The Future of "Outsourcing"

Got a basic check-up the other day at one of Phuket's three (four?) major hospitals. Two of the three have expanded enormously in the last two years and dozens of specialized clinics have popped up as well to ride the growing trend of "health tourism". Increasing numbers of tourists are finding time between massages, rounds of golf, and hours on the beach to get a variety of (mostly cosmetic) work done for a fraction of what comparable services would cost in the States.

Cosmetic dentistry tops the list, and of course acupuncture has been virtually mainstream for years, but I expect the biggest growth will be in cosmetic surgery. Thai doctors are building a solid reputation and aging westerners will soon come in droves for a variety of tucks, lifts, and implants. That might only be the start, however. A team of back specialists in Bangkok already gets high marks from China's expat medical community. An American friend of mine in Beijing had back surgery in BKK in 2004 and went from barely walking to getting back in the gym in a span of weeks -- and for about a fifth of what he would have paid in the States.

OK, you're probably thinking that "discount" medical care, especially surgery, is not for you. But consider that the top doctors here are the products of international training and experience. The average annual per capita cost of medical insurance in the U.S. already exceeds the price of a round-trip ticket to Thailand (or India, for that matter). To hell with the HMOs -- at this rate, I'm ready to start saving for a trip to Bangkok or Mumbai for knee-replacement surgery circa 2030. The U.S. should worry less about the loss of assembly-line jobs and more about creating a sustainable health care system. One shouldn't need a passport to see a doctor, but I'll keep mine at the ready.

Short of blood work, I had a complete physical (eyes, ears, throat, blood pressure) for a jaw-dropping $2.50! That included a few minutes of face time with a real doctor, who thoroughly poked and prodded me. I couldn't believe my ears. That shattered my previous "best" when I paid $10 last year for a consultation at the same hospital regarding some digestive problems. However, that price did include prescription costs.

I asked about booster shots (it's been more than 10 years since my last round of immunizations). The eyes of the younger of two nurses on duty grew very wide as, between my halting Thai and her fractured English, she initially believed that I had tetanus, hepatitis A, and typhoid.