08 Apr International Medical Tourism
By Jane Wilson
When you move to another country, a thought on our minds as expats, who are usually close to retirement age, is what do we do for medical coverage and procedures? Panama has very good healthcare, with several hospitals in the city. If you do not have medical insurance, it can be costly.
My husband and I recently went to Medellin in Colombia, where he had reconstruction knee surgery. To get to this decision to go this route there were several factors involved. My husband had knee problems in Canada and was originally misdiagnosed as having arthritis. He visited our local GP in Coronado and was referred to an orthopedic surgeon, who works out of several hospitals in Panama City. He suggested an MRI, which my husband had done at a very efficient clinic. They also provided a CD. The orthopedic surgeon who viewed the MRI suggested that my husband required knee reconstruction as soon as possible. We were quoted $8,000 to $12,000 US. This was out of our price range, and we did not have a medical plan. As we are Canadian, we called an orthopedic surgeon that my husband had seen in the past. We were advised that it would take up to two years to have this procedure done in Canada. That was not acceptable, as my husband is a golfer, biker, and hiker. As he was 67, to wait two years he would be nearly 70; and his quality of life would be affected.
In doing my research I heard that Colombia was one of many countries that were involved in medical tourism. I went online and was able to find a hospital in Medellin. We had visited Medellin last year and were very encouraged. The hospital was 5 minutes from the airport. My husband contacted the hospital and completed a form, which is online, asking for medical information. Within two days we had received a very thorough email from the surgeon. Also the cost was amazing. The fee was $2500 US dollars. As Colombia’s currency is in pesos it was definitely an asset for us being Canadian. My husband was not required to stay in the hospital; it was day surgery. We stayed in El Poblado, which was 45 minutes from the hospital. We had a driver for the first few days. Also I should mention that the hospital had a language interpreter, and the surgeon spoke English. This hospital is only 5 years old and state-of-the-art. My husband’s care was exceptional, and I would not hesitate to recommend this route to go when considering surgery in another country.
One item to mention is that the hospital can arrange accommodations for family members and transportation. Also, going to Medellin is an awesome experience. The country is so clean, and Colombians have such pride in their country.
The hospital website is as follows: www.health-Tourism.com.
Hospital Name: Centres Especializados de San Vicente Fundacion
I have been recently involved with a friend who broke her ankle. She made the decision to have the surgery and care in David, which is 5 hours from Panama City. The hospital was small and very clean, and the staff was very efficient and attentive. My friend paid half the price, compared to her quote of $12,000 from Panama City. She was required to stay two nights in David.
It is nice to know there are options. Many expats do have different medical insurance plans. Many cover some procedures, but not every thing is covered.
If you need more info contact: [email protected]
Do your research, as there are many options.