It was New Year’s Eve, 2002, in Bangkok, Thailand…

Fireworks were exploding overhead, music filled the streets — and I was convinced I was about to die. One careless sip of tap water had me violently ill within minutes. By 11 p.m., I was on my way to the ER, terrified of what I’d find in a foreign hospital on New Year’s Eve.

But what happened next completely changed my life.

Instead of chaos, I walked (well, was wheeled) into what looked like a five-star resort. Palm trees, soft leather chairs, even a Starbucks in the lobby. Within five minutes, an English-speaking doctor greeted me with a smile, and soon I was resting in a private room, hooked up to an IV, watching Discovery Channel on a flat-screen TV.

Four hours later, I was good as new. My bill? $16 US dollars.

That night, I realized something huge: affordable, high-quality healthcare exists — it just isn’t being talked about.

When I got home, I left my corporate job and launched MedRetreat, the first U.S.-based medical tourism agency. Over the next 17 years, I helped thousands of people find affordable medical care overseas — from knee replacements to heart surgeries — often saving them tens of thousands of dollars.

Then life threw me another curveball. I lost my own health insurance after being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Scary stuff. But it forced me to start looking for affordable care options right here in the U.S. — and what I found blew me away. There are amazing, affordable solutions hiding in plain sight.

Now, with Cure for Less Consultation, I’m on a mission to help others discover and shop those same options — to show people that great healthcare doesn’t have to cost a fortune.