In the past, undergoing a complex medical procedure meant traveling to the USA or UK. Indeed, these countries were considered the most popular destinations for medical treatment. The landscape has changed dramatically for the contemporary world.
Over the past few years, many individuals have started choosing other destinations around the world for medical treatment. These studies have also pointed out that an increasing number of individuals from the USA are choosing to travel outside for medical treatments. Here are some of the most common reasons attributed to the same.
Healthcare costs
It is a well-known fact that healthcare costs have hit the roof in USA. Adding to these woes is the lack of adequate insurance to cover medical procedures. People often find themselves paying through their nose for treatments
The alternative?
Choose a foreign destination that offers the same level of medical care for just a tenth of these costs. Individuals opting for life saving procedures like cardiac surgery, heart valve replacement and coronary bypass surgery can easily get operated in countries like Thailand, Singapore and India for a fraction of the total cost.
High quality of medical care available abroad
One of the main advantages the USA had over developing countries was the quality of its healthcare services. While this has not degraded since, the number of world class healthcare facilities in other countries has increased significantly. Countries like India are home to some of the most renowned hospitals in the world, and house internationally accredited medical facilities and personnel. The standard of care available at these facilities is at par with any similar facility in the USA, thus attracting medical patients from around the world.
High levels of expertise
Countries like India, Thailand and Singapore are now competing with the USA for high quality medical care services. In addition to establishing themselves as world class medical facilities with accreditations from international governing organizations like the JCI, facilities in these countries offer expertise that can match the USA. For instance, most JCI accredited hospitals and healthcare centers in India report a gross mortality rate of even less than 1%.
Access to non FDA approved procedures
USA allows only FDA approved medical procedures to be performed in its healthcare facilities. In certain cases, these procedures may not offer the result desired by a patient. He/she can then choose to travel to a country like Germany to get access to a procedure that has not been approved by the FDA, but is commonly practiced in the destination.
Reports suggest that thousands of US citizens travel abroad to gain access to such procedures.
Minimal waiting periods
When compared to medical procedures that require exceedingly long waiting periods in the USA, patients can get access to the same procedures in a foreign destination in a very short time. For instance, an individual may have to wait for months for a hip replacement procedure in the US, while he can easily catch a flight to Thailand and get operated on by a highly qualified surgeon in an internationally accredited healthcare facility in the country within the next few days.
Excellent customer service
The exemplary medical care offered to patients in foreign destinations does not stop with the treatment alone. In a bid to attract more patients to their shores, these medical tourism destinations would do everything possible to make a patient’s stay as comfortable and hassle free as possible. In most cases, they arrange every detail of the patient’s trip from the travel to accommodation, food and local transportation.
Thousands of people are traveling outside the U.S. for medical care. While affordable health care costs can be considered the main reason for this, several other factors are pushing up the medical tourist numbers.
