Despite the inherent benefits of utilizing a facilitator as listed above, there are several downsides to using a medical tourism middleman. This is especially true in cases where there is a lack of transparency.
- Limited choices: Sometimes facilitators make arrangements with hospitals and healthcare providers they receive a commission from, which would lead to limited choices for the patients. In these cases, it’s better to request for a wider range of options.
- Price: Sometimes a facilitator might charge you steep fees. Ideally a patient shouldn’t mind paying a small percentage of the total medical tourism expenses to a facilitator for all the arrangements made. However if the price structure is not clearly defined, a patient could get into difficulties.
- Communications: Since the facilitator interacts with the treating provider on behalf of the patient, it might lead to serious communication barriers. This is because the involvement of an additional person could easily lead to miscommunication. In situations such as these, it is better that the patient is directly involved in any communication pertaining to the actual treatment.
- Arrangements: Some facilitators might have entered into an agreement with certain hospitals or providers which could lead to biased arrangements. Patients should take extra precautions to identify that the facilitator is not conducting any biased practice.
There are many more possible drawbacks to hiring a facilitator; if you continue reading the material below, you will gain a clearer insight as to the necessary precautions required in the selection of a competent medical tourism facilitator.
