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Top Travel Destinations for Medical Tourism

 

Summer's finally here, which means hordes of travelers are packing planes in search of fun and sun. But many others are instead grabbing their passports to get some medical care.

About 7 million people travel abroad each year seeking everything from dental work to weight-loss surgery to cancer treatment. That's fueling an industry worth as much as $40 billion, according to Patients Beyond Borders, a publisher of international medical travel guidebooks. 

To attract foreign patients, many countries are touting their medical technology, low prices and safety standards. So what are the top destinations for medical tourism?

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1위: 태국

Long known for sex-change procedures, Thailand offers some of the world's best values for a variety of health care. Major procedures can be 50 to 70 percent cheaper there than in the U.S., according to Patients Beyond Borders. The country had as many as 1.2 million medical tourists last year, making it the top destination.

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2위: 멕시코

Mexico now attracts more than 1 million visiting patients, many of whom are Hispanics from California, Arizona and Texas, according to Patients Beyond Borders. Dental work and weight-loss surgery are popular procedures. 

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3위: 미국

The U.S., home to some of the world's top medical specialists, played host to as many as 800,000 international patients seeking help with the most difficult health conditions, according to Patients Beyond Borders. Despite its high prices, the country's world-class care for the hardest-to-treat cases made the U.S. the third-most visited country for medical tourists last year.

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4위: 싱가포르

Singapore has one of the most sophisticated health care systems in the world, especially for cancer treatment. As many as 610,000 medical tourists visited the country in 2012, mostly from Indonesia, according to Patients Beyond Borders. That makes the country the fourth-most visited place for medical tourists. Singapore has 22 facilities certified by Joint Commission International, the U.S.-based quality and safety accrediting organization. That's 14 more than all of neighboring Malaysia.

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5위: 인도

As many as 400,000 foreigners traveled to India in 2012 for health treatments, making it the fifth most-visited country for medical tourists, according to Patients Beyond Borders. High-difficulty operations such as coronary artery bypass graft surgery can be 90 percent less expensive in India than in the U.S.

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6위: 브라질

Brazil is one of the leading places for plastic surgery with more than 4,500 licensed cosmetic surgeons. The country hosted about 180,000 medical tourists in 2012, making it the sixth most-popular destination. A nose job can be had for about 60 percent less than the cost of the procedure in the U.S., according to Patients Beyond Borders. There's even plastic surgery available for your pet.

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7위: 터키

Some 110,000 foreigners visited Turkey in 2012 for medical treatment, making it the seventh most-visited country for medical tourists, according to Patients Beyond Borders. The country, which has more American-accredited hospitals than any other nation, attracts many foreigners seeking inexpensive eye check-ups and surgery. A major procedure such as spinal fusion can be 60 percent cheaper than in the U.S.

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8위: 대만

Taiwan's health care facilities adhere to some of the highest standards in the world, which helped it attract 90,000 medical tourists in 2012, according to Patients Beyond Borders. Taiwan has 22 health care facilities certified by Joint Commission International, the U.S.-based quality and safety accrediting organization. That's only 6 fewer than all of China. Major procedures such as a full facelift can be more than 50 percent cheaper in Taiwan than in the U.S.

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(인용: Jordan Robertson, 부름버그)

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