Healthcare In Crisis: Canadian firms offer Cuban healthcare to U.S., Canadian patients

In the burgeoning business of traveling overseas for medical treatment, two Canadian companies hope to make an imprint by offering healthcare to Canadian and U.S. residents in socialist Cuba.

''We looked throughout Latin America or the Caribbean for a cheap source of medical services,'' says Daren Jorgenson, owner of Choice Medical Services in Winnipeg. ``Cuba is well known for high standards of healthcare.''

Some experts dispute the reference to high standards, but no one disputes the prices. Hip replacement, which can cost up to $38,000 in the United States, can be done in Cuba for $7,600, Jorgenson says. A tummy tuck can be had for $2,800, compared with $5,200 in the United States.

Soaring costs in the United States and a growing number of uninsured have emboldened patients to look overseas for healthcare. The Florida-based Medical Tourism Association estimates that several hundred thousand Americans now travel for health services each year.

For Americans without health insurance, Cuba's lower prices are the lure. A Georgia carpenter says he was delighted to get Cuban care. ``I've been hurting, and I was looking outside the United States for something I could afford.''

The carpenter, who refused to reveal his name because he was violating U.S. law by breaking the embargo, talked with The Miami Herald in a phone interview set up by Choice Medical.

The man, in his early 60s, suffered from a torn rotator cuff that made working impossible. Without insurance, shoulder surgery could have cost him $14,000 to $20,000 in the United States.

After researching on the Internet, he found that Choice Medical could arrange for the same surgery for $4,000 at Clínica Cira Central García in Havana. The price didn't include airfare but did cover nine days in the country, a personal tour guide and some sightseeing while recovering.

Later, the man talked with The Miami Herald from Havana. ''It came out real good,'' he said of the surgery. The hospital was ``better than I expected. All the people are so friendly.''

Asked if he was given special treatment because it was rare for them to see a U.S. citizen, he said, ``No, there are a lot of Americans down here.''

Statistics Collection

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Healthcare In Crisis

Monday, October 8, 2007

Canadian firms offer Cuban healthcare to U.S., Canadian patients

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