What are the countries with cheapest medical care? Whether you’re planning on relocating, considering traveling for the purposes of medical tourism, or are just curious, you might like to find out which are the countries with cheapest medical care. Before you rush into any inaccurate conclusions, believe it or not, when it comes to medicine (surprisingly enough) it isn’t always a case of “you get what you pay for”. In fact, some of the countries in our countdown have the best medical care in the world, according to the World Health Organization. If you take a look at the World Health Report, you’ll see that the countries with the best health care are mainly in Europe.
On the other hand, the countries with the most affordable medical care are mainly in Asia, Eastern Europe and The Americas. As a matter of fact, these regions are booming areas for medical tourism: traveling abroad for the purpose of obtaining medical care elsewhere. A trend that started with the movement of people from the least developed countries to the highly developed ones looking for medical attention non-existent in their homeland has now turned upside down. The current trend is for people to travel over to those countries with the cheapest medical care looking for inexpensive treatments, or procedures which may be illegal in their home countries. As a result of this medical tourism boom, some developing countries have made it their goal to become the prime destinations for various health treatments at affordable rates. This is the reason behind the fact that some of the countries in our list also rank as some of the best health care choices.
But, maybe, if you are not keen on traveling back and forth to get cheap medical care, you should permanently relocate to one of the 20 Countries with the Lowest Cost of Living in the World and have affordable medical rates available on a daily basis.
So, are you curious about the ten countries with cheapest medical care? Let’s take a look at the countdown.
10. Cuba
Cuba is not only affordable, but it also has qualified and dedicated professionals. Medical education is free there, plus it has universal health care. A longtime chosen destination for medical tourism by Europeans and Latin Americans, Cuba is widely known for inexpensive and excellent medical care.
The list of the countries with cheapest medical care continues on the next page with this year’s World Cup host.
9. Brazil
This country is known for its beautiful beaches and beautiful people; its inhabitants have acquired a taste for all things pretty. No wonder they happen to have one of the highest rates of cosmetic surgeons worldwide. As you can imagine, with all this grand supply of nose jobs, facelifts, liposuctions and many more surgeries, they come at a reasonable price.
8. Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s public health insurance system is available nationwide to all legal residents and citizens. According to the WHO it is among the countries with the best health care in the world. This country’s high-quality, low-cost medical services make it one of the chosen destinations for medical tourism by Americans. Known for dental and cosmetic tourism as well as for its rehabilitation facilities in paradisaical environments, its proximity to the U.S. is a decisive factor for tourists.
7. Mexico
Yet another Latin American representative of cheap medical care. Just across the border from the U.S lies a country with affordable health care and certified doctors. Mexico’s modern hospitals, low rates and proximity to the U.S. resulted in its becoming a great destination for those looking to get different treatments.
6. Hungary
The first European country in our countdown is Hungary, historically chosen by Austrians, Germans and Swiss for its cheap dentistry. Easy to get to from any country in Europe, Hungary has one of the most inexpensive health care systems on the continent.
5. Poland
Initially known for dental tourism, Poland also offers thermal baths and various spa treatments. This Central European country appeals to neighboring countries as well as distant ones.
4. China
China is not a country chosen for medical tourism; as a matter of fact the procedures that go on there are somewhat sketchy and borderline illegal. But there’s no denying its cheap medical care. Lots of controversial medical experiments take place in China. Moreover there have been rumors of unethical organ harvesting and reports on tainted drugs.
3. Singapore
A government-run universal health care system coexists with a private sector in Singapore, one of the countries with the best health care systems, according to the WHO. Singapore is a pioneer in medical tourism, not only are their medical services highly ranked, but the surrounding facilities as well (hotels, transportation, etc.).
2. India
I’m sure you’ve noticed the Asian predominance at the top of this list. India attracts medical tourists not only for its cheap medical care, but also because it offers a wide range of alternative treatments such as the Ayurvedic methods.
1. Country with Cheapest Medical Care: Thailand
Unsurprisingly enough, yet another Asian country is number one on our list. Known for its private urban hospitals, cheap and effective sex change procedures and extremely low prices, Thailand also offers dental work, heart surgeries and orthopedic treatments.
