As you know, medical procedure prices are extremely high in the United States. As an alternative to high U.S. prices, we have medical and dental provider locations in India. Until the last few years, people looked at countries outside the U.S. and its hospitals as inferior imitations of those in developed countries. Western expatriates as well as wealthier Third World "natives", having very little trust in local hospitals or doctors, would fly to the United States for something as simple as an executive check-up.

In the past 30 years, the costs of health care have soared in developed countries, especially in the United States. Due to rapidly escalating health care costs, Americans, Europeans, Canadians and Australians in ever increasing numbers began to search for alternatives that could reduce their personal out of pocket medical expenses. In the last few years, millions of people from developed nations have chosen to become Medical Tourists.

Need a coronary bypass surgery that costs more than $150,000 in the U.S.? Simply pack your bags. Take a vacation, and pay $6,500. Need an elective Caesarean section? That's about $1,000 including a four day hospital stay in a private room. How about a breast augmentation with smooth saline implants? Breast implants will cost you $2,000. If you are willing to travel, the list of more affordable medical procedures is seemingly endless: cardiac surgery, orthopedic surgery, weight loss procedures, cancer treatments, cosmetic surgery, general surgery, medications, infertility treatments, dental, glasses, stress reduction programs, neurosurgery, laparoscopic procedures, sex reassignment surgery, experimental treatments and so much more.

International rates are very low compared to what is paid in the United States, Europe or Australia. In some cases, the savings from dental work alone can give people extra money for a luxury vacation. For example, a family can take an expensive, four-star, luxury vacation in a Mexican Oceanside Villa and pay for the trip with the savings they receive on getting their glasses, medications and dental work from local providers. Medical Tourism can certainly be a win-win proposition. While taking care of health needs at deep discounts, shopping excursions, river tours, sight-seeing, nature excursions, intellectual pursuits, religious pilgrimages, cruises, ancient site tours, safaris, hunting or fishing trips and trips to nearby beaches can all be arranged around a medical appointment schedule. Medical Tourism is a simple concept: people can combine medical treatments with vacations, and use the savings on the medical care to pay for the vacation.

As with everything, there is one major drawback. Although most Americans have gone to a physician in the U.S. with international training, the majority of Americans remain very skeptical about traveling to other countries for their medical care. Logic mandates that there are international hospitals and health care professionals that can match those in the United States. Thus, the key is weeding through thousands of potential sources for international medical care and finding the right clinical provider, location and overall travel package.

At Medical Discounts International (MDI), we help consumers find international sources of U.S. equivalent medical care at affordable prices. MDI evaluates health care providers on five criteria: (1) the locations current geo-political issues, safety, security and weather; (2) the cost of services performed including the cost of transportation, food and lodging; (3) the convenience for the patient; (4) the quality standards as set and evaluated by an objective third party, and finally, (5) the local tourist and vacation attractions.

Medical Tourism is not for everyone, but it is a viable option for people who can not afford the high costs of health care in the United States.