Costa Rican Medical Care applies to ProMED

Costa Rican Medical Care (CRMC), a medical tourism agency specializing in medical and dental procedures performed exclusively in Costa Rica, has applied for membership with ProMED, the Council for the International Promotion of Costa Rica Medicine. ProMED, a private not-for-profit organization, coordinates the quality control and international promotion efforts of medical providers and the government. Its goal is to ensure the quality of services provided by the private health industry in Costa Rica when promoting medical tourism.

Tim Morales of CRMC says,” Over the past two years, we have worked with minister of tourism Carlos Ricardo Benavides and ProMED’s Massimo Manzi to ensure our programme works according to the standards set by ProMED. We feel that by joining ProMED, we are supporting an organization that is looking out for the best interests of the patients who come to Costa Rica and ensuring that the providers we work with are up to the highest standards of accreditation set by the organization. We look forward to working to help Costa Rica continue to grow their medical tourism market in a safe and effective way. “

Tourists going to Costa Rica, attracted by the medical offers now have the ability to differentiate between the services offered. The new ProMED seal indicates the quality standards required in the United States, providing tourists with some reassurance in the services they are purchasing. Companies who want to obtain the label must comply with national and international legislation with a cost ranging from US$400 to US$7,000 annually.

So far only six companies have gained the seal of certification-
• Clinica Biblica Hospital in San Jose is a general hospital offering a wide variety of procedures and surgery using cutting-edge technologies and techniques. It specialises in cardiology, cosmetic surgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, and minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures.
• Hospital CIMA San José is a general hospital
• Hospital Hotel La Católica in San Jose is a hospital that uses the latest technology
• Nova Dental is a full service dental clinic in San Jose that offers transport and booking for recovery facilities and/or hotels.
• Universidad y Clínica UNIBE is a private clinic
• Homewatch Caregivers Latin America is a provider of homecare services

There are three JCI-accredited private hospitals in Costa Rica, all ProMED members, and Costa Rica mainly targets American medical tourists with offerings at prices that claim to save up to 70% on most medical care procedures. One treatment that Costa Rica is promoting in the USA is Liberation treatment. Liberation treatment is a new procedure associated with chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, which removes any blockages in a patient’s veins in a procedure similar to an angioplasty. This treatment for multiple sclerosis sufferers is still at the experimental stage and not authorized in the USA.