Year to year,  more and more Americans combine their Costa Rica vacations with medical care in that little country.  Why? Because they are onto the fact that medical care in Costa Rica is now on par with the best   hospitals in the United States but at a fraction of the cost.

Only the  finest hospitals around the globe are certified and have Joint Commission International Accreditation,  providing assurance that they meet the  highest international benchmarks for patient care and hospital standards.  Of the thousands of hospitals, only a relative handful achieve the JCIA distinction—which brings us to Costa Rica medical tourism.

Beautiful Costa Rica, sometimes called”the Switzerland of Central America,” lies just a few hour flight from the United States.  One of the oldest democracies in Latin and South America, it was discovered and named by Christopher Columbus more than 500 years ago. Though it encompasses about 1/10,000 of the planet’s surface, it contains a staggering 5%  of all the globe’s species of plants and animals and has been a popular eco tourism destination point for some years.

However, while enjoying its magnificent beaches along the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, mighty volcanoes, great fishing and other outdoor activities, tourists  have discovered that they can get very inexpensive world-class medical care with savings that more than pay for their Costa Rica vacation.   In fact, more than 25,000 people,  overwhelmingly Americans,  travel to this little country annually for Costa Rica medical tourism.

It is well known that American  medical care is the costliest in the world—by a  long shot. And, for the nearly  fifty million Americans without health insurance, injury is added to insult because  hospitals charge uninsured patients much more for services than  folks  having good insurance. This is where Costa Rica medical care comes in for thousands of suffering American tourists. Why? Because they can  save up to 65% in Costa Rica for the identical  treatment they would receive in the United States-if they  could afford it.

Three Costa Rica hospitals are accredited by JCI. Those hospitals are La Clinica Biblica, Cima, and La Catolica, all in or very near to San Jose. Each has a wide range of medical services and Board Certified physicians at great prices.

Here is one example. For patients without health insurance, total knee replacement surgery in the U.S. can cost more than $25,000. Clinica Biblica charges about $12,000.

Other examples abound.  The three Costa Rica internationally accredited medical hospitals and board certified physicians—many who have studied and trained in the United States and at other world renowned universities—typically charge about $3,200 for breast augmentation. Lasik eye surgery that can cost up to $5,000 in the States is often less than $2,000.

For more and more women wanting plastic surgery, Costa Rica is increasingly popular. Instead of paying $10,000 for a facelift, they hop a plane for Costa Rica where for about $3,000 or so, they can have the same procedure, recuperate in a tropical paradise on a Costa Rica vacation, and go home with money in their pocket.

And, soon, this world-class medical care in Costa Rica will be available on Costa Rica’s spectacular North Pacific Gold Coast.  Renowned Cima Hospital has recently announced it’s building a $125,000,000 project close to Liberia International Airport (just minutes to fabulous Gold Coast beaches) that will include a new hospital facility and residential center, with the first stage opening in 2011.