Top 10 Costa Rica

Medical Tourism a Top Priority in Costa Rica

The tourism industry worldwide is suffering under the throes of the current economic crisis and Costa Rica is no exception. We have known for some time now that there is tremendous opportunity in “medical tourism” as a niche in the Costa Rican tourism repertoire. Now the government has made it official by declaring that medical tourism is in the national interest. It is expected that in 2009 some 20,000 tourists will arrive for various medical and dental procedures. Why? Because Costa Rica offers such procedures at a fraction of the cost of those same procedures in the U.S., which is the country of major draw for medical tourism to Costa Rica. And quality is not in question since according to the World Health Organization Costa Rica ranks 36th of 191 countries in terms of the quality of its health care systems.

Most procedures take place at the two internationally certified “private” hospitals, Cima and Clinica Biblica. Also, many recuperation centers are now available that offer luxury accommodations, an all-inclusive meal plan and nursing care. According to statistics a medical tourism related visit to Costa Rice generally has a duration of about 11 days and the tourist will not only spend money on the medical procedures themselves, but also for general tourist related activities.

So now that the government has made medical tourism a priority for the country, what is the strategy to increase it? A five part strategy was disclosed that includes promoting medical tourism outside the country, especially in the U.S., providing incentives for careers in medicine to attract qualified personnel to the industry, promoting accreditation of the country’s hospital and other health care facilities, creating alliances with insurers and large employers that can send patients to Costa Rica for treatment, and attracting investment in medical infrastructure.