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Friends and family members of patients who are considering getting health care abroad ask this question more often than the patients themselves. In fact, at least one friend or family member is almost guaranteed to shy away from the thought of going overseas for treatment. Many of these concerns are unfounded. They are usually caused by a lack of knowledge or cultural myopia. While no medical procedure anywhere in the world is 100 percent risk-free, the best hospitals and clinics abroad maintain standards of healthcare and procedures that are equal to or higher than those you encounter in the United States. Many hospitals abroad are accredited by a branch of the same US organization (Joint Commission) that certifies hospitals there. It is not difficult to find overseas doctors, dentists and surgeons who have received medical training and degrees from world-class medical schools in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Switzerland or Germany. All countries listed on the Patients Beyond Borders list maintain strict government and private standards for healthcare, hospital and clinic certification. Finally, many hospitals—particularly larger institutions in Asia and Southeast Asia—have lower morbidity rates than in the United States, especially when it comes to complex cardiac and orthopedic surgeries where success rates of over 98.5 percent are the norm. 

This question is best answered with another question: Why is US healthcare so expensive? High facility costs, billions of dollars in unpaid hospital bills, overpriced medical education, costly research, and excessive malpractice lawsuits all contribute to the exorbitant prices for healthcare in the United States. In addition, US doctors who perform elective and specialist procedures such as plastic surgeries, in vitro fertilization and certain hip, spine, and heart procedures are also staggering those with more modest means and seeking alternatives, by charging astronomical fees from patients willing and able to pay. Healthcare in other countries is also less costly because living standards are more modest, doctors and staff command lower salaries, state-sponsored healthcare lowers private healthcare costs, and malpractice lawyers are at least significantly more restrained, if not compliant.

Most countries are known for a particular category of treatment, and your diagnosis will narrow your list of options to a handful of destinations. If you're looking for plastic surgery, Brazil, Costa Rica, and South Africa are among the most popular destinations. Dentistry will make you discover Mexico, Costa Rica or Hungary. More expensive, invasive surgeries like open heart surgery or knee replacement make a longer trip to India, Thailand, Singapore or Malaysia well worth the cost, time and distance of the trip.