Posted by Andrew Hickey on Jul 23, 2009 in
Travel 
As a freelance writer I am privy to many cool perks when it comes to my job. I set my own schedule, barely ever wake up before 8am (unless I am on assignment) and can take that three way weekend at the last minute if I feel like it. Oh and then there are the real goodies. From reduced and sometimes complimentary travel, to articles written about my website on top media outlets like New York Times & Travelocity. Oh yeah, travel writing as a means for living (or sometimes surviving) in New York is something I particularly enjoy. But one thing I do not get with my gig is health insurance.
Yes, like some estimated 46 million people living in the United States of America, I am without insurance. So when I need to do anything from dental work to blood tests it comes right out of the ol’ nomad piggy bank. I am often puzzled at why such a great country like the U.S.A. is without a universal health plan. I mean shouldn’t my country care about ALL Americans and not just a select few that are “lucky enough” to afford or get insurance through their job?
Well with President Obama in the news a lot lately concerning his plan to overhaul the way in which this country deals with health insurance, I figured that it was the perfect time to talk about a great book that I came across a few weeks ago.
Patients Beyond Borders is a fascinating guide to affordable world-class travel. Well I’m sold. Okay maybe I wasn’t sold that quickly, but after going through this nearly 400 page book, it indeed changed my opinion about getting medial procedures done outside my country.
I must admit that I have had work done overseas. While on my last trip to Poland, which is well known for it’s amazing dentistry, I had some work done at an insanely high tech, super clean, and very professional dentist office. I was blown away with some of the gadgets this dentist was packing. Stuff that would make my dentist back in the States drool. After I had all of my work done it costs me about $325 (roughly 1,100 Polish zloty)! The same procedure would have cost me easily $3,000 back in the United States.
Now this is not a bash USA article, as I am a true blue American that loves my country and would not want to live anywhere else. It is just that I am frustrated with the way my government has dropped the ball and mistreated so many hard working citizens. They have turned their citizen’s health into big business.
What makes author Josef Woodman’s Patients Beyond Borders so enjoyable, and why I think you need to pick up a copy, is that not only is it informative and very well put together, but it is also an extremely easy and enjoyable read. This is not some boring and dry medical book. Some interesting features in the guide include:
- This completely revised book provides information on the world’s best international hospitals and clinics. Patients Beyond Borders locates the top overseas hospitals, including fully American-accredited clinics in 21 countries.
- By reading this book, you can save anywhere from 30-80% on most medical procedures.
- Assist you with working with health travel agents.
- A comprehensive “Do’s and Don’ts” for successful and safe medical travel.
- Provides readers with a helpful hospital & treatment finder.
- 10 must-ask questions for your in-country MD.
- If you think getting medical work done overseas is right for you, this guide will show you how to plan & budget your trip.
.
Here are just some of the interesting notes that I learned while reading Patients Beyond Borders:
- Currently, at least 28 countries on four continents cater to the international health traveler, with more than 2 million patients visiting hospitals and clinics each year in countries other than their own.
- Governments of countries such as India and Thailand have poured billions of dollars into improving their health care systems, which are now aggressively catering to the international health traveler.
- Some of the most-traveled health destinations include Mexico, India, Thailand, Korea, Taiwan, Panama, Costa Rica, Antigua, Barbados, Hungary, Turkey, Jordan, and United Arab Emirates.
- Some or all of your travel expenses may be tax deductible. This of course depends on your income level and cost of treatment.
.
To pick up a copy of Josef Woodman’s all new revised and expanded edition of Patients Beyond Borders, visit their website by clicking here. You can also tweet with Mr. Woodman at @JosefWoodman.
Tags: Antigua, barbados, Costa Rica, hungary, india, Jordan, Korea, mexico, new york times, Panama, patients beyond border, Taiwan, thailand, turkey, united arab emirates
Posted by Andrew Hickey on Jun 3, 2009 in
Travel
Heroe's Square is one of the major squares of Budapest, Hungary
Strapped for cash, but still want to visit another country this year? Then check out the Forbes list of the best international destinations for U.S. citizens that will stretch your dollar a little further…and in some cases pretty far.
- Hungary - dollar growth: 30%
- Sweden - dollar growth: 31%
- Poland - dollar growth: 50%
- Colombia - dollar growth: 27%
- Brazil - dollar growth: 26%
- United Kingdom - dollar growth – 28%
- Russia - dollar growth: 35%
- Norway - dollar growth: 29%
- Jamaica - dollar growth: 23%
- Iceland - dollar growth: 60%
- Romania - dollar growth: 30%
- Chile - dollar growth: 22%
- Czech Republic - dollar growth: 23%
- Fiji - dollar growth: 42%
- Zambia - dollar growth: 56%
Tags: brazil, chile, colombia, czech republic, fiji, forbes, hungary, iceland, jamaica, norway, poland, romania, russia, sweden, Travel, united kingdom, zambia
Posted by Andrew Hickey on May 7, 2009 in
Travel
One of the many French cafes in Paris with fresh bread, stinky cheese and strong coffee. How in the hell is this place overrated?
Yesterday I read the results of the annual TripAdvisor survey, which asks questions to 1,300 travelers about European travel. It covers many topics like “Best Bargain City” and “Most Boring City.” Now while this is nothing more than just an opinion poll, it has many people in the travel industry puzzled, and in some cases fuming. Arthur Frommer, founder of the well known “Frommer’s Travel Guide”, is the most notable critic of this survey, which was released by the extremely popular and helpful travel website. Some of the results in question include:
- Best Bargain Cities: 1) Prague, 2) London, 3) Paris 4) Lisbon, and 5) Budapest
- Most Unfriendly Hosts: 1) Paris, 2) Moscow, 3) Rome, 4) London, and 5) Berlin
- Dirtiest Cities: 1) Athens and Rome (tied), 3)Paris, 4) Istanbul, and 5) Venice
.
Geez Paris, sorry about that. Hey but look on the bright side, you guys won the most attractive locals category…even if those same pretty people will not give others the time of day. In any event, other outcomes of the survey included London with the worst food, Brussels the most boring, and Paris (not again!) the most overrated. What exactly were these people doing when visiting these countries?
London over the last couple of years has seen an excellent influx of top chefs from around the globe move into town. Long gone are the days of lame London pub grub. Brussels is boring? Really? I found Belgium’s city of beer and chocolate to be amazing and quite educational. Finally, how is one of the most romantic, architecturally beautiful and top culinary locales on the planet “over rated.”
This hatred of France has got to stop already among American travelers. Paris, France is an amazing city! Now while it might be a “tourist trap” in certain parts of town, so what! Most top cities have become tourists traps…we are all tourists at one time or another.
Arthur Frommer also blasted TripAdvisor when the survey stated that Prague was the “Best Bargain” in Europe. Sorry, maybe it was a great cheap European locale in the 70s and 80s. But over the last decade and a half, Czech Republic’s capital city has become very pricey. Some of their hotels can cost you as much as $400+ a night. Now while I love Prague, I mean it has been discussed a lot this week on this site, it is in no way a cheap city.
Want a bargain? Get on a train in Prague and take it six-to-eight hours east to Krakow, Poland. Their exchange rate is great right now (As of this post, every $1 US will give you 3.30 Polish Zloty). On top of the money in your pocket, food and drinks are so cheap and there are tons of affordable and free attractions throughout the city.
I love TripAdvisor and will continue to use their site for hotel reviews, real hotel pictures (Which are 100 times better than the fake and perfect looking hotel site pics), and the forums. But I just thought that their survey was conducted on people that probably do not travel very often and are the same ones that give a hotel a 1 out of 5 rating because the front desk did not smile enough or the view was not up to par. That is where Frommer and many other people have a right to look at these results and say…huh?!
Sources:
TripAdvisor 2009 Survey Results
Frommer’s reaction
Tags: amsterdam, Athens, belgium, Berlin, brussels, budapest, czech republic, england, france, frommer, germany, greece, hungary, istanbul, italy, krakow, lisbon, London, Paris, poland, portugal, Prague, tripadvisor, turkey, united states, venice
