Prices for plastic surgery in Mexico are up to 40% cheaper than in the US, and a full range of services is offered in all manner of reconstructive and aesthetic procedures. In addition, the cosmetic surgery facilities in Mexico are rated, by the World Health Organization, as comparable in quality to those in the US. Read more to find out about cosmetic surgery in Mexico, including details about specific clinics.
[Read More]
Summer travelers worried about getting stranded at an airport because of storms, missed connections and canceled flights have new ways to protect themselves -- for a fee.
After last summer's many travel hassles, travel-insurance companies are pushing low-cost policies that include "delay insurance," which pays for hotel rooms and meals if you get stuck. Delay insurance is included in some policies that offer protection like refunds if you fall ill. Cost: Usually less than $50 when flying on inexpensive domestic tickets.
And airlines are now getting into the protection game, sensing they can make money off the disruption they sometimes create.
Things for the savvy consumer to check in a travel "delay" insurance policy: (1) are weather delays are included? (2) how long must you be delayed before coverage takes effect? (3) what is the daily cap on benefits?
[Read More]
Today McKinsey & Company released a report entitled Mapping the Market for Medical Travel. The quick summary is that McKinsey claims medical travel is overhyped, with only 60,000-85,000 inpatients annually, as compared to hundreds of thousands claimed by those in the medical tourism industry. However, McKinsey sees growth ahead, because there are very real benefits to medical travel (chiefly quality of care, cost, and shorter waiting times). As the Wall Street Journal put it, "Still, the report does say the number of Americans traveling overseas for care could grow to more than 700,000 procedures a year, at a savings of some $15,000 per procedure."
The state of health care being what it is in the US today, you might want to consider coming to Thailand on a medical vacation. In the last few years, this has become very popular as Americans realize they can get the same quality of care they receive in the US for about one tenth of the price.
Included in the money it costs is also a round-trip ticket to Bangkok, and often a week's vacation on a top Thai beach to recuperate after surgery. Medical tourism in Thailand is the 'in thing'.
[Read More]