The impact of dramatically rising medical costs in the United States has led straight to the birth and rise of health care consumerism.
And that, in turn, has led to thousands of U.S. citizens boarding a jet for plastic surgery in Costa Rica where they have discovered world recognised facilities, board certified doctors and dentists, and prices up to two thirds off.
There was a time, not too long ago, when Americans believed that medical care in the States was the best in the world and worth the money they were spending. However as medical costs skyrocketed while their family incomes were stagnant or declining, it became obvious that something had to be done to curtail costs that put elective surgeries out of reach for many people.
The North American economy is consumer-driven and consumers frequently vote with their feet. When the price of any American made product, whether vehicles or refrigerators toys or electronic devices, get too expensive and similar quality products built overseas are less expensive, buyers put aside altruism in favor of their wallet.
It was, of course, simply a matter of time before consumerism hit the American medical industry. It seems obvious that if patients could get excellent quality of clinical care overseas at an enormous savings, why should they pay inflated costs?
However, like the American steel industry, its automotive industry, and countless manufacturers which erroneously assumed that their consumers would faithfully lay out extra for a product that they could get for less if made from an overseas manufacturer, the American medical care industry put its own economic interests before the people it was serving.
The result? A vacuum as more and more folks weren't able to get the sort of medical care they wanted at prices they could afford.
But consumers, like Nature, abhor a vacuum. If doctors in the States priced themselves out of the lucrative cosmetic surgery market, would people look somewhere else?
Turns out, they wouldâ€"-and are. In 2009, nearly 39% of Americans surveyed said that they'd consider traveling overseas for elective surgery if the standard of care were the same as they were used to and the prices were half those in the States.
Enter Costa Rica.
Determined to take advantage of the developing medical tourism market, it stepped into the void made by the American medical industry. Internationally renowned clinics and hospitals, more than in any other Latin American country, and board certified doctors and dentists offered a level of treatment and care equal to the finest in the world at a fraction of U.S. prices.
The American consumer responded. Tired of the lack of choices and high prices in the U. S., they took note of Costa Rica, so much so that today that this small country is one of the world's most popular medical tourism destinations.
And that, in turn, has led to thousands of U.S. citizens boarding a jet for plastic surgery in Costa Rica where they have discovered world recognised facilities, board certified doctors and dentists, and prices up to two thirds off.
There was a time, not too long ago, when Americans believed that medical care in the States was the best in the world and worth the money they were spending. However as medical costs skyrocketed while their family incomes were stagnant or declining, it became obvious that something had to be done to curtail costs that put elective surgeries out of reach for many people.
The North American economy is consumer-driven and consumers frequently vote with their feet. When the price of any American made product, whether vehicles or refrigerators toys or electronic devices, get too expensive and similar quality products built overseas are less expensive, buyers put aside altruism in favor of their wallet.
It was, of course, simply a matter of time before consumerism hit the American medical industry. It seems obvious that if patients could get excellent quality of clinical care overseas at an enormous savings, why should they pay inflated costs?
However, like the American steel industry, its automotive industry, and countless manufacturers which erroneously assumed that their consumers would faithfully lay out extra for a product that they could get for less if made from an overseas manufacturer, the American medical care industry put its own economic interests before the people it was serving.
The result? A vacuum as more and more folks weren't able to get the sort of medical care they wanted at prices they could afford.
But consumers, like Nature, abhor a vacuum. If doctors in the States priced themselves out of the lucrative cosmetic surgery market, would people look somewhere else?
Turns out, they wouldâ€"-and are. In 2009, nearly 39% of Americans surveyed said that they'd consider traveling overseas for elective surgery if the standard of care were the same as they were used to and the prices were half those in the States.
Enter Costa Rica.
Determined to take advantage of the developing medical tourism market, it stepped into the void made by the American medical industry. Internationally renowned clinics and hospitals, more than in any other Latin American country, and board certified doctors and dentists offered a level of treatment and care equal to the finest in the world at a fraction of U.S. prices.
The American consumer responded. Tired of the lack of choices and high prices in the U. S., they took note of Costa Rica, so much so that today that this small country is one of the world's most popular medical tourism destinations.
About the Author:
Because it's the intelligent cosmetic surgery alternative to far away Thailand and India, medical tourism in Costa Rica is booming, offering board certified doctors and dentists, care the equal of anywhere on earth, and at fantastic prices. Not surprising then that thousands of Americans and others mix Costa Rica vacations with medical or dental care, frequently saving so much their holiday is paid for.
