In the U.S., around a third of healthcare costs come from bloated administrative overhead. Hospitals maintain massive departments to handle insurance claims and defend against costly lawsuits—issues that largely don’t exist abroad.

Doctors’ fees drive much of the cost of a health check-up. In the U.S., specialists earn around $450,000, compared to ~$100,000 for equally (or better) trained doctors abroad. This wage gap makes routine check-ups significantly cheaper overseas.

In the U.S., healthcare equipment is far more expensive because hospitals and insurers operate with misaligned incentives that inflate costs. Abroad, providers benefit from shared bargaining power and aligned incentives, enabling them to negotiate fairer prices and keep costs significantly lower.