An excellent article about seeking medical attention in other countries.

"Medical procedures without borders

More Americans are going overseas for health care. Here are tips when considering having surgery performed abroad:

-- Research your alternatives, starting with exhausting the possibility of getting care in the United States and whether it's worth getting treatment elsewhere. The procedure must be expensive enough to make the trip worthwhile, considering the added costs of travel and accommodations. It also must have a relatively short recovery time and predictable follow-up care.

-- Consider working with a company that can facilitate the care, travel and transfer of medical documents and other information.

-- Investigate the background and training of the surgeon as well as the quality of the foreign hospital. Avoid politically unstable countries.

-- Make sure follow-up care is available upon your return. For those with coverage, insurance may or may not cover the cost of post-operative care or complications associated with procedures performed overseas.

Here are some Web sites to visit for more information:

Medical Travel Authority: medicaltravelauthority.com

Medical Tourism Insight: medicaltourisminsight.com

Medical Nomad: medicalnomad.com

Joint Commission International: jointcommissioninternational.org

WorldMed Assist: worldmedassist.com

Source: Chronicle research."

From http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BURS10BARG.DTL