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The medical tourism industry is erupting in worldwide popularity. More and more people are taking their money offshore and investing in their health, well being and all while enjoying a well deserved vacation/recovery in the hot tropical sun.
Costa Rica is rapidly becoming famous for medical and dental procedures with foreign patients. One of the most notable is the Clinica Biblica. A Costa Rica hospital for over 80 years, this private, non-profit hospital was first to receive the JCI credit. The Joint Commission International is a gauge for private hospitals worldwide and ensures that in order to become accredited, the hospital must pass a rigorous list of tests including quality of service, technology, cleanliness, pre/post-op care and many more.
Every year the Costa Rica medical tourism industry grows exponentially and is expected to continue in to the future.
- Approximately 1.3 million Americans traveled to foreign countries to seek healthcare in 2008 -That number is expected to double by 2010
- 47 million Americans are without health insurance
- Experts predict medical tourism will turn into a $100 billion international industry by 2012
Why Costa Rica is positioned as a top medical tourism destination:
- Listed at #36 in the ranking of world healthcare systems. #4 in Latin America. (USA ranked # 37).
- (The World Health Report 2000 Health Systems: Improving perfomance)
- The best education system in the Latin America (World Economic Forum. The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008)
- 94,9% Literacy rate. (World Economic Forum. The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008)
- Number one high technology exporter in Latin America. 5th in the world (World Economic Forum. Global Information Technology Report 2007-2008)
- Happiest country in the world. (The New Economics Foundation(NEF).Happy Planet Index, 2009.
- Region with the most wildlife diversity in the world.
- 615 species per 10,000 square kilometers
- 25% of country is protected (Nat’l parks, Reserves, etc.)
- Has 5% of the world’s biodiversity
- Strategic geographic location
