ArrivaCostaRica.com

An evolution has occurred in health care. Overseas health care can lead to price breaks of more than $40,000 for procedures like knee replacement surgery or heart bypass surgery. Insurance companies and employers who provide their own insurance, have learned they can save between 50 percent and an incredible 90 percent on major medical claims, according to Gil Clark, president and CEO of ArrivaCostaRica.com, the primary portal for health savings in Costa Rica. Because of lower costs of medical supplies in Costa Rica, as well as a lower cost of living, prices are driven down compared to American providers.

When it comes to dental, high costs are very common. Dental coverage involves out-of-pocket expense, and the low prices and state-of-the-art dental offices in Costa Rica has proven very popular for patients and insurance companies alike.

Compared to the U.S., Margie Cardot, 49, learned of the huge savings in Costa Rica from her Blue Cross Blue Shield provider. With their encouragement, she wasted little time in getting on a plane for a short ride to San Jose for some of the best dental work of her life. The resulting dental work and cost savings was phenomenal and well worth the trip.

She had 6 crowns and a bridge replaced, along with a root canal and fillings. The dental work would have easily cost her $8,000 out of pocket back home, but she paid just $2,250 after insurance.

In another case, Morris Stewart of Shenendoah, Virginia. would have spent his entire $10,000 deductible allowed through his insurance policy if he had his leg surgery performed earlier this year near his home. For this reason alone, Stewart, 61, had planned to wait until age 65 and became qualified under Medicare before undertaking the surgery.

But, upon reading about medical tourism in the insurance company’s annual report, the retired businessman flew to Costa Rica and paid about $3,700, including all travel expenses. He even flew for free, using frequent flier miles.

Stewart was very pleased to discover that the quality of care and attentiveness of the doctors far surpassed anything he could have expected in the U.S.

“When you read the credentials and resumes of the doctors, you become convinced of their qualifications and wonderful care you will receive” he said.

Because of Costa Rica’s prominence in medical travel, it has become a major destination for medical and dental procedures of all kinds.

“People have come to understand that the top hospitals in Costa Rica are as good as any hospital in the U.S. or anywhere in the world” says Gil Clark, President and CEO of ArrivaCostaRica.com, the country’s main web site for doctors and low prices in Costa Rica.

Many insurance companies underwriting and providing group health insurance plans to employers, have started offering medical tourism as part of their health benefits package. Hundreds of employers throughout the country are now offering medical tourism packages, and patients are combining great vacations with their medical procedures.

The unknown can be a legitimate worry, say professionals who have worked overseas with major health care systems.

And, of course, the average patient has no real way of comparing hospitals on a worldwide basis. But, according to Clark, insurers are dedicated to inspecting and approving only the best hospitals, mostly JCI-accredited hospitals, before including them in their medical tourism packages.

Liability concerns are quickly being over come as employers continue to offer overseas health care options at an increasing rate to their plans.

Many employers, as wells, are learning that providing overseas medical options for high priced medical care in the U.S., is a welcome cost-savings approach for their companies.

For more information about medical procedures and costs in Costa Rica, visit www.arrivacostarica.com (more…)