Waypoints – October 21, 2026
Medical tourism in 2026: what the numbers actually show
The new JetWell is live: tell us once what you need, and we match you with the vetted clinic that fits your case best, with a clear price before you decide. And if you're earlier in the thinking, the two questions we hear most are “is it safe?” and “is it normal?”, which deserve numbers instead of reassurance. This issue leads with those numbers. |
In this issue
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The new JetWell We do the work, and you see everythingTell us once what you need: your procedure, your dates, a few photos where they help. We match you with the JetWell-vetted clinic that fits your case best, with a plan sized to exactly what you need and the price laid out clearly before you decide anything. Dental matching is open now, and we expect cosmetic surgery and hair transplants to join by the end of October, with more procedures on the way. We're backing the launch with ongoing marketing and advertising. Why it matters: Great care abroad shouldn't take a hundred browser tabs and a leap of faith. Now it takes one conversation, and you see everything before you commit. |
Worth reading  Medical tourism statistics: what the numbers actually show in 2026About 1.4 million Americans go abroad for care each year. The official counts country by country, the savings ranges that survive scrutiny, and what the CDC's case files show about where risk actually concentrates. Why it matters: “Is this normal?” is a fair first question. The numbers answer it, and they also show what the people with bad outcomes skipped. |
Worth reading  Costa Rica medical tourism: what American patients should knowAbout 70,000 foreign patients a year, 83% of them from the US. Short flights, familiar standards, and a practical guide to checking your dentist or surgeon, reading quotes, and sorting follow-up before you fly home. Why it matters: If the idea appeals but the distance doesn't, this is the gentlest version of the trip. |
Patient story  Quoted up to $3,200 at home, Tony paid $900 in BangkokTony G., 40, wanted stubborn fat gone and took the question to Bangkok, where fat freezing cost $900 against US quotes of $1,700 to $3,200. His rule for picking the clinic travels well: “The price might get you through the door, but the place still has to feel right.” Why it matters: Whatever procedure brought you here, that's the standard to hold: the savings get a clinic considered, never chosen. |
Also worth a look  Eyelid surgery abroad: what it costs and what to ask firstA new guide to one of the most searched procedures on the platform: what blepharoplasty costs in the US and abroad, what gets added to quotes, who should operate, and how long to stay before flying home. Why it matters: Even if eyes aren't your procedure, the ask-first checklist in it is a model for vetting any clinic. |
New on JetWell Waypoints now has a home on the webWaypoints, this newsletter, now lives on the site too. Head to jetwell.ai/waypoints to browse past issues, or to send one to the person helping you think this through: a spouse, a parent, the friend who asks the sharp questions. A link they can open beats a forwarded email every time. Why it matters: Big health decisions are rarely made alone. Now the reading that helps you decide is easy to put in front of the people deciding with you. |
Have a question you'd rather put to a person before you book anything, or just want to talk through where you are? Email us at concierge@jetwell.ai and a real person on our team will get back to you. |
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