The rapid growth of cost effective international healthcare and quality medical care abroad is increasing the demand of medical tourism in the most unlikely places. People from all over the world are now keenly traveling to other countries for medical treatments that are either too expensive or unavailable back home.
If it’s your first medical tourism trip or your first time traveling to a country, we always advise you use the services of a medical tourism facilitator which is essentially a travel agent for traveling patients. A medical tourism facilitator will be responsible for making reservations, booking appointments, making sure their is someone on the medical staff that speaks your language, and setting up your flights to foreign countries (they also coordinate domestic tourism trips).
1.) International Groups Review Foreign Healthcare Systems to Ensure that they are Up to Par
JCI also known as Joint Commission International is an independent body that both evaluates and surveys hospitals located internationally. JCI assesses whether or not these facilities meet the international standards of healthcare safety and quality care. JCI partners with medical clinics, centers, healthcare systems, and government ministries in more than 100 countries, promoting the rigorous standards of care and safety. In global healthcare, JCI accreditation is recognized as the gold standard.
Currently, there are more than 600 clinics and hospitals worldwide that have been awarded the JCI accreditation and this number is rapidly growing by nearly 20 percent annually.
2.) Big Cost Savings
Primarily the increasing cost of health care had people asking if there were other places where they could receive the same kind of treatment without the huge expense. Modern medical tourism destinations provide patients only a fraction of the cost they expect to pay at their local hospital. Research shows that roughly 80 percent of medical tourists are driven by the idea of big monetary savings. Compare prices today by clicking (here).
3.) Availability
Those who choose to travel have greater and better access to different types of medical treatments as compared to those who don’t. For example, stem cell based therapies. The stem cell therapy is common abroad but it isn’t readily offered in the US due to restrictive government regulations. American medical travelers go to Mexico for an array of stem cell therapy treatments.In Bangkok, adult stem cells are used to repair the damaged tissues of the heart while undifferentiated immune cells are used in Singapore for creating personalized cancer treatment therapies. Both these stem cell therapies have strong track record and backed by the support from their local government.
4.) Shorter Waiting Time
In the US, UK and Canada, waiting lists for common surgeries can extend to even a year. However, with a well planned tour, most medical surgeries can easily be conducted within a few days in any medical tourism hub.
Related: 7 Medical Tourism Facts and Figures
5.) Transparency in Pricing
Medical tourism spares you from anticipating your medical bills. Wondering how? Well, in comparison to the US hospitals, hospitals located internationally are far more willing to offer tourists upfront medical treatment prices and quotes. Although they may provide you with rough estimates for complicated surgeries, but for minor procedures, they will most often offer set treatment packages that cap the total procedure cost (barring complications). These caps help medical tourists in planning purposes and even comparing treatment options in different countries.
6.) Dental Work is Potentially the Biggest Saver
Did you know that you can enjoy massive savings on dental work in countries like Thailand and India? 80 to 90 percent savings are a standard in Thailand, Mexico and India along with excellent facilities. For example, if a patient wants a dental implant in the US, they will have to arrange $3,900 to cover the costs. But at a clinic in Mexico, the same treatment will cost them approximately $709. That’s a massive saving of 80 percent! In fact, many hospitals in the US are now also contracting with Indian labs to interpret MRI images and X-Rays, saving
7.) Complication Insurance for Medical Tourists
If you’re thinking of traveling outside of your country for medical tourism, then you might want to get medical tourism insurance. This insurance protects medical tourists for covered complications from the eligible scheduled treatment abroad. In other words, it covers tourists traveling internationally for medical procedures. Some policies also offer coverage for the travel companion. This is quite useful because 75 percent medical tourists prefer to travel along with a companion.
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