> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://beyond-borders-1.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Uninsured at 52, She Flew to Medellin for a Hysterectomy - URL: https://beyond-borders-1.ghost.io/her-us-quote-was-up-to-40-000-colombia-did-it-for-4-000/ - Published: 2026-10-26T11:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-26T11:00:00.000Z - Description: A self-employed 52-year-old with no insurance flew to Medellin for a hysterectomy, paid at check-in, and came home debt-free. - Author: Beyond Borders | Florida Medellin Flight $24.5K $4,000 3 hrs avg. self-pay her full bill to Miami Sources: MyCareCost; Business Insider; Better by MTA | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Patient File Medellin, Colombia. Cindy Constable had spent most of her adult life fighting endometriosis, ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids — sometimes 10 to 15 fibroids at once — and she had already been through several surgeries. In 2022, they came back hard. She landed in the emergency room, bleeding heavily, and for the first time a doctor suggested a hysterectomy. Then came the quote. Her doctor estimated at least $15,000 if everything went smoothly, and as much as $40,000 with complications. Cindy was self-employed, and she had no health insurance at all. So every dollar of that bill would have been hers. At 52, she told the story to Business Insider. Online, she went down a rabbit hole… reading hospital pages, patient reviews and forums where travelers traded notes. She’d heard of people going abroad for cosmetic work, but major surgery had never crossed her mind. Colombia kept coming up. The price in Medellin was $4,000. That covered the hospital stay, the surgeon, the pre-op tests and the post-op care. And she knew that total before she ever set foot inside. Hysterectomy · self-pay price Florida averageMedellin $24,470$4,000 Difference$20,470Lower by83% US: MyCareCost, average self-pay price across Florida hospitals, May 2026\. Medellin: Cindy Constable’s bill, via Business Insider, 2025\. Travel not included. For context, the average self-pay price for a hysterectomy in Florida is $24,470, according to MyCareCost’s 2026 review of hospital price data. In other words, she paid about a sixth of that. Spread over five years, $4,000 works out to about $67 a month. Was she nervous? Very. She booked a consultation before surgery half expecting red flags that would send her home. There weren’t any. Her surgeon had trained in the US for years, spoke fluent English, and answered every question she had. On the morning of surgery, she paid the whole bill at check-in. The hospital told her that if any planned services weren’t needed… she’d get the difference back. She didn’t have to borrow a cent. Afterward, she spent a month recovering at a friend’s place before flying home. “I never thought I’d have to leave my own country…” — Cindy Constable, writing in Business Insider But her account leaves out one detail: the hospital’s name. That matters. So do your own homework. Colombia runs a national hospital accreditation standard through ICONTEC, according to Better by MTA. Ask for an itemized quote in writing, the surgeon’s training, and what happens if something goes wrong after you’re home. And find out how long the surgeon wants you to stay before flying. The Medellin–Miami nonstop takes about three hours, Better by MTA notes, but Cindy still stayed a month. I’d do the same. She came home owing nothing. Sources: Business Insider; MyCareCost; Better by MTA | | | | Reader Review Valued Med Hub Hospitals, Turkey ★★★★★ · Cataract surgery, both eyes · Reviewed January 2026 · Bookimed Rene flew from the US to Turkey for cataract surgery at Valued Med Hub Hospitals, booked through Bookimed.Before anything was decided, the doctor tested Rene’s eyes thoroughly and walked through what each type of replacement lens would mean day to day. That’s what made the multifocal lens an easy choice.The same surgeon operated on both eyes, on the same day. Recovery, Rene wrote, has gone about as expected, with a clear aftercare guide to follow.Then the honest part. The clinic’s price wasn’t the whole bill. Rene paid separately for the flight, two weeks in a hotel, and a required $150 medical insurance policy. “Just be prepared for the other costs.”Rene didn’t publish the clinic fee. For context, Bookimed’s October 2026 data puts cataract surgery in Turkey from about $1,300, against from $10,100 in Spain. VMH holds a 4.9 rating across 59 verified Bookimed reviews, and another American patient who had both eyes done there in August 2026 said the only extra cost was eye drops… and to bring sunglasses. — Rene, United States Verified Bookimed Review Sources: Bookimed | | | | Quick Reads Safety Note The Drugs Don’t Come With FDA Protection Some Americans with advanced cancer are flying to China for drugs not yet sold at home, Medical Daily reported last week, drawing on KFF Health News. Speed helps, but it isn’t proven safety. The CDC warns that drugs, lab work, and devices abroad may not face the same oversight as in the US, that infections are the most common complication among medical tourists, and that your legal options shrink once you leave. Before any treatment abroad, name a US-licensed doctor who will follow your case at home, and carry copies of every record. Sources: Medical Daily; KFF Health News; CDC Destination Vietnam Picks Eight Cities for Medical Tourism On October 21, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health sent out a draft plan for medical tourism from 2026 to 2030, VnEconomy reported. It picks eight key provinces and cities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and puts money there instead of spreading it thin. The packages on the list run from checkups and early disease screening to dental care, fertility support, rehab, traditional medicine, and senior care. Hospitals will be judged on staff, language support, and nearby hotels. It’s still a draft, sent out for feedback, so details could change. This is one to watch. Sources: VnEconomy Trend Hyderabad Has 89 Accredited Hospitals. Now It Wants a Plan. On October 9, Telangana’s Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju told officials to write a full action plan for medical and wellness tourism, ThePrint reported, covering roads, investment, promotion abroad, and better coordination between government agencies and private hospitals. Officials say Hyderabad already has 89 hospitals accredited by NABH, India’s own national standard, and eight with JCI. Its foreign patients come largely from West Asia and Africa, not the US. Worth watching… if Hyderabad starts marketing west, Americans get one more Indian city to compare. Sources: ThePrint | | You’re reading Beyond Borders, published five days a week, Monday to Friday. This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making treatment decisions. We are not affiliated with any hospital, clinic, or practitioner mentioned. |