Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Live and Invest Overseas.
Finding quality health care overseas is a top priority for most expats and retirees. Luckily you can find excellent health care overseas, often for much cheaper than in the U.S.
Different countries have different cultures, and this can have an impact on your care and those cultures’ perception of you as a patient.
In many countries, doctors are highly revered members of society, under no circumstances to be questioned. Science is reserved for a selected few; attempts to understand it should not be made by mere mortals.
We take a look at some of the best and most affordable options for health care overseas.
Medical Insurance
You will need to get medical insurance at first. Later on you may qualify for subsidized public health care. Most people choose to buy health insurance only for the country they retire in.
The other option is international health insurance. This will cover you for hospital stays across the world.
1. Panama
The standard of infrastructure varies considerably throughout the country. Panama City has modern, well-equipped hospitals comparable to the best in the world. The best hospitals outside of Panama City are in David. If you have an existing medical condition you will want to be close to one of these cities.
Public hospitals in the city are capable, just not as good as the private ones. If you are on a budget, you can visit public hospitals and save a lot of money.
Lots of expats use public hospitals and have nothing but praise. If you are not an emergency admission, you may have to wait a while to be seen in public hospitals.
Head out into the countryside and facilities are lacking. You can find small health clinics, but the hospitals are of a lower standard. Panama City can sometimes blind you to the fact that Panama is a developing nation.
Ambulance service in Panama exists but is not great. In most cases you will get to the hospital faster by driving yourself or taking a taxi.
The Best Hospitals in Panama
Most of the best hospitals are in Panama City. However, Hospital Chiriqui in David deserves a special mention. This is the best hospital outside the capital and provides quality health care for residents in the west of Panama.
Punta Pacifica is widely regarded as the best hospital in Panama. It’s affiliated with the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. Many of the staff here intern at Johns Hopkins as part of their training.
Punta Pacifica is one most expensive areas in Panama, and the hospital is equally pricey.
Centro Medico Paitilla is another quality hospital with U.S. affiliations. In this case the hospital’s link is with Cleveland Clinic. This is a pricey hospital but has the best cancer treatment and neurosurgeons in Panama.
Standard of Medical Staff in Panama
The medical staff in Panama are great. Many of them have received at least part of their training in North America.
Usual practice is for doctors to split their time between private and public hospitals. Their work in private hospitals pays the bills. The work in public hospitals allows them to give back to the community.
While the facilities in public hospitals are nowhere near those in the private, you can feel reassured that the doctors are likely to be as good.
How Do Prices in Panama Compare With Those in the U.S.?
As a rule of thumb, you can expect to pay about half as much as you would in the States. An appointment with a doctor will cost somewhere between $15 and $30 per hour.
Panama is not a popular medical tourism destination, as there are cheaper alternatives. However health care here represents excellent value compared with the States.
Can You Find English-Speaking Staff in Panama?
Most of the doctors will be close to fluent. Nurses and other members of staff usually speak a little English. Maybe not fluent, but more than enough to talk about hospital-related topics.
However, you will never be too far away from an English speaker. You will be able to get your message across.
Dentistry in Panama
Dentistry in Panama is at a high level. In Panama City you can get all the latest procedures at a far cheaper price than in the United States.
Most dentist speak only some English, but you can find English-friendly clinics. You tend to pay slightly more at these places.
2. Colombia
Health care is a major selling point for Colombia. Its health system ranked 22nd in the world by the WHO (the World Health Organization ranks the United States at 37th in the world, while Canada ranks 30th).
Many of the best hospitals in the country are found in Medellin. In fact, many of the top hospitals in all of Latin America are found here. Colombia’s only JCI-accredited hospital (Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe) is located in Medellín.
Excellent health care will be easily accessible no matter where you base yourself in Medellin. It’s a major medical tourism destination. From dental work to complicated surgeries, people seek out this city to receive medical attention.
What’s more, Colombia is super affordable. This has led to Colombia becoming a major player in the medical tourism industry. In case you haven’t heard of medical tourism, it’s travelling overseas for treatment.
The savings can be huge. In some cases it’s cheaper to fly first class and do your rehabilitation in a five-star hotel than get treatment in the States.
The Best Hospitals in Colombia
Colombian hospitals always place highly in the Latin American rankings. There is strength in depth too, with good hospitals spread across the country. As most expats and retirees tend to live in Medellin and Bogota, we’ll focus on hospitals in these two cities.
Best hospitals in Medellin:
Pablo Tobon Uribe is the best hospital according to medical rankings and reputation. This is one of the hospitals at leading the way in the medical tourism industry. They are familiar with treating foreigners. This Catholic hospital is one of the best places to receive intensive care anywhere in Latin America.
Clinica Las Americas is the most versatile hospital in Medellin. They have a wide range of specialists and surgeons. This is a modern hospital that provides a dedicated check in for international patients.
Best hospitals in Bogota:
Fundacion Cardioinfantil ranks as the third best hospital in Latin America. It started out as a children’s hospital but now treats people of all ages. It specializes in cardiovascular health but provides treatment across the spectrum. If you need cardio care, this is one of the best options anywhere in the world.
Mederi hospital in Bogota is an established hospital that specializes in the treatment of seniors. Mederi hospital is split across two locations in Bogota.
The Standard of Medical Staff in Colombia
The standard of doctors, nurses, surgeons, and specialists here is at least equal to the United States. Colombia is another country that sends a lot of doctors to the U.S. to receive part of their training.
Medical professionals here think nothing of prescribing different shots and pills. Anything that they think could help. Likewise they won’t hesitate to refer you to different specialists to ensure the diagnosis is correct.
Also, one great thing about health care here is that you don’t even need to go to a clinic or hospital to get diagnosed and buy medication. Pharmacists in Medellin can give basic medical advice, and many medications are readily available over the counter.
How Do Prices in Colombia Compare With Those in the U.S.?
The difference in price compared with North America is often so stark that it’s worth it to buy round-trip flights and pay for accommodation just to have work done here. Many short-term visitors travel to Medellin with basic travel insurance that covers serious emergencies.
Part-time Medellin-expat Sasha Savinov says, “My personal recommendation is Safety Wing, as it covered my wife and my humanitarian flights back to the States when we got stuck here during the first COVID-19 lockdown.”
Then again, it’s easy and cheap enough to pay for most things out of pocket. Things like routine check-ups, generic prescription drugs, and dental work are such a bargain compared to prices up north.
To access local health care as a resident, you’ll first need a visa and a cédula (local ID). Then you’ll be eligible for a local plan under Entidadas Promotoras de Salud, or EPS. These are basic health care plans that everyone in Colombia must have by law.
These plans cost 12.5% of your monthly income, or pension for retirees. They cover medical, vision, and dental, but at a basic level. Each plan has its own network, so you’ll need to be clear about which hospitals and doctors you can visit.
Most expats opt to sign up for some kind of private coverage, known as medicina prepaga, in addition to EPS.
The cost depends on a variety of factors, such as your age and pre-existing conditions. These plans ensure shorter wait times and fewer hoops to jump through to see a specialist. There are a few different insurance companies you can go through to get set up on these plans, with SURA being a favorite among expats.
Can You Find English-Speaking Staff in Colombia?
It’s not difficult to find a doctor that speaks English here, as many have completed some of their studies abroad and are used to treating international patients.
While the health care system here is very good overall, many expats still complain about bureaucracy and wait times.
Dentistry in Colombia
Colombia is branching out into dental tourism as well. The standard of dental care here is excellent, and prices are low.
On average you can expect to pay half as much in Colombia as you would at home.
3. Thailand
The public health care system in Thailand is not likely to appeal to expats and retirees. However, the private health care system is world class.
Low prices and quality hospitals and medical staff have put Thailand into the top five medical tourism destinations in the world. Medical tourism here allows you to.
The Thai government has been a big factor in this. They are spending big money on medical infrastructure. They are also offering tax breaks for companies making investments into new health care facilities.
The Best Hospitals in Thailand
Bumrungrad International Hospital is widely seen as the best hospital in Thailand. It is a major medical tourism destination and used to dealing with English-speaking patients. The hospital considers itself a one-stop destination. They can take care of you no matter what help you require. Bumrungrad Hospital is at the cutting edge of robot technology.
Bangkok Hospital is a series of 40 hospitals throughout Thailand. They are another hospital positioning to become a big player in medical tourism. Thanks to Bangkok Hospital, you are never far from quality health care, wherever you are living in Thailand.
The Standard of Medical Staff in Thailand
Medical staff in the big hospitals have an excellent reputation. Medical tourism is bringing a lot of money into the country and only the best medical staff get to work in the top hospitals.
Standards outside of the private hospitals can be up varied, but no more so than any other country.
How Do Prices in Thailand Compare With Those in the U.S.?
Thailand is extremely cheap in comparison with the United States. For example, a heart bypass in Thailand would cost around $14,000 and $120,000 in the States.
In general, Thailand is one of the cheapest places you can go. However, you can find better value for cosmetic procedures in other countries.
Can You Find English-Speaking Staff in Thailand?
English is spoken at all the major private hospitals. If you book your hospital visit in advance, you may find that everyone you come across speaks to you in English.
Dentistry in Thailand
Thailand has some excellent dentists and clinics. Although cheaper than the U.S., prices here are not especially low.
Dental treatment in Thailand is of good quality and affordable. Definitely another benefit of retiring here. However, medical tourists can find better value elsewhere.
4. Costa Rica
Costa Rica was one of the first countries to blaze the medical tourism trail. The standard of hospitals here remains top-class.
The private facilities are as you would expect from a country strongly associated with overseas health care: super-modern and hygienic and capable of treating just about anything.
The standard of public hospital service is also good in Costa Rica. The government here has invested heavily in health care. The results are modern infrastructure, especially in the big towns and cities.
The Best Hospitals in Costa Rica
Hospital CIMA is the best hospital in Costa Rica. It’s run by an American corporation, and the standards here are as high as in the States. The staff speak English and are used to treating international patients. This is a premium hospital that stays up to date with the latest techniques and buys cutting-edge equipment.
Hospital Clinica Biblica in San Jose is another of the best hospitals in Costa Rica. This hospital has the prestigious JCI accreditation which is a guarantee of excellence. This is another hospital in Costa Rica where the standards are at least the equal of hospitals in the U.S.
The Standard of Medical Staff in Costa Rica
Doctors in the big private hospitals are of the highest standard. But these aren’t the only places you can find quality health care professionals in Costa Rica. Thanks to the high standard of education, doctors throughout the country are very well trained.
How Do Prices in Costa Rica Compare With Those in the U.S.?
Prices are around half of what you would pay at home. While still a bargain, this makes Costa Rica more expensive than similar countries. You are paying for an established infrastructure and class facilities.
Some private hospitals, such as Clinica Biblica, have links with five-star hotels. This allows you to complete your recovery in luxury surroundings.
Can You Find English-Speaking Staff in Costa Rica?
In the big medical tourism hospitals, most staff speak English. Outside of these hospitals you can also find a lot of English-speakers. Most doctors will advertise that they speak English.
Research your local area and you should be able to find someone.
Dentistry in Costa Rica
As well as being one of the best places in the world for tourism, Costa Rica leads the field in dental tourism. Prices here are some of the lowest you can find. You can expect to pay about a third of what you would spend in the States.
This doesn’t come at the expense of quality. Private facilities are modern and extremely capable.
The public sector in Costa Rica also offers quality treatment. It takes a little longer to get an appointment, but patients can be sure of quality work.
5. France
France’s health care system is world-class, ranked first in the world by the WHO.
In Paris, specifically, you’ll have access to the best medical care in the country, and it’s all within arm’s reach — you won’t have to go far to find any of the care you need.
How Do Prices in France Compare With Those in the U.S.?
Most of the cost of France’s health care is free if you’re a member of French Social Security (if you’re paying taxes in France). If not, care is still affordable enough that paying out of pocket is a viable option.
Paris expat Kat Kalashian says:
“I’m not able to take advantage of the free health care yet, but I’ve seen my share of doctors since moving thanks to pregnancy and childbirth.
“I’ve only had private care, and the most expensive test I had was US$153 … and only a couple of tests were over US$100. Ordinarily, specialist visits are about US$50; a clinic visit just US$25.
“To have my baby in one of Paris’ most recommended maternity wards cost about US$5,300 for a stay of four days, which is the minimum time you’ll be kept in the hospital after birth here. I had to pay out of pocket, but my private insurance reimbursed me for all of it.”
Can You Find English-Speaking Staff in France?
If you’re adamant about seeing American doctors, the American Hospital is a great, if expensive, institution. There’s also the Franco-Britannique, with British doctors.
Doctolib is an online resource for finding doctors, and you can filter to search for those who speak English.
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