U.S.A. Medical Tourism
Medical tourism, a global
multibillion dollar industry, involves patients traveling to another
country to obtain medical, dental or surgical procedures. These
procedures may be either necessary or elective.
 
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Plastic Surgery:
Although the reasons to go
abroad for medical care vary from patient to patient, many medical
tourists from the United States are seeking treatment for a fraction of
the cost – sometimes as low as a 1/10th of the cost at home.
Still others choose to become medical tourists in order to combine
exotic travel with elective or plastic surgery.
Patients pursuing cosmetic
surgery often travel to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Costa
Rica, India, Mexico and Turkey. Some travel to the European countries
of Belgium, Poland and Slovakia for face lifts and other types of
plastic surgery. These types of elective surgeries can range from more
than $13,000 in the U.S., slightly less in Europe and as low as $2,000
or less elsewhere.
Orthopedic Surgery:
The affordability of
procedures abroad and the ease of international travel are part of what
is driving this thriving industry. In addition, a growing number of
patients in the United States are learning that some insurance
companies restrict their choice of facility, surgeon or prosthetics and
do not cover things like knee or hip replacement surgery.
Patients seeking these and
other types of medically necessary procedures have found affordable
treatment in Colombia, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Singapore, Thailand,
as well as other locations.
Medical Value Travel Companies:
An outgrowth of the medical
tourism industry is the emergence of companies positioned to offer
global healthcare choices that enable U.S. patients the ability to take
full advantage of low cost air travel and various healthcare options at
the best prices. These “medical value travel”
companies often provide an experienced nursing staff to assist the
patients with medical issues before and after their travels. Once the
patient returns, they will help provide resources for any necessary
continued care.
In the United States people
are skeptical about receiving medical care abroad, which means hospital
accreditation is important. Medical value travel companies also assist
potential tourists in their decisions by helping them to determine
whether or not a hospital has been accredited by a reputable external
agency such as Joint Commission International.
The emergence of these
medical value travel companies highlights how important it is that a
patient researches any medical services they are subjecting themselves
to, whether these services are received abroad or here in the United
States.
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