The effect of malpractice caps on medical costs, one reason why medical tourism is so cost-efficient:
Malpractice expenses also are much lower. People can file claims in Costa Rican courts, he said, but they generally are encouraged to settle rather than go to trial.
The story in Bangkok is similar.
At Bumrungrad Hospital, Mr. Toral said, the lower cost of living is a major factor in the savings, but so are differences in how the medical system operates.
Doctors in Thailand pay about $5,000 a year for malpractice insurance, compared with more than $100,000 for some specialties in the United States.
Thai courts will adjudicate malpractice claims, but the largest award ever issued was about $100,000, Mr. Toral said, and the law there doesn’t permit damages for pain and suffering.
(via Overlawyered)
