A regulatory framework and ambitious visitor targets
The Senate approved the bill on September 3, 2026. It would place a new Health Tourism Advisory Council (COTSA) under the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance and establish a National Health Tourism Development Fund (FONDETUSA), administered by the Ministry of Tourism.
The country's official targets are 500,000 medical tourists a year by 2028 and more than one million annually by 2043. Medical Tourism Watch reports that reaching that scale would bring the Dominican Republic into direct competition with larger medical tourism markets, including Thailand and Turkey.
The policy effort comes as Mexico's Quintana Roo, the Cayman Islands and Costa Rica develop different offerings for international patients. Available figures describe different years, types of healthcare and reporting methods; they cannot establish a verified ranking of destinations for 2026.
An established Dominican market, measured in different ways
Industry estimates for 2023 put the Dominican Republic's health tourism volume at about 338,000 visitors and its economic impact above $1.4 billion. Those totals describe the sector's historical scale, not confirmed arrivals for 2026.
For 2025, the Ministry of Public Health reported $1.3 billion in health tourism activity, according to elCaribe. The ministry's figures describe more than 300,000 international patients annually, with Dominicans living in the United States accounting for more than 80%. The report also identifies the country as the Caribbean leader in the Medical Tourism Index. In the index's 2020–2021 edition, it placed first in the Caribbean and 19th among 46 destinations worldwide.
A separate industry estimate from 2022 put spending per medical tourist at about $7,500 for surgery, lodging, meals and transportation—roughly 60% below comparable care in the United States or United Kingdom. Dental treatment represented more than half of visits, while cosmetic surgery drew about 40,000 patients that year. Current marketing advertises savings of 50%–70% on selected procedures compared with U.S. treatment, though the discount varies by procedure.
Santo Domingo and Punta Cana serve different parts of the market: the capital is a center for complex treatment, while Punta Cana offers tourism infrastructure for patients and accompanying relatives. CEDIMAT and Plaza de la Salud provide specialist capacity, including cardiovascular care, diagnostics and surgery.
Quintana Roo expects steady medical travel
Mexico's Quintana Roo projects about 25,000 healthcare travelers in 2026 and MXN 200 million in related economic activity, approximately $10.76 million. That forecast does not, by itself, demonstrate year-over-year growth.
The Medical Tourism Commission of Coparmex Quintana Roo describes medical tourism as holding steady while traditional sun-and-beach travel weakened. During the first nine months of 2026, the latter fell almost 7%, a loss of about 959,000 travelers.
Mexico News Daily reports that the average cost per medical patient increased from $11,000 to $13,500 over the year to late 2026. The report describes this as a 20% rise attributable to the exchange rate, while citing savings of up to 80% compared with U.S. costs. Actual savings depend on the treatment's complexity and the provider's charges. Medical travelers stay an average of at least 11 days.
Cayman Islands focuses on specialist hospitals
The Cayman Islands is emphasizing advanced treatment rather than competing mainly on low-cost cosmetic procedures. Health City Cayman Islands has 105 beds at its East End hospital and 65 at Camana Bay, giving the two facilities a reported combined capacity of 170 beds.
Services span cardiology, orthopedics, oncology and specialist surgery. Nationwide totals for medical tourist arrivals and spending in 2026 remain unverified, so hospital capacity should not be treated as a measure of visitor volume.
Costa Rica combines dentistry with more complex care
Although geographically in Central America, Costa Rica competes for patients in the wider Caribbean basin. The Tico Times cites Central Bank of Costa Rica data compiled by the Costa Rican Chamber of Health that put medical tourism at roughly 70,000 patients annually, or 13.4% of international arrivals. Estimated revenue is about $465 million, equivalent to 10.4% of the country's tourism economy. These figures do not establish a comparable, verified nationwide arrival total for 2026.
The same data put average spending at about $6,600 per medical traveler, compared with approximately $1,200 for a conventional visitor. Dentistry represents 42% of demand; about 83% of medical travelers come from the United States and 11% from Canada.
Hospital figures also show a shift toward more complex treatment. Hospital Internacional La Católica reported roughly 300 international patients receiving inpatient and surgical care in 2025, compared with about 180 in the previous year.
Industry estimates place potential savings on selected procedures at 40%–70% relative to U.S. prices, depending on the provider and treatment. Recovery accommodation supports longer stays, but it is not a substitute for licensed clinical care, especially after major surgery.
Safety and follow-up remain essential
Lower prices do not establish the quality or safety of treatment. A CDC report published in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly series documented 93 deaths among Americans linked to cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic from 2009 through 2022. Most involved liposuction combined with fat transfer to the buttocks, commonly called a Brazilian butt lift.
Among the autopsied cases, 11 showed fat embolism and seven showed blood clots that traveled to the lungs. Every autopsied case involved a surgical complication. These historical findings should not be interpreted as current complication rates.
Patients need to verify practitioners' licenses, assess independent hospital accreditation and obtain written estimates specifying whether tests, medication, follow-up treatment and unexpected complications are covered. Appropriate medical supervision during recovery, dependable postoperative care and advice about when it is safe to fly are also important safeguards.
