The Medical Tourism Blog

In the last few years, medical tourism has become extremely popular within the US. There is an increasing tendency among Americans to travel out of the country for elective surgeries and procedures; and this trend has also been observed in Western Europe, Australia and Asia. It is estimated that around 500,000 Americans travel abroad for medical treatment each year to take advantage of affordable healthcare and medical procedures.

Medical tourism is a term coined by the media that defines going to another country to get medical treatment. Practically all over the world, people are not just going abroad for vacations, but are clubbing their vacation with a medical procedure. It is estimated that medical services in other countries cost 10 percent to 90 percent less than what it costs in the United States. This fact has given medical tourism in America an impetus.

This does not mean that health associations, insurance companies and healthcare providers in the US are not aware of this growing trend. They are; and many health insurance companies are now offering coverage for certain medical procedures that the insuree can have done in another country. In addition, the insurance providers are also offering discounted rates if the person opts for medical tourism.

From cosmetic surgery to dental care to hip replacement are available at cost effective prices in countries like Mexico, India, Thailand, Argentina and Malaysia. In fact, many facilities in these countries are accredited by the Medical Association accrediting boards in the United States.

The reason why medical tourism has become so popular is because of the rising cost of health insurance and healthcare in the United States. The attraction to be able to save money and couple the medical procedure with a holiday is very strong. This is also one source of finding treatment for Americans who are uninsured, and the cost of traveling, staying and the medical procedure works out much cheaper than what the person would have paid in the US.

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When you mention the term Medical Tourism to most people, they wonder why they would ever travel abroad for treatment, but when you start to mention the various benefits there are to be had, they start to wonder why they haven’t been doing it all along.

A recent World Health Organization (WHO) report rated Costa Rica’s health system above that of the USA(*). A high level of professional training and an impressive public healthcare system reflectt in the private care available to Medical Tourists. Once known mainly for its acclaimed promotion of ecotourism, Costa Rica is now gaining a reputation for cosmetic and dental procedures.

A study at the University of Costa Rica showed that almost 14% of visitors to the country come in search of its medical expertise. The well-educated, tech-savvy population is gaining Costa Rica the reputation of a Central American Singapore, with industry analysts putting it in the top three offshore development destinations for American companies along with China and India.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Medical Tourism industry in Costa Rica is in the area of recuperation facilities. While other destinations offer high quality hotels and accommodation, Costa Rica goes a bit further. Once a treatment has been completed, patients are able to check into dedicated recuperation centres. These centres have excellent accommodation and relaxation facilities but also sport qualified nurses and medical workers to help monitor their clients condition and keep doctors updated on the recovery progress.

Most doctors in Costa Rica spend much of their time maintaining the countries excellent public healthcare system. Revenue from the treatment of foreign paients enables local medical specialists to continue devoting their resources to the local healthcare. Benefits are mutual, with skills passing between the two sectors. In addition to dental and cosmetic practice the Medical Tourism boom is enabling corrective eye surgery clinics to open and encourage hospitals - such as CIMA Hospital San Jose - to seek Joint Commission International certification.

Many of Costa Rica’s medical professionals are American Medical Board certified, guaranteeing training on a par with their US counterparts. The Health Ministry has identified accreditation as an important part of driving quality in healthcare upwards and the CIMA Hospital in San Jose has already received its accreditation. In addition to licensing by the Health Ministry, a system of professional societies oversees the membership of a number of specialties. Medical doctors, surgeons, and dentists all have dedicated societies that promote new skills and the maintenance of standards throughout their professions.

So, when next you start thinking about getting medical treatment, and you’re looking for a world renowned healthcare system, a trip to Costa Rica should be high on your list of considerations.

To find out more please visit RevaHealth.com.

(*) The World Health Report 200 - Health Systems: Improving Performance.

Copyright 2007 RevaHealth.com

Caelen King is founder and CEO of RevaHealth.com

International professional organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other international institutions work to make sure that medical training, medical practices, and medical equipment are standardized around the globe. Diagnostic terminology is set; medications from prescription drugs to anesthesia are globally-available.

Medical tourism takes advantage of this standardization of medical procedures. Doctors overseas—many of whom have trained in the US or Canada, or be members of international professional association—assure their patients that they’ll enjoy the same quality of care as they would at home, if not better.

Thailand is perhaps the best-established destination for medical tourism, and much of that is due to Thai doctors’ and hospital administrators’ global knowledge. Thai facilities’ characteristically high level of health routinism means that patients enjoy medical care and hospital experiences that are higher than, or at least comparable to, standards in their home countries. Not only do many Thai physicians hold US professional certification; a number of Thai hospitals maintain cooperative relationships with facilities in the US as well. Many travel to hospitals in Thailand for plastic surgery or other forms of cosmetic surgery from North America, Europe, and Japan.

India is developing a competitive market in health tourism, and may industry observers credit the expansion of India’s health tourism industry to the profession’s global scope. Leading facilities in India are designed to the same specifications and equipped like research hospitals anywhere else in the globe. India is not alone in transferring the globalization of medicine to the tourist industry’s benefit. So, too, do medical facilities in Singapore and the Philippines offer patients world-class medical and dental procedures.

Just as health routinism is by no means restricted to Thailand, medical tourism’s recent growth is by no means restricted to Asia. Each year, more and more travelers book tickets to Eastern Europe or south in the Americas for dental treatments, to South Africa for aesthetic surgery, or to Canada for laser treatments.

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Medical tourism is nothing but traveling to other countries to undergo any kind of medical procedure including surgery and others. India is one of the front runners as a destination for medical tourism. Here the word tourism is different from the ordinary destination tourism. Basically this is cost effective tourism that is done generally by private medical practitioners in collaboration with the tourism industry. Medical tourism in India is catching up in a huge way and if you see carefully you will find that many people these days are opting for medical tourism in India. Under medical tourism you will find almost all kinds of medical condition and health conditions covered, so you just need to find out a destination that is offering you the best services and go there to get the procedure done. Medical tourism helps one to combine physical wellness with relaxation and leisure so that you are completely rejuvenated after the entire process.

Comparatively India is a recent entrant in the field of medical tourism, but medical tourism in India has made a huge mark and impact. In India the internet revolution and the revolution in the field of science and technology has made huge changes and medical tourism is a result of this. In India you can find the latest medical equipments and technology being used for treating various medical conditions. The cost of the treatment is much lower than what one would have had to pay in their home country. So this is very advantageous for people who are coming to visit India. Studies have indicated that the health sector in India is growing at about 30% annually and when this is combined with tourism one be greatly benefited by this. Today you will find many tour operators offering medical tourism to foreigners coming to visit India.

Medical tourism in India is gaining wide popularity because there are several things which work as an advantage for India. First the infrastructure and the healthcare facilities available here match up to the world class standards. Second the cost of getting the treatment done aboard is very expensive whereas in India this can be done at less than half the cost and the patient gets the best possible treatment available. In India one can find a large number of medical professionals who are well versed in English and this is another factor for which patients from abroad opt to get their treatments done India since most of the things here are conducive to them.

Some other Asian countries like Singapore, Thailand and others are giving a tough competition to India in the field of medical tourism. However, with the kind of facilities and other amenities available here, it will take a long time before any other country can outdo India in the field of medical tourism. To take advantage of the best medical tourism facility in India you must get in touch with a good tour operator who will provide you with the best medical tourism package in India. Make sure that you do not lose out on visiting some of the famous places while you are visiting India.

Sarah Wilson is a tourism management expert with years of experience in overseas medical tourism management. If you want to know more about medical tourism, medical tourism in india, gastric bypass surgery and more, you can visit http://www.surgeryunlimited.com

Mexican hospitals are equal in quality to the medical tourism hospitals in India, and Mexico has the advantage that it’s closer to home which translates into less stress of travel for American medical tourists plus, overall, a more sustainable senior health care resource for baby-boomers considering the cost savings of retiring abroad.

Mexico has several hospitals staffed with American and American-trained physicians and surgeons as well as American owned and run hospitals, like the AmeriMed Hospital Group, as well as private medical clinics for urgent care that have sprouted up recently in many of the most popular Mexico coastal towns.

So the big picture being painted here is that the same places you might go for surgery or a medical vacation in Mexico are popular retirement destinations for baby-boomers and for the same reasons; the health care experience and the feeling that you’re on vacation. Plus, there’s an abundance of American communities; neighborhoods where you’ll feel at home.

New neighborhood, same friends, is Mexico’s allure for baby-boomers looking at retiring abroad for the obvious savings in cost of living and for the high standard of living and choice of locations that feature accessible health care in terms of hospitals, urgent care and alternative care.

After all, how many times a year do you go to the hospital compared to how many visits you make to the chiropractor, the dentist, and to your physicians for common ailments and to specialists for your individual health care needs?

So it’s the sustainable medical care in general that allows seniors to maintain a high standard quality of life, and that’s what matters most to retirees when picking a retirement destination.

More good news for seniors, is that American insurance companies offering expatriate medical insurance for American retirees are now facing stiff competition from private Mexican medical providers offering very affordable urgent care insurance to foreigners in popular Mexican coastal and resort destinations, and soon will offer full-coverage health care insurance for a fraction of the cost of a comparable insurance policy in the States.

Competition between the U.S. and Mexico in the health care and medical insurance industries bodes well for baby-boomers looking to sustain their quality of life upon retirement without depleting their financial nest egg for medical care.

Ilene Little, a former newspaper columnist for the Journal of the San Juans, The Key West Citizen, and Special to The Seattle Times, is founder of http://www.traveling4health.com connecting BOOMers to the notion of global solutions for healthcare and retirement.

Currently, the bulk of the patients come to India for transvaginal tape from neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, other Asian countries, Africa and the Middle East. In many cases, the driver for cross border care is a question of quality of care than cost itself. The quality of care that India provides is simply not available in some of the neighboring countries. The second segment is the segment of patients sponsored by the governments in their respective countries such as Middle East and Africa. For those governments, it is relatively a cost-effective option compared to Europe or the US. Private patients (not sponsored) from these countries look at our country as value for money option vis a vis Europe and US. The market segment that the healthcare industry is targeting is the patient population from Europe and the US. There are several patients residing in UK and US, who are already using the services of hospitals in India for transvaginal tape, when they are on vacation etc.

It is a minimally invasive procedure for women who suffer from stress urinary incontinence (involuntary leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing, jumping, walking, sitting, or standing). In this, the urinary bladder and urethra are repaired, strengthened and returned to its original position in the pelvis. If you are a woman suffering from stress urinary incontinence and do not plan on getting pregnant any more, then you are an ideal candidate for this surgery. It is a minimally invasive procedure to treat stress urinary incontinence in women. Its procedure may take about 30 - 40 minutes and is usually performed under local anesthesia with sedation. A mesh tape is inserted through a small incision in the vagina and is positioned underneath the urethra. It is then pulled up through two tiny incisions in the skin’s surface just above the pubic area. As it passes through several pelvic tissue layers, the friction of underlying tissues holds the tape in place like Velcro. Over time your body tissues will grow into the mesh and will permanently secure it. The surgeon will ask you to cough so that any necessary adjustments can be made right then and there. At the end of the procedure tape will be trimmed just under the skin’s surface and the tiny incisions will be closed.

Benefits
In addition to the medical benefit from it, you will also experience a profound effect on the emotional well-being. The offensiveness from stress urinary incontinence can result in social alienation, ostrasization and immense emotional trauma. It can help you once again become part of the mainstream population and you will be able to socialize with confidence and without any fear of rejection.

Risks

Transient Vesicoureteral reflux and spasm of urinary bladder
Recurrence of problem
Urethral / Ureteral Stricture
Infection
Excessive bleeding
Injury to other organs e.g. ureter, urinary bladder
Thrombo-embolism

The countries do have an increasing population and the healthcare systems are on the verge of collapse. Even though it is economically viable for some of the governments to officially bless shipping of patients abroad, it is the political viability of such a decision that may need to be worked on. We may want to recognize that a strategy which works for attracting patients from Bangladesh or Britain etc, since the expectations and drivers are different. The industry think tank may want to recognize the diversity in the medical tourism patient population and devise niche strategies to tap into each of the segments. The Indian healthcare industry needs to examine the factors that have made these medical tourism destinations popular in India for transvaginal tape.