Global Medical Tourism
The rising cost of health
care in the United States and the growing number of uninsured or
underinsured individuals is giving rise to a global multibillion dollar
industry known as medical tourism. Medical tourists are patients who
travel abroad for crucial, medically complexed procedures, elective
cosmetic surgeries and infertility treatments.
Medical tourism is not new,
it is simply growing. Originally most medical tourists were those
pursuing various types of cosmetic surgery. Mental health holidays have
also been popular among tourist who frequent spas and resorts in exotic
locations.
The Top 5 Countries for Global Medical Tourism
Global medical tourism has,
in recent years, developed into a thriving industry due in part to the
more than 43 million US citizens who have little or no health
insurance. Americans, who once visited Costa Rica or Brazil for face
lifts, tummy tucks and other forms of plastic surgery are now visiting
countries throughout the world for complex procedures ranging from hip
replacement operations to heart valve replacement surgery.
Although patients may
receive medical services in Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, or Turkey
the top 5 countries for global medical tourism are India, Thailand,
Singapore, Malaysia and Costa Rica. europe-medical-tourism.html
In years past Thailand has
been the prominent medical tourism destination, however India is
quickly becoming the preferred country among medical tourists, with its
state of the art medical facilities, well trained physicians and the
finest in electronic and medical equipment.
In Thailand successive
governments have invested in the necessary education and training of
its physicians – many of whom have undertaken specialty
training in the United States and Europe.
Singapore and Malaysia also
possess well developed medical facilities, while in Costa Rica the
medical tourist can expect to receive inexpensive, high-quality medical
care without suffering through a lengthy trans-Pacific flight.
The Preferred Hospitals
Europe Medical Tourism Familiar Setting and
Quality Treatment
Two of the top hospitals
serving the global medical tourist industry are found in India: the
Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad and the Escorts Heart Institute and
Research Center in Delhi; two others are located in Thailand: the
Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok and the Bangkok General Hospital.
When you walk into a
hospital you have an idea of what to expect and that brings a great
deal of comfort to someone who is facing an uncomfortable situation,
like having a procedure done.
In Singapore the number one
destination for medical tourist is John’s Hopkins
International Medical Center, which is the only hospital in Thailand
that has been accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Many of the hospitals serving medical
tourists throughout India, Malaysia and Thailand are either already
JCAHO certified or are working toward earning JCAHO certification.
The kind of care, routine
and environment you will find in a hospital in Europe is much more
familiar for patients from developed countries than hospitals in other
more exotic locations around the world, such as India.
The Downsides of Medical Tourism
While a tropical experience
to go along with your medical experience sounds wonderful, there are
other things to consider. You've heard of malaria and other common
tropical locale type diseases. There will be visas to apply for, long
flights to sit through as well as awkward cultural and legal
differences to consider to visit those countries.
The vast number of American
patients lacking the insurance necessary to cover the rising costs of
medical services has made global medical tourism treatments in India
and elsewhere very appealing. And yet, there are downsides.
To be honest, traveling to
Europe for care will not be as cheap as other locations in Asia, but
for the few extra dollars you are buying peace of mind. This is
especially true when it comes to complicated, costly, invasive and life
changing surgeries like joint replacement or spinal surgery.
Although top among medical
tourists, India, Thailand and Malaysia are developing countries, which
leave some Americans feeling apprehensive about the safety of the care
they might receive. Some worry about the quality of the blood supply in
Thailand, the sex capital of the world which has one of the highest
rates of HIV.
These kinds of surgeries
really need to be done right the first time, by the best people in a
high quality environment where you have no reason to be nervous or
afraid.
All three countries have
large disparities between the private hospitals frequented by global
medical tourists and the local public hospitals. In India there are
only four doctors for every 10,000 patients while in the US the ratio
is 27:10,000. Additionally, even though the physicians in these
facilities may have received the finest training in the Western
nations, the nurses and other staff members may not have, resulting in
lower standards of quality and care.
Europe Medical Tourism Advantages of Cost
Flying abroad for surgery
is another concern expressed by a significant number of mainstream
doctors. They fear that, once they have returned home, patients who
develop significant complications will not have immediate access to the
physician who performed the procedure. They also worry that post-op air
travel significantly increases the risk of blood clotting and could
lead to a deep vein thrombosis or an embolism.
In the US, Canada or the
UK, a lot of patients are facing the dilemma of getting the medical
treatments they need because the price tag has a few too many zeros at
the end or the wait is just too long.
Despite the appeal of
global medical tourism, patients must consider the risks involved.
Patients in the US spend an
astronomical amount of money of health care and they watch the price
climb higher and higher every year. They try to save money by carrying
insurance with very high deductibles, hoping in the long term it will
be worth it.
But there comes a point in
many budgets where $1,000 might as well be $1,000,000, espcially when 5
different providers are wondering where their money is while you are
wondering about future treatments, follow-up visits, prescriptions. Not
to mention paying the other daily bills.
They say that money doesn't
buy happiness, but if you aren't healthy and you can't afford the
treatment or procedures that will help you be healthy again you aren't
gong to be happy.
The cost of treatment in
European countries in most often estimated to be 40% to 80% less
expensive than the same treatment or procedure done in the US.
Amazingly, they manage to do this very competitively!
When patients are more
willing to seek out the kind of care they want for the kind of price
they want to pay, suddenly a market wakes up and realizes who is paying
the bills!
Europe Medical Tourism Is Financing Available?
Just like financing for
most other things, you will find that it all depends on the quality of
the credit you have established in your home country. This can be
difficult when you have lots of medical bills piling up in addition to
other expenses.
Develop an open and honest
relationship with the provider you owe money to and most importantly,
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. When you demonstrate a willingness to do the right
thing and understand their position, they will understand yours as well
and you will be able to come to an agreement that will keep your credit
in good standing. Ignoring debt won't make it go away!
Many different credit
companies are beginning to see the advantages and unique challenges
that medical tourism poses to patients and they are starting to offer
very affordable and helpful programs that will assist you in getting
the treatment you need at a price you can afford.
 
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