Tag Archives: medical tourism

Need a new hip, some dental work, perhaps a gastric bypass, but don’t have the cash or insurance to cover it? Millions of Americans are choosing foreign destinations for medical or cosmetic procedures to escape the expensive U.S. health care system. In some cases, insurance carriers even encourage the aptly-named practice of medical tourism to cut down on their own costs. It sounds almost too good to be true: Get affordable treatment in an exotic location which, even with airfare …

The investigation was one James Goldberg never wanted to undertake. Six years ago, Goldberg’s son Joshua, then 23, was living in Thailand, studying to become a Buddhist monk. When Joshua mysteriously lost feeling in his left leg, he checked into Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, a highly regarded medical tourism destination for Americans and others seeking health procedures abroad. However, Joshua’s story turned tragic when he died under suspicious circumstances after 11 days in the hospital, possibly murdered, Goldberg believes, for …