Affordable healthcare isn’t a myth. In fact, healthcare systems in other countries can be equally as good—if not better—than that in the U.S.—and charge far less for their services.
As more and more U.S. retirees learn that better and faster healthcare is available abroad at a fraction of the cost they’re accustomed to paying at home, a growing number of them are opting to take advantage of what’s called “medical tourism.”
It’s not uncommon for these medical tourists to save tens of thousands of dollars—or even more—on medical treatments without sacrificing quality.
A new report from International Living highlights three of the top countries medical tourists are seeking out for high-quality, affordable medical care.

Costa Rica

The World Health Organization ranks Costa Rica’s healthcare system slightly above that of the U.S. This achievement is the result of a large government investment in the health sector. The influx of foreigners in Costa Rica has also been a big incentive for private hospitals to open and expand their operations.
With hundreds of board-certified physicians, surgeons, and dentists practicing in or near the capital city of San José, health travel has gained a strong foothold in this nation of more than 4.7 million people.

Tens of thousands of Americans, including many retirees, live in Costa Rica, and more than 700,000 Americans make annual visits. Around 15% of international tourists come specifically to take advantage of Costa Rica’s medical services, mostly cosmetic surgery and dental care. And the nation is among the top five visited by Americans for medical treatment.

Colombia

For decades, North Americans have come to Cali and Medellín for cosmetic surgery—a tummy tuck here, a facelift there, and a few implants to round things out.
But today, people come to Colombia for all sorts of complex medical treatments. According to the prestigious financial publication, América Economía, which assembles an annual list of the region’s top medical facilities, eight of Medellín’s hospitals ranked among the top 43 in all of Latin America last year.
Between 2012 and 2013, medical tourism in Colombia increased by over 60%. In 2013, 50,000 medical tourists pumped an estimated $216 million into the Colombian healthcare system.
In most cases, North Americans are able to save 40% on healthcare in Colombia over costs at home, and in many cases, even more.

Mexico

In Mexico, most doctors and dentists receive at least part of their training in the U.S. (And many U.S. doctors have trained in Mexico, notably in Guadalajara.) Many of them continue to go to the U.S. or Europe for on-going training. Every mid-size to large city in Mexico has at least one good hospital.
Mexico’s combination of well-trained doctors, modern hospitals, low prices, and proximity to the U.S. has made it a popular medical-tourism destination for U.S. residents. Many Mexican towns along the U.S./Mexico border have thriving dental and medical practices, thanks to their many U.S. patients. And some cities farther into Mexico, notably Puerto Vallarta and Mérida, have become medical-tourism centers because they offer several excellent hospitals and dental practices in one city.
Several private U.S. hospital chains own and run hospitals in Mexico. Most notably, International Hospital Corporation of Dallas has four hospitals that it operates in Mexico under the CIMA name.
Texas-based Christus Health Systems operates seven hospitals in Mexico under the Christus Muguerza name. In addition, several top-notch, Mexican-owned hospital chains (notably Star Médica and the Los Ángeles chain) are popular.