With the Affordable Care Act (ACA) going on the floors in the USA, the time has come to find out just how the act would affect the country’s medical tourism market, and whether it would be a boon or bane for the Americans who choose to travel overseas for their medical treatments.
So what exactly is the Affordable Care Act? Titled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the ACA is a law that attempts to make significant changes the way the healthcare industry functions in the country, including making necessary reforms to existing practices, costs and insurance policies. The Federal Government would have a direct hand in dealing with the industry, which would further make a huge impact on medical tourism worldwide.
Here are some of the major provisions of the ACA that are related to the country’s medical tourism industry; along with general opinions of whether they would be successful in the real world scenario.
Compulsory Insurance Coverage
The ACA states that by the end of 2014, all Americans would need to be medically insured, or would have to pay a fine until they obtain one. The law attempts to reduce the 49 million or so US citizens who remain uninsured to this day.
Impact: And until the ACA approves certain health care services, these individuals would most likely postpone them (except medical emergencies) to the end of 2014 by which time they believe the act would include the medical services that they require to be covered by their health insurance.
Adding more Services
The ACA has also defined that the scope of the services offered currently by the medical insurance companies would be redefined, standardized and expanded to accommodate newer ones, including mental health services and preventive health services like routine checkups and weight loss programs etc.
Impact: Adding newer services to existing insurance coverage programs and providing the same to more number of Americans would surely increase the insurance premium. Those who had to travel overseas for certain medical procedures would now be able to opt for the same in the US itself without worrying about the medical costs (which would be covered by the insurance).
Nevertheless, increase in health insurance premiums would also mean an increase in the costs of purchasing insurance. And with many insurance companies opting for the ‘co-pay’ and ‘premiums’ wherein the individual would need to pay a portion of the insurance coverage in monthly installments, those who are already insured or willing to get insured would step back in apprehension. Instead of opting for the high insurance costs, these individuals would most likely look for the next best option to cut medical costs; medical tourism.
Overburdened Health Care System
If the ACA had its way, nearly 30 million more US citizens (approx. figure) would be insured by the end of 2014. This would automatically increase the demand for more hospitals and doctors in the country.
Impact: Considering the fact that most hospitals in the US operate near capacity, and that the country already has a shortage of good doctors, the above mentioned demand would automatically increase the burden of the already burdened healthcare system, thereby causing long delays in getting appointments and necessary medical care. It would further mean long waiting lists for proposed medical services and several postponements related to non-urgent medical services. Moreover, individuals who find that they are not getting services instead of paying large amounts of money for the same would definitely look for a brighter alternative in the form of medical tourism.
