How to Understand Medical Tourism03 Mar
Medical tourism is the new buzzword whereby people go abroad for medical procedures at cheaper rates and sometimes combine it with a holiday as well.
Medical tourism as a business
No longer are western countries the mecca for medical tourists. Not too long ago, people from developing countries used to go to the western countries for state of the art procedures which were not offered in their own countries or were thought to be better in the western world. Now the majority of doctors, particularly in hospitals in the west, are from south Asia.
Developing countries globally have also made great strides in the medical field with the latest technology available at affordable rates, with very good doctors (some of who may have even trained in the west) and nurses.
Economics and finances are the major factors which drive any industry as is the law of supply and demand. Medical tourism is now a global industry which generates billions, benefiting both the consumer and the provider. Any country which is a destination for the medical tourist makes a lot of money because of the added business and the money is in foreign exchange which is always beneficial to the country. The person who goes there benefits because he has to pay much less for good quality surgery and care than he or she would in his or her home country.
By 2012, it is estimated that medical tourism will become a business worth at $100 billion. Like any other industry it also generates a lot of employment and business opportunities.
What exactly does medical tourism refer to?
When anybody wants any procedure or operation, minor or major, and sources the best and cheapest marketplace which offers it to him, he becomes a medical tourist. A tourist is simply a person who goes on a long or short holiday. But a medical tourist goes to a country for a specific purpose – to undergo either a cosmetic procedure or a life-saving operation or even to have a baby.
Sometimes that person may combine it with a holiday either before or after the procedure. At times it is necessary for him or her to spend a particular length of time in that country for follow up care till he or she is fit enough to travel back home. There have even been instances where people have been on a holiday and gone in for a minor procedure (like a tooth extraction or teeth whitening) because they have seen the facilities and find it very reasonably priced. On the whole, however, people go particularly for some surgery.
Why do people go abroad for surgery or cosmetic procedures?
In advanced countries in the developed world, most medical procedures and surgeries are very expensive. In the US, for instance, people may not have sufficient medical insurance to cover their necessary surgeries. At times, the co-pay factor may be so much that it would be cheaper to get it done elsewhere, pay for the whole thing and still save money.
In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) usually has a long waiting list and it may not be feasible for a person to wait that long. Getting the surgery done privately is prohibitively expensive.
Cosmetic procedures, in any case, are usually not covered by medical insurance or NHS. In-vitro fertilization or other pregnancy help procedures are often not covered or are available only for limited cycles, after which one has to pay.
What kind of procedures area available to the medical tourist?
- Among medical procedures which people travel abroad for are:
- Transplant surgeries
- Dental and orthodontic work
- Cosmetic procedures including face lifts, nose and boob jobs, hair transplants and others
- Getting pregnant with medical intervention
- Lasik or other vision correction surgeries
- Illegal or not yet approved procedures such as kidney transplants or other organ transplants in order to jump waiting lists
- Alternative therapies
If you are willing to travel elsewhere for your medical requirements you are one of the millions of medical tourists. Whether it is a bypass surgery, a joint replacement, dental work, plastic surgery, IVF all kinds of procedures can be done in a foreign country.
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