How many patients are really traveling internationally.
I believe millions of patients travel all around the world every year for cosmetic surgery, orthopedics, hearts, transplants, general surgeries, dental, stem cell therapy, cancer and alternative treatments. Deloitte estimates that as many as over 3 million Americans could travel internationally this year alone. Everywhere I turn I meet people who traveled for medical care or know someone who did. What's your thoughts?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jack Schafer on -
As a US based Facilitator, I don't question these numbers... I believe they are accurate. The frightening aspect of these numbers is that the majority of these people are doing this themselves. I've been a tour operator for 25 years, and even with leisure travel, there are simply some things that a passenger would be much better off letting an expert arrange. We had "connection" in the markets that we served, and those relationships were developed over years of "experience" and that added considerable value to every passenger we served... and that was "leisure travel".
Here we're talking about Medical Travel... yet the majority of those MILLIONS OF PEOPLE will make their own arrangements... they'll go to a clinic in Costa Rica for a facial procedure because "Betty from the nail salon knew someone who had a good experience there... (Why not just order a manual and buy a knife and do the surgery yourself - you could REALLY save some money !)
Paying Betty to do nails is probably a good thing... trusting her as your consulting professional in selecting the stranger that will cut on your face, in a non-accredited clinic 1000 miles away ? ? ? Not so much.
As these numbers of patients traveling internationally continue to grow, so does the need for experienced professionals providing knowledge and experience to assist the client so that they can select from ONLY the most qualified providers... and then organize the literally dozens of details that will make the Medical Travel an overall pleasurable experience. This is not a "do-it-yourself project", this is the work of the professional Medical Tourism Facilitator !
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Permalink Reply by Medical Destinations Christine on -
I agree with your statement! Many times patients come here and dont know what to expect, they dont even realize english is not the spoken language! Professionals are needed to help them walk through their experiences.They are spending lots of money on surgeries and most times they dont feel they are being heard or understood correctly. To have someone who is familiar with Medical proccedures and problems they might face once here would be a great asset to the patient. The Group of Doctors bringing these patients here should have everything planned out including a professional advocate to be with them though their stay in Costa Rica or anywhere.
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Permalink Reply by Glauco Fonseca on -
Jack, I totally agree with you. I would like to know, however, what are your expectations regarding the offshore "on the ground" services. I am preparing my company to provide full service in Brazil and the best alternative is, I believe, solid agreements with US facilitators. This effort will highlight the needed professionalism for this great new industry.
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Permalink Reply by Kristen Anne Bazell RN BSN on -
I believe the numbers are large, and growing. I also believe that those involved in the medical travel industry are on the forefront of something that will be an incredible trend in the upcoming years.
As a medical professional that has been involved in medicine for many years, and as an international flight nurse, I also see a trend that could prove hazardous if not addressed. It's along the same lines as Mr. Schafer on the importance of utiilizing a professional medical travel company to assist those over seas. But as an additional caveat, the industry should address the issue of having specialty trained nurses assist these patients back home.
Its my humble opinion that the stress and the potential for complications with surgery can be high enough when surgery is performed in ones surroundings with loved ones for support, but when you place a client in unfamiliar lands thousands of miles away, and then flying them home post operatively at 35,000 feet for several hours with minimal oxygen, it can place those in potentially hazardous situations that can easily be prevented when they have medical assistance by experienced flight nurses to escort them home after major surgery.
For instance, with abdominoplasty surgery (tummy tuck) the risk of a blood clot can be high especially when combined with any other procedure. The risk of a blood clot deveoping when post operative and on a long airline flight sitting for hours can increase this risk exponentially.
Private Medical Care International, LLC works with the physicians abroad and at home and arranges medical escorts and medications needed that are pertinent to the clients individual needs to prevent any complications such as the one mentioned above.
So yes, I believe the numbers are large, and growing. With the potential for millions more patients traveling abroad in the years to come, as medical tourism facilitators, we should instill the importance that monetary issues should never compromise medical safety.
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Permalink Reply by North American Surgery on -
Putting aside Cosmetic Surgery, I believe these numbers are wildly inflated. From what we have seen, the numbers are considerably lower than the millions estimated by Deloitte. Why is this? Because for the most part, it is now more expensive to travel abroad for surgery. As an example, we can get hernia repairs for $4,000 in the US. Knee and Hip replacements for $17,500 & $18,000 respectively. Cardiac Ablation for $12,500. C.A.B.G. for only $15,000. Even if the prices were lower in offshore medical tourism hotspots, after you add in airfare, hotel for 1-2 weeks, meals, and any other expenses (multiply those expenses by at least 2 if you are bringing a family member with you), then you'll find that in most places, you will end up paying more.
And even if you are getting a bargain and saving a couple thousand dollars, does that really justify traveling to a third world country, where you can become the target of a terrorist attack ( See Mumbai attacks in December of 2008 - http://www.adl.org/main_Terrorism/mumbai_terror_jews.htm)? Where you could pick up a subtropical infection rarely, if every, seen by U.S. doctors back home? Where you would have no legal recourse if there was a surgical complication. Where you do not know if they have the same blood screening regulations as we do here in the U.S. Where you could potentially have deep vein thrombosis, or a pulmonary embolism on the flight home (See Mayo Clinic report - http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/content/80/6/728.refs)
There are so many arguments to be made about why you shouldn't travel overseas for surgery, irrespective of the price, that you really have a hard time convincing yourself that it is a good idea.
We are all in favor of medical tourism, but our version is Interstate Medical Tourism, not International Medical Tourism.
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Permalink Reply by Medical Tourism City on -
I don't know where your getting your #'s bu those are not the costs in the US for surgeries. The average cost for an uninsured is $50,000 for a knee replacement. I know of one facility, that has reduced the cost to $25,000 an on outpatient basis, an only for heatlhy patients who fit a certain standards of health, but that is extremely RARE. Same thing for a heart patient. You can talk to any facilitator and they will tell you the prices you quote above. Also,there have been attacks in the US over the years, and all throughout Europe. So, are you saying patients should never travel abroad, or even out of their own home town? I think that is an extreme argument. Probably a higher change of getting killed in your car going to the supermarket than traveling abroad for a medical procedure and being a victim of an attack. I think you will have much more affect in your argument for bringing patients to Canada if you don't go to the extreme, as then you will lose credibility and support. I saw this recently at a big US healthcare conference in CA this past year. During a session focused on medical tourism (this was a us healthcare conference and not a medical tourism one), someone sat in back during the presentation whispering to the employers of how unsafe it was, etc, etc and they shouldn't travel overseas but should engage in "domestic" medical tourism. Afterwards the employers were extremely upset and told the conference people who angry they were at this person (and that is putting it nicely). I am not dismissing your argument, just saying you should always give both sides of the story rather than just trying to scare people. just an opinion. The great part of freedom of speech is everyone get's their own opinion! :)
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Permalink Reply by North American Surgery on
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The M.T.A. says the average cost of a knee replacement in the U.S. is $43,500. You say it is $50,000. Regardless, our clients from Canada and our uninsured U.S. clients don't pay either price. They pay $17,500 with a choice of 4 excellent hospitals in the U.S. The price includes a 4 day hospital stay. We do not believe knee replacements are appropriate in an outpatient facility.
We have been facilitating orthopedic, cardiac, gynecological, spinal, & general surgeries since November, 2003. We have hundreds and hundreds of clients who can attest to the accuracy of the prices we have quoted.
We do not bring Americans to Canada, as you suggest, for 2 reasons:
1. The prices we have negotiated with hospitals in our network of U.S. providers are lower than Canadian prices
2. For the most part, Canadian surgeons are not insured to operate on non-residents of Canada.
We stand by our statement that traveling to another state in your own country is safer, and cheaper, than traveling to Asia or South America.
By the way, North American Surgery exhibited at the California conference last year-the one you are referring to. No one expressed any anger toward us or our organization. We understand why some organizations wish to perpetuate the myth that offshore surgery is invariably less costly than domestic surgery. The facts however, prove otherwise.
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Permalink Reply by Evangeline Veritas on -
Which hospitals do you use for these procedures?
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Permalink Reply by Mubbashir on -
Dear North American Surgery,
Greetings from Kuala Lumpur.
I fully agree, that Americans shall try their best to curtail International Medical Tourism, There is nothing better than getting treated at your home town and even better next door hospital. Medical tourism is not just prices and issues. Just imagine, waiting times for surgeries in Canada, UK and USA.
Can you comment on year on year rise in medical expenses in US Healthcare and its implications on payers. Do you have idea of GDP spent in healthcare and debt ridden systems of blue shield and blue cross. If I take your comments so accurate I am sure, there is no crises in healthcare in USA. Can you deny millions of uninsured or under insured people in USA. If healthcare in USA was so cost effective, there should not be a big issue of absorbing those into the system. I am sure you are missing some important aspect in all this.
You wrote about terrorism issue in Asia, I think, you are denying terrorism in US schools and colleges, or US stores and road sides. Its not the mistake of any country, but it is certainly a menace the world is facing. We shall not try to fan it to gain grounds for our own benefits. Tropical infections are certainly there, but do you know the number of deaths caused by negligence in US Healthcare system, due to lack of staff, or poorly trained staff or other related issues.
Hospitals around the world are as good as US Hospitals, and if US has some hospitals which are state of the art centers, then certainly there are state of the art specialty centers in medical tourism destinations like Malaysia, India, Singapre, Thailand and others.
As for Pulmonary complications, I think you will be surprised to find out that it is a general sort of complications, and US Healthcare providers can not blame that it can only happen on plane where medical tourist from non US healthcare provider is flying but it can happen to a medical tourist flying from a facility in US interstate.
I invite you for a dialogue at this forum, and we talk point by point and you can invite your friends to argue in favour of NO MEDICAL TOURISM and I will with my friends defend the case of Medical Tourism.
Please do not take it as business flying away from US Healhcare but it is for the sake of needy and who can not provide, US healthcare is getting world's attention and its a great advantage rather disadvantage.
Best regards
Mubbashir
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Permalink Reply by North American Surgery on
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Dear Mubbashir,
Thank you for your comments. Your first two sentences say it all. The closer to home a patient can obtain prompt, quality medical care, the better.
Let me give you an example of what we are able to access, here in North America. We recently had an inquiry from a Canadian who was on a waitlist for cardiac bypass surgery. The day following his inquiry, he obtained the procedure in the U.S.A. We paid the hospital $12,000 U.S. on behalf of our client. Apart from the speed at which we were able to respond and the very favorable price we were able to access, there were other benefits:
• The physicians and hospital staff spoke English (obviously)
• The flight to the hospital was under 2 ½ hours. Moreover, the cost of the ticket was significantly less than a flight to Kuala Lampur
• The hospital in question was a specialty cardiac hospital. There were no disease-infected patients in the hospital. Certainly no tropical diseases
My question to you is “how might this client have been benefited from traveling to Asia for his surgery?”
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Permalink Reply by Mubbashir on
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Dear North American Surgery,
Greetings from Kuala Lumpur.
My first two sentences are based on reality and rest of the comments in my past thread also based on some reality.
I feel what you are quoting 12,000 USD, may not be possible in many of the procedures in USA. Please mention the name of the hospital, and who to contact to confirm the charges. I have patients who want to come to Malaysia for procedure from San Francisco, will ask them to contact that hospital and person you will write here.
I do not think, that flight distance in 2/12 hrs all over USA. There are inter state flights which are much longer that this.
More over why most of the Medical Tourism companies working are US companies and maximum promotion of medical tourism or global healthcare comes from USA.
When you say that all cardiac patients in USA area treated in specialist cardiac hospitals, I can not believe this, and I am sure you will also agree with me. And when you say, there was no disease-infected patients in the hospital, I think, you are trying to deny that those were not hospitals but some ultra high hygienic place, which I do not think, exists on earth. I do not know, if any hospitals in the world can claim that there is no infection in the hospital and there is no diseases-infected patients. When it is not a tropical place, I do not expect there shall be tropical patients.
Your Questions:
“how might this client have been benefited from traveling to Asia for his surgery?”
Certainly I can quote many benefits, but I suggest, send us one cardiac patient and we will prove to you, how good we are.
Best regards
Mubbashir
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Permalink Reply by Olga Tsisarenko on -
Well, let me tell you that in terms of surrogacy medical tourism it is not the question of savings and travel, it is something that you are forced to do when your country does not allow you to have your own baby... So you go to search for people and clinics who can help you in the countries where surrogacy, egg donation and PGD for sex selection (if you would like to balance your family) is supported by the government.
Of course they are stressed by the necessity to travel, but when they find out that they are taken care of, they will feel relaxed whether they are at home or in a foreign country.
Thank you.
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