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Why would you travel out of the country for medical treatment..?
Medical tourism is the practice of going out of the country to receive medical care. For instance, people in the U.S. often travel to India or Costa Rica for medical procedures like plastic surgery, weight loss surgery, and extensive dental care. While Medical tourism is often practiced for things like cosmetic surgery and other elective procedure’s, some peoples also travel for other procedures like heart surgery and organ transplant. Popular medical tourism destinations like India, Singapore, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil and Costarica.
Why would you travel out of the country for medical or dental care? Cost is a major factor. Medical and dental procedures often cost half as much (or less) outside the U.S. as inside the U.S. Even when you factor in the cost of travel and a hotel stay, it can be cheaper to have procedures done out of the country than to have them done at home. Medical tourism used to be practiced primarily by those who did not have health insurance, but nowadays even those with health insurance are looking into it. If you have a large deductible under your health insurance plan, for instance, it may still be cheaper for you to pay out-of-pocket and go out of the country for care than to have it done at home. And some health insurance companies now help cover the costs of medical tourism, since it saves them money, too. You can get excellent care abroad. Many people worry about the quality of care they will receive out of the country, and that is a valid concern. It's harder to know if your doctor is well-qualified outside of the U.S. However, there are many excellent doctors and hospitals outside of the U.S., and depending on where you live in the U.S. and what doctors and hospitals are located in your area, you may actually get better care if you travel.
Why would you travel out of the country for medical or dental care? Cost is a major factor. Medical and dental procedures often cost half as much (or less) outside the U.S. as inside the U.S. Even when you factor in the cost of travel and a hotel stay, it can be cheaper to have procedures done out of the country than to have them done at home. Medical tourism used to be practiced primarily by those who did not have health insurance, but nowadays even those with health insurance are looking into it. If you have a large deductible under your health insurance plan, for instance, it may still be cheaper for you to pay out-of-pocket and go out of the country for care than to have it done at home. And some health insurance companies now help cover the costs of medical tourism, since it saves them money, too. You can get excellent care abroad. Many people worry about the quality of care they will receive out of the country, and that is a valid concern. It's harder to know if your doctor is well-qualified outside of the U.S. However, there are many excellent doctors and hospitals outside of the U.S., and depending on where you live in the U.S. and what doctors and hospitals are located in your area, you may actually get better care if you travel.
Comment
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Comment by Faisal A. Sami, M.D. on January 25, 2010 at 3:51pm -
I think the medical tourism/medical travel industry is slowly maturing, but the rate of maturation is being advanced by circumstances in the global economy. A patient/consumer facing the choice of bankruptcy vs. getting a procedure done overseas will need quality information and education to make that choice. With the spotlight turning more and more to quality, medical facilitators,hospitals and doctors will all need to make the case for quality care.
Faisal
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Comment by Faisal A. Sami, M.D. on January 23, 2010 at 1:54pm
- Number one reason people travel is cost. Another reason is better service. Many hospitals in Asia offer higher staffing of nurses and more personal interaction with the doctor. This is more suited to the direct pay model. When insurance comes into the picture the patient is no longer seen as the source of payment but rather a cost and burden on the system. Its the insurance carrier that everyone is trying to comply with and please. Its a drawback of the third party payor system. In the US concierge medicine is coming back into play with the patient again being the direct source of revenue and more attention and time being spent with that patient.
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Comment by Dr.Ayyappan on January 22, 2010 at 5:49pm -
absolutely true,do see my discussion also.Scott Minteer has given a nice analysis.
Dr.Ayyappan
http://plasticsurgeryindia.net
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Comment by Syed I Ahmed on January 22, 2010 at 8:34am -
People travel out of the country for Medical Treatment for various reasons
1. If for some reason the desired medical facility is not available in the country.
2. Cost Saving.
3. Avoid long wait time in the Countries like UK n US.
4. Avoid tedious process in some countries.
4. Change of weather, many patient explore the tourist spots while in the destination post medication.
5. At times the service offer abraod is far better than the home country.
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The Medical Tourism Association is the first international non-profit association made up of the top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality of healthcare to patients in a global environment.
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