Health or medical tourism is the practice of traveling across international borders to obtain health care which includes elective procedures as well as complex specialized surgeries such as joint replacement (knee/hip), cardiac surgery, dental surgery, and cosmetic surgeries.
The health tourism is a much broader concept centered mainly around resorts designed to pamper or improve the body and relax the mind. The medical tourism focuses more on surgical procedures.
The first recorded instance of medical tourism dates back thousands of years to when Greek pilgrims traveled from all over the Mediterranean to the small territory in the Saronic Gulf called Epidauria. This territory was the sanctuary of the healing god Asklepios. Epidauria became the original travel destination for medical tourism.
The factors like high cost of health care in developed countries, long wait times for certain procedures, the ease and affordability of international travel, and improvements in both technology and standards of care in many countries promote the medical tourism.
The international accreditation group like Joint Commission International in United states, Accreditation Canada in canada and Trent International Accreditation Scheme in Uk and hong kong inspect the health care facilities and hospitals around the world in different countries which maintains international standard in giving patient care and procedures. The International Medical Travel Association, singapore is made up of international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting medical tourism in a global environment.
With a large pool of highly trained doctors and low treatment prices, medical tourism is a growing industry in many countries like India, China, and Thailand, etc. Built on acres of land, the sleek medical centres of excellence offer developed world treatment at developing world prices.
A number of private hospitals offer packages designed to attract wealthy foreign patients, with airport-to-hospital bed car service, in-room internet access , private chefs and tour.
The most common procedures that are popular among medical tourist are alternative medicine, bone-marrow transplant, cardiac bypass surgery, cosmetic surgery, infertility issues, eye surgery and orthopedic surgery like hip & knee replacement surgery. The cost factor is ½ to 1/10th the price compared to the cost in the developed countries like UK and USA.
Thus we will see that medical or health tourism is a growing industry for those who want quality medical care at an affordable price without any waiting period.
If you're considering an expensive
surgery not covered by your medical insurance, or are looking to have some
plastic surgery done at a tenth of the cost of United States providers, now
is the time to consider one of the hottest trends in healthcare--medical tourism.
Prices of some medical procedures, including joint replacement, cosmetic and
dental surgeries, and even psychiatric and alternative treatments, can be
considerably less in foreign countries. This growing national industry is
becoming increasingly popular due to long wait for specialized doctors here
in the United States, and medical procedures that are being denied entirely
by heath insurance providers.
When considering medical tourism, you can consider one of numerous destinations.
Some people, especially those seeking plastic surgery, will wrap in a miniature
vacation--and still get their surgery, hospital stay, plane tickets, and hotel
stay at a fraction of the cost of just the procedure in the United States
or the United Kingdom. Destinations include Brazil, Cuba, China, Philippines,
Thailand, Poland, and Costa Rica. In these particular instances, someone seeking
some facial plastic surgery can take a vacation and come back healed, refreshed,
and still have money left in their pocket to enjoy their lifestyle at home.
The risks are lessened each year as more health care facilities are offering
high quality medical care and state-of-the-art technology to provide services
at considerably cheaper costs than health care facilities within the United
States and the United Kingdom.
What makes medical services less expensive abroad than in our home countries?
The country borders allow less government control of procedures, less (or
no) malpractice costs and insurances, and a lower cost of living in the country
performing the procedures. Quality care can be provided in countries abroad
as some countries are offering medical services that are equal or exceed the
technology used in home-based countries. Doctors, instead of traveling abroad
to help patients throughout the world, are now expecting patients to come
to them instead, and enjoy a lower-cost surgery and enjoyable vacation at
the same time. It's a win-win situation for both the doctors providing the
medical services and the patient looking for a low-cost solution to their
medical issues.
So what medical procedures can you have done overseas? Basically any medical
procedure that is available to be done in the United States or the United
Kingdom can be performed elsewhere internationally. From a simple dental procedure
that would run you thousands of dollars out-of-pocket in your home location
to a life-threatening procedure where time is of the essence (for example,
heart surgeries), you can have these procedures done anywhere internationally
at a considerably cheaper cost than home. This is why the practice of medical
tourism has becoming increasingly popular as an option for anyone facing issues
that can cause financial ruin due to patients lacking health insurance coverage
or facing large out-of-pocket expenses in order to have these procedures done
in their home town.
No matter what your reasoning is, now is the time to save some big money on
your medical procedures by taking advantage of this ever-growing medical industry.
If you are facing expensive, necessary surgeries that would break the bank,
or if you are looking to have a medical vacation and enjoy some plastic surgery
and a long, enjoyable vacation, medical tourism may be the solution for you.
Interested in medical tourism? Considering
a surgical procedure outside of the United States or the United Kingdom,
enjoying procedures at a fraction of the cost of home-based surgeries? Whether
you're considering cardiac surgery, joint replacement or even a simple facelift,
medical tourism is the hottest new trend in health care. By considering
international destinations for your surgical needs, you can save big money
and enjoy a miniature vacation for considerably cheaper than home-based
medical procedures.
There are facilities all over the world that can provide equal, if not better,
health care facilities than in your own home state. With ever-growing technologies
and experienced doctors, you can enjoy cosmetic surgery or necessary operations
in some of the most sought-after, beautiful locations abroad. In fact, many
enjoy a little vacation while participating in medical tourism, making it
a wonderful opportunity to wrap a little personal enjoyment and relaxation
in a typically stressful situation.
There are numerous places around the world that offer extraordinary medical
care. Here are just a few of the most popular, hottest health tourism destinations
around the globe:
China
Due to China's leading research and state-of-the-art medical technologies,
it is commonly considered for health tourism by patients seeking medical
surgeries and procedures from the United States. China tends to integrate
Western medical techniques into their treatments, and offer exceptional
medical care and after-treatment to patients traveling from their home country
for procedures.
Singapore
With numerous accredited health care facilities and health
centers, Singapore is considered one of the best medical tourism locations
and destinations in the world, and one of the best within the Asian territories.
Medical services in Singapore tend to be exceptionally clean, affordable
and comparable to services offered within the United States.
Panama
Panama is a highly desired location for medical tourism due to the fact
that they use the American dollar as their official form of currency, and
that the doctors working in Panama are typically bilingual, board certified,
and have been trained and are used to working on similar medical equipment
that are utilized within the United States and other European countries.
Cuba
For some 40 years, Cuba has been a popular location for health care. At
about 70 percent of the cost of United States procedures, and with a beautiful
landscape and beaches, Cuba has attracted health tourists in record numbers.
Brazil
Brazil is one of the more popular destinations for medical tourism. Sao
Paulo has one of the first accredited facilities outside of the United States,
and with just a travel visa, anyone can have amazing cosmetic surgery in
Brazil at a huge savings to the patient. Brazil has always been a wonderful
destination for cosmetic surgeries.
India
India's economy has been growing substantially over time, and with medical
procedures running about a tenth of the cost of United States surgeries,
tourists are seeking Indian medical care for everything from bone-marrow
transplants to heart surgery. Currently, India's medical standards
rival those in the United States, and accredited hospitals will be popping
up soon due to the growth of medical tourism in India.
No matter where you consider having your medical needs attended to, medical
tourism is definitely a desired choice when it comes to getting quality
care at low prices. The attraction of wrapping in some vacation time in
beautiful destinations abroad is another attractive aspect of medical tourism.
With new technologies, board certified doctors and inexpensive surgeries
without the wait, medical tourism in these countries is a wonderful opportunity
to have your medical needs attended to without the outrageous health care
costs.
India and Thailand benefits from a large staff of world class experts and offers ultra-competitive cost advantage on various medical procedures.
There are various surgical procedures which are well performed in the countries like India, and Thailand. The commonly performed procedures are cardiac surgery , joint replacement surgeries, cosmetic surgery, spinal surgery, dental procedures, IVF and surrogacy.
The cardiac surgery involves the procedures like CABG( coronary artery bypass graft), heart valve replacement, angioplasty, pacemaker, mitral valve repair, aortic aneurysm, angiogram, etc.
The knee replacement or hip replacement surgery is also a commonly done surgical procedures and is done to relieve the pain and disability in joints due to arthritis .
The commonly performed spinal surgery procedures are spinal fusion, spinal stenosis, disc replacement and dissectomy.
The assisted reproductive techniques is the technique that attempts to obtain a pregnancy by means other than by intercourse. The procedures performed in India and Thailand are IVF, intrauterine insemination, assisted hatching and surrogacy, etc.
Bariatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, control, treatment and diseases associated with obesity. The commonly performed procedures for its treatment are gastric bypass surgery, lap band and gastric sleeve.
The common cosmetic surgery procedures performed are liposuction, eyelid surgery, hair transplant, nasal reshaping, breast reconstruction, face lift, brow lift, thigh lift, etc.
The cost of various procedures is very low compared to US and UK. The Knee Replacement would cost on average of $30,000 in the US, whereas in India including the hospital stay, procedure, physicians cost and travel it would cost 40 - 60% lesser than the cost in the US.
Due to the current favorable exchange rate foreign clients can take advantage of the weak currency and expect savings of up to 75% over the same treatment in their own countries, with no compromise on quality.
For average Indian, private medical care is very expensive, but for those foreign visitors with Sterling, Euros or Dollars, it is a bargain price considering what you would pay back home for an elective procedure with a top specialist with no long waiting list.
Thus we see that health and medical tourism is a growing industry in these countries like India and Thailand which will attract a far more tourist to these countries in the coming years to come.