Americans May See Appeal of Medical Tourism in Cuba

[mia]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/18/world/americas/americans-may-see-appeal-of-medical-tourism-in-cuba.html?_r=0

Anuja Agrawal jumped on the phone. President Obama had just announced that he would restore diplomatic relations with Cuba — and Ms. Agrawal, who runs a medical tourism company in Orlando, Fla., did not want to miss her opening.

She reached a health care administrator in Cuba, agreeing to move ahead with a deal that they had been discussing for months in the hope that American patients could soon start traveling to the island for medical treatment.

“There was a lot of excitement about it,” said Ms. Agrawal, the chief executive of Health Flights Solutions, adding that if Americans start traveling to Cuba for affordable medical treatments, it could mean a big economic boost for the country’s health system. “For them, they’re looking at it literally like winning the lottery.”

...Thousands of people from other countries go to Cuba each year for what is known as medical tourism: travel abroad for surgery or other medical care, often because the treatment is less expensive there or is not available where patients live....

[pennylane100]

1. I live in a very middle classed retirement community

and there are quite of lot of our neighbors who go to Mexico for dental treatment. I have been told that a treatment of implants cost about four thousand dollars. The clinic books their stay a really nice hotel nearby and provides rides to and from the airport. With all the problems with cartels and crooked cops in Mexico. (I know, ours can be just as bad), maybe Cuba would be a good alternative.

[mia]

2. Looking forward to learning more about medical options.

I didn't know about Mexico's reputation for dental treatments., although I once knew a woman who had a face lift in Costa Rica. She was very happy about her "new look". There were no complications and this was nearly 20 years ago.