Health Tourism in Panama
By Natacha Ford
Health Tourism is a term that is rapidly expanding in many countries. It can be defined as a type of tourism in which people travel to other countries to improve their health by getting medical, dental, and surgical care while at the same time they can experience a vacation and totally come into contact with the attractions of the country they are visiting. This new type of tourism has been increasing in demand as people living in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Europe are already well traveled. The new technology of Internet has also contributed to the acquisition of more reliable information of other parts of the world. A person from any part of the world can easily find superbly well trained doctors that perform the same procedures as doctors in, let’s say, the United States, at a fraction of the cost. Furthermore, the fascination with fitness, beauty, and alternative therapies for health maintenance is another important factor for which these tourists are traveling. In addition, the health care system in these nations is getting everyday more expensive with exorbitant prices and long lists for patients to receive treatment. There is also the issue that a large percentage of the population in countries such as the US and Canada has no health insurance or receives minimal coverage.
Another important benefit health tourists receive is that of cost. Cost savings are enormous because international travel is more affordable and most important because medical and surgical procedures cost a fraction of the prices.
In Panama, health and medical tourism is growing rapidly. Many factors are bringing health tourists to Panama. The combination of climate, scenic beauty, cultural diversity, strategic geographical position, one of the world’s key offshore trading centers, the hub of the Americas for international travel, the dollar as the official currency….but most important of all, our medical professionals are well trained around the world, use the latest technologies and medications, and have earned a reputation of quality professionals. Most of Panama’s doctors are bilingual, board certified, and accustomed to working with the same state of the art medical equipment and technology used in the United States and Europe. Medical tourists are coming to Panama to stay at a 5-star hotel during convalescence for prices far below those in the United States and Europe. For example, dental implants costs an average of $2,500 per implant if placed in the US or Canada. In Panama, the same procedure with board & lodging, personal tour guide, and transportation is available at a much lower cost. In addition, if having more than one implant placed you would even go back home saving money. In most procedures (for example: as face/neck lift, in vitro fertilization, hip replacement, and crowns-bridges-dental veneers) Panama offers savings of more than 50% compared to the US and Europe. In addition to lower cost treatment in Panama, your medical and dental expenses (including travel expenses) could be tax deductible under US tax law. These are all appealing factors for the many tourists that visit Panama.
Panama is rapidly becoming the destination of choice for Americans and Europeans to do tourism. Panama is Central America’s most cosmopolitan, international, technologically advanced country, with highly trained physicians. It uses the US dollar as its currency. In recent years, Panama has become the region’s aero hub, with daily direct flights to/from Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, New York and others. Getting to Panama is easy - just 2 ½ hours from Miami and four from Houston - that is why Panama’s tourism has grown by almost 20% every year for the last five years.
The growing affluent class of Baby Boomers in US, Canada, and other countries has already picked Panama as one of the top countries of the world to retire as many articles have appeared in : Los Angeles Times (Feb, 2005), New York Times (Feb. 2005), Newsweek (March 2005), Where to Retire Magazine (Sept. 2005), Conde Nast Traveler (Oct. 2004), The Wall Street Journal (June 2004), International Living Newsletter (Sept. 2004), Modern Maturity Magazine of the American Association of Retired Persons (June 2001), Oregonian Register Guard (June 2004). A large portion of these Baby Boomers have moved to our country into retirement communities in places such as Boquete and Altos del Maria. Many of these residential communities have amenities such as golf course, tennis and racquet ball courts, swimming pools and other facilities accessible to these active residents. Many Baby Boomers have picked Panama because they have a desire to settle in a country close to their homes and family. In addition, because the United States used to administer The Panama Canal, much of the country’s infrastructure was built by the US and this offers a cultural familiarity to Americans, as they feel as if they were at home. Furthermore, this country is not in a hurricane zone, unlike many other neighboring countries. Finally, in Panama, retirees can find favorable tax and immigration laws, discounts on many different things (including medical care and medicines.) Therefore, besides finding Panama a paradise and a land of dreams, these persons also highly considered to move to our country because of top quality medical and health services.
Getting world-class medical service and vacation time in a luxury setting is affordable in Panama. You can find in this country a wide range of health services and experienced specialist physicians in all areas such as in dental implants, plastic surgery, assisted reproduction, cardiology, cosmetic dentistry, orthopedics, etc. You can even have an “extreme makeover” done and go back to your country not just feeling great but looking like a new person. After the surgery or procedure, these medical/health tourists can recuperate in beautiful hotel-spas on the beach, in the rainforest, or in the mountains. People are traveling from around the world looking for high-quality health care at accessible prices as well as discovering Panama’s crystalline Caribbean waters, fascinating indigenous cultures, and deluxe resorts on the beach, in the rainforest, and in the mountains.
Many of these patients that have already come to Panama as health tourists, feel at ease immediately because both staff and doctors speak perfect English. They also report that they have been treated with utmost respect and feel doctors are genuinely interested in the person as an individual instead of feeling like a number. All leave Panama very surprised of our country’s professional doctors, hospitals, and advanced technology. These patients feel very pleased with the treatment or procedure received, especially because of the affordable prices and the wonderful vacation they spent in Panama.
Panama – The Newest Destination Of Health Tourism
To stay healthy you need to have good food, right medication and a healthy environment. This has what forwarded the concept of health tourism in Panama. The place offers you all – exotic tours, suitable places to stay and essential medical facilities in the field of surgeries and chronic treatments. Panama is the Central American cosmopolitan country having rejuvenating scenic beauty, multi-faceted culture along with technological progress.
The pre-eminence of health tourism in Panama
Traveling by air is not at all a matter of fact in Panama. Airfares are affordable and there are direct flights to connect you to New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and other places.
Panama is proud to have doctors and medical professionals who treat their patients not only with their skill but also with their heart.
Doctors in Panama are provided with up-to-date trainings. Most of them are groomed in America and have utmost fluency in English.
Panama offers you a wide range of medical services like orthopedics, cosmetic surgery, dental implants, cosmetic dentistry and eye surgery. Such introductions serve great in matters of expansive health tourism.
People come to Panama for a remarkable health recovery.
Dollar is the official currency in Panama.
Panama is also a trader’s paradise for it is one of the principal offshore international business centers.
Apart from being a perfect health tourism destination, Panama has standard accommodation facilities both comfortable and affordable. The visitor may agree to stay in five-star resorts because there the cost of the treatment is quite less in comparison to any US or European countries. It is a total package including medication cost, touring facilities, car rentals and convenient hotels to stay. For surgeries like hip replacement, cosmetic surgery and vitro fertilization, your cost will be almost 50% less compared to US and Europe. In fact, the world of Internet has opened the window on the superb health care facilities of Panama to the European and American folks.
The oncoming trends on beauty, fitness and the desire to experience innovative health treatments or spa treatments in some popular destination are another source of inspiration for increase in heath tourism. Panama fits this bill quite successfully.
When planning for surgeries and treatments in Panama you are sure to enjoy tax deduction benefits which include travel expanse under US law. In US or Europe, medication is quite expensive and most of the people are without health insurance policies. They come to Panama to look for appropriate medical treatment along with good food, extravagant accommodation and a wide range of excellent restaurants.
Panama has been a star when it comes to availing excellent health tourism facilities. It is a patient’s paradise.
Panama Health Tourism
Health or medical tourism is a recently coined phrase that denotes tourists visiting other countries not only for sightseeing but also for medical treatment, taking advantage of the low costs prevailing in those countries. It is gaining in popularity as the medical costs in developed countries are becoming exorbitant. Patients can save as much as 50% and more on medical costs depending on the destination. Moreover many of the low cost countries like Panama also provide quality healthcare services matching with those of developed ones.
Panama has a history of having good healthcare system right from building of the Panama Canal in 1914 when doctors from U.S. helped in eradicating malaria, typhoid and other tropical diseases prevailing in Panama at that time. Since then many citizens of Panama have traveled to U.S. and Europe to get advanced degrees in medicine & technology and returned to Panama to set up a good healthcare system. Hospitals in Panama are provided with latest technology equipment imported from abroad. Latest CAT scanning machines, radiation therapy for cancer, three dimensional computerized reconstructions are all available at the hospitals in Panama.
Doctors and other healthcare professionals in Panama are well versed in English which is another plus point that increases the comfort level of tourists from U.S. Medical tourists can undergo dental implants in Panama by paying less than half the cost prevailing in U.S. taking advantage of the low taxes and wages there. Other popular medical procedures include plastic surgery, cardiology, assisted reproduction, ophthalmology etc. Tourists visiting Panama for medical purpose can not only avail quality healthcare at affordable prices but also enjoy the sunny beaches and other tourist attractions of Panama. Another incentive for tourists from U.S. to undergo medical treatment in Panama is that the tax deductible medical expense includes travel cost.
The popularity of alternate medicine also attracts tourists to travel abroad for treatment. Acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine, magnetic therapy, zoo therapy, prolotherapy etc. are some of the alternate medicines available in Panama. With the advent of internet, communication has become cheap and easy worldwide and there are many websites that provide information on the medical facilities available abroad. Pana health is an internet based organization in Panama that provides the service of linking prospective health tourists with doctors and hospitals affiliated to it. Many tourist operators also take care of the needs of foreigners like transportation, lodging etc. visiting Panama for medical purposes. Centro Medico Paitilla and Hospital Nacional are two hospitals in Panama City providing exclusive service to visiting foreign health tourists.
The geo thermal springs in El Valle and Chiriqui mountains serve as tourist cum health spot. Panama grows the None fruit abundantly which is known to aid in boosting the immune system and is popular with health conscious tourists. The doctors in Panama are well trained professionals and have received rave reviews from visiting foreign patients for their dedication and quality of service.
Panama Redefines The Concept Of Health Tourism
Recently, the concept of health tourism is gaining eminence in the field of health and medicine. Health tourism is mostly about enjoyment involved in exotic tours along with essential medical quests like surgeries and operations. Cost, language barrier and quality of healthcare are the other deciding factors in health tourism and Panama fairs in all of them. Being a beautiful Central American multi-ethnic country, Panama includes a startling picturesque beauty, technical progression and rich diversity in culture.
The secret of Panama’s pre-eminence in Health Tourism
The visitors in Panama can stay in five star resorts for all round health development because the costs for treatments are quite less compared to US or any other European countries. Panama is not only the preferred health tourism destination, it is a suitable place packed with hotels that can keep any pocket happy. For surgical cases like hip replacement, cosmetic surgery and vitro fertilization your will have to spend around 50% less in comparison to US and Europe.
If you go for a dental transplant in US or Canada, it will cost you near about US$2500. During your stay in Panama this transplant along with lodging, touring, car rental services and other things will cost you much less.
Why Panama is thought to be one of the principal destinations of health tourism?
Dollar has always been the official coinage of Panama
- Panama is one of the leading offshore trading centers of the world
- Doctors and professional of Panama look after their patients not only with care and attention but also with respect and sincerity
- The specialty of Panama lies in its attractive garments and cultural magnificence
- Doctors in Panama have been equipped with the latest training. Most of the medical practitioners have received their training in America and can speak fluent English
- In Panama you can enjoy the handiness of air travel because the airfares are quite affordable and you can get easily connected to New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and other places
- Panama is the core of international travel for the US people
Panama successfully offers an all-embracing range of medical services like cosmetic surgery, dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, eye surgery, orthopedic and other medical expertise all for a proper encouragement to health tourism
Why do tourists from Europe and America desire to have a Panama experience?
The promising trend on good looks, robustness and the desire to experience new health medications or spa treatments in some highly developed destination is another drive for enhancement in health tourism. Panama can fit the bill quite efficiently. Moreover, in Panama, you can meet the expense of galore of high-class restaurants in addition to lavish stay, touring and personal guide expenses. If you desire to do your surgeries and treatments in Panama, you can enjoy tax deduction reimbursements including travel expenses under US Law.
Panama adds a new dimension to health tourism as an all-round healer both from medical point of view and also by offering healthy tours and accommodation facilities. Your visit to the city of Panama gives you the chance to resurrect both physiologically and psychologically.
Health Tourism: Panama-the Best Place in the World for First-Class Medical Treatments at Affordable Prices.
Panama is fast becoming a Mecca for “health tourism”. Why? Because Panama offers first-class medical treatments by American-trained doctors in hospitals that are on a par with the USA at 50% less cost.
What is health tourism? Medical care is extremely expensive in the United States. A “health tourist” goes to another country to get a similar treatment done but at a fraction of the cost. But only in Panama can a health tourist:
- get a medical treatment with the same techniques, facilities and medications etc. as in the USA.
- choose from a wide selection of English speaking American-trained doctors.
- stay in hospitals which compare favorably to the best US hospitals.
- enjoy cosmopolitan Panama City- Central America’s safest and most modern city.
- take vacations a short distance from Panama City enjoying world-class beach, mountain and nature destinations.
Who provides this service?
Health tourism to Panama is provided by Pana-health, a select consortium of Panama's top health professionals.
Their carefully selected group of doctors provide all kinds of medical treatment- from cosmetic surgery to dental implants. You will stay in Panama's best hospitals which are comparable to US hospitals. With the money you save you can take a Panama vacation while you're here and enjoy Panama’s fabulous beaches and highlands.
Prices: The prices run at least 50% less than a similar treatment in the States.
Panama is Safe: Welcome to one of the safest countries and capital cities in the Americas. It is also the only Latin American capital where it is safe to drink the tap water.
Panamanian doctors are known to be not only fine professionals but also fine human beings: Americans living in Panama will readily tell you what a pleasure it is to be treated by one of Panama’s numerous American-trained, English speaking doctors. They are warm, knowledgeable and unhurried.
Get a medical treatment and take a vacation: With the money you save, you can take a fabulous vacation in Panama. Pesantez Tours works with Pana-Health to take care of you from the beginning to the end of your health/vacation trip to Panama.
Tax Deductible: According to the IRS, most travel expenses due to medical reasons are tax deductible.
No more waiting: There's no need to wait any longer for the medical treatments you've been longing for.
Contact
Pana-health today.
