Some leave U.S. for cheaper medical care

DALLAS, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- A U.S. study says an estimated 500,000 Americans crossed the border for medical treatment in 2005, mostly to Mexico and other Latin American countries.

The report by the National Center for Policy Analysis, a non-profit group in Dallas, also found that Americans were also among the estimated 250,000 foreign patients who sought care in Singapore, the 500,000 in India and as many as 1 million in Thailand.

The report said the cost savings for patients seeking medical care in other countries can be significant. For, example:

-- A hospital in India charges $4,000 for cardiac surgery, compared to about $30,000 in the United States.

-- Hospitals in Argentina, Singapore or Thailand charge $8,000 to $12,000 for a partial hip replacement -- one-half the price charged in Europe or the United States.

-- A rhinoplasty, or nose reconstruction, procedure that costs only $850 in India would cost $4,500 in the United States.

More than 120 hospitals abroad are accredited by the Joint Commission International, part of the organization that accredits American hospitals participating in Medicare, the report said.