There are certain medical treatments and surgeries that are either not covered by your health insurance or are too expensive to have in the United States. Going abroad on a medical tourism journey may be your only option. However, medical travel does not simply mean getting on a plane and fly to the nearest country that offers surgery or treatment services. There are certain things you should need to know and understand before deciding where to go.
The following provides a definitive guide on how to decide where to travel abroad for your medical procedure and what elements you should consider first before embarking on a journey.
Preliminary Considerations for Medical Travel
One of the most features of medical tourism that makes it more appealing for healthcare seekers is the wide variety of options available. Medical travelers can explore these options on their own and use their own resourcefulness, or they can simply coordinate with medical intermediaries for more convenience. These intermediaries also provide an all-in-one package that includes the cost of procedures, doctors’ fees, hospital fees, insurance, aftercare procedures, travel and accommodation.
Cost Considerations
The costs of medical procedures in medical travel destinations are significantly less than the costs compared to the US. Most of these expenses fall under hospital and doctors’ fees. However, other factors should be reviewed and included in with their budget. Calculating for the total cost should take into account all of these additional cost, which includes:
· Passport costs including travel visas and other document requirements
· Airfare going to the host country and back to the United States
· Airport pick-up upon arrival and departure
· Transport cost from hotels to health provider’s clinics or hospitals and vice versa
· Hotel accommodations
· Food, drinks, and tips
· International calls and other correspondence back home
· Medications and medical supplies
· Aftercare costs
· Contingencies
The following are cost comparisons between destination countries as compared to US retail procedural costs for typical healthcare and surgical treatments.
The following provides a definitive guide on how to decide where to travel abroad for your medical procedure and what elements you should consider first before embarking on a journey.
Preliminary Considerations for Medical Travel
One of the most features of medical tourism that makes it more appealing for healthcare seekers is the wide variety of options available. Medical travelers can explore these options on their own and use their own resourcefulness, or they can simply coordinate with medical intermediaries for more convenience. These intermediaries also provide an all-in-one package that includes the cost of procedures, doctors’ fees, hospital fees, insurance, aftercare procedures, travel and accommodation.
Cost Considerations
The costs of medical procedures in medical travel destinations are significantly less than the costs compared to the US. Most of these expenses fall under hospital and doctors’ fees. However, other factors should be reviewed and included in with their budget. Calculating for the total cost should take into account all of these additional cost, which includes:
· Passport costs including travel visas and other document requirements
· Airfare going to the host country and back to the United States
· Airport pick-up upon arrival and departure
· Transport cost from hotels to health provider’s clinics or hospitals and vice versa
· Hotel accommodations
· Food, drinks, and tips
· International calls and other correspondence back home
· Medications and medical supplies
· Aftercare costs
· Contingencies
The following are cost comparisons between destination countries as compared to US retail procedural costs for typical healthcare and surgical treatments.
Hospital Certification
Most of the destination countries for medical travelers are increasingly providing better healthcare facilities that are built to global standards, as supported by their governments. The Joint Commission International (JCI), the leading medical accreditation organization in the US, has certified more than 220 hospitals, clinics and treatment centers all across the globe.
Aside from the JCI, there are other international accreditation bodies for healthcare facilities and these include Accreditation Canada (CCHSA), Trent Accreditation Scheme (TAS), The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), and International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), European Society for Quality in Healthcare (ESQH), and the International Organization for Standardization, more commonly known as ISO.
On top of international certifications, several foreign hospitals and healthcare clinics are owned, managed or affiliated with American hospitals, medical providers, and prestigious universities. Aside from this, destination countries also have their localized certification bodies, like the Indian Healthcare Federation that provides accreditation standards for the country’s local providers.
Doctor Qualifications
Foreign medical facilities employ internationally or US-certified medical staff. Many doctors, surgeons and nurses in these facilities are trained in countries like the UK or the United States, or are trained at levels at par with international standards. Many of these physicians have fellowships with American medical societies and have specialty certifications from an American medical board.
During the selection process for the foreign providers and physicians who will conduct your medical procedure, the following items should be considered first before choosing a particular doctor.
- The place of study and year the doctor graduated
- The place and duration of internship and training
- Local, American, or International board certification that the doctor has and the year it was obtained
- Membership with American or International medical societies.
Aside from certifications and accreditations for hospitals and doctors, a medical traveler should also consider the language factor in having a procedure offshore. It will only do them no good if the doctor, nurses and hospital staff will not be able to communicate with their patients in plain English.
Aftercare Considerations
A significant component in any medical procedure is aftercare. Medical travelers should ask and obtain the following information from their medical intermediary before finalizing their journey.
- The type of aftercare provided by the medical facility abroad.
- The length of stay before traveling back home.
- The availability of prescribed aftercare medication in the USA.
- Ease of contact with the medical staff abroad after returning home.
- Return visits requirements.
- Qualified medical staff affiliated with the medical tourism agency that can provide aftercare treatments as needed.
Insurance and Liability
One final issue for medical tourism is the question on liability. Despite the big savings that travelers can get, an increased risk may be apparent. If something goes wrong, the patient would have to work through the destination country’s legal system.
Accommodations and other Non-medical Related Considerations
Destination countries like India, Cuba, Mexico, Thailand, Philippines and other host nations are investing heavily in the medical tourism industry due to the considerable revenues it would bring to their country’s economy. In parallel with this growth, other hospitality industries are building themselves up to keep at par. This includes airports, transportation, hotels, resorts and other vacation spots. All-inclusive medical tourism packages provided by medical intermediaries usually consider all these amenities on top of the medical requirements.
Recommendations
People considering medical tourism to receive their needed healthcare or surgical procedures have a variety of options available at their disposal. However, careful research into the medical travel intermediary as well as the designated foreign health provider is necessary before committing yourself. Resources are available online and you can take advantage of these sources to find yourself the best medical tourism company, in a country of your choosing, that will provide the best services that you need.
(original article appeared in Health Tourism. For more articles on Medical Travel and Healthcare Tourism, please visit http://www.health-tourism.com)
© 2009
Peter Allan Mariano
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