in San Jose which has the best-equipped hospitals such as La Cima, Catolica and Biblica, some of which are run by U.S. based companies. The short travel times to Latin American countries from the north of the continent are also attractive for Canadian and U.S. citizens seeking medical and cosmetic procedures.
Almost half of the medical tourists come for dental work, with crowns, implants, veneers and bridges being a fraction of the costs. Gastric bypasses, reconstructive and plastic surgery like tummy tucks, breast implants, hip/ knee/ shoulder replacements are all performed in Costa Rica.
With savings like those, why not add on a trip to the soothing hot springs in Arenal or a beach break to ease your recovery!