Ten Things to Know About Medical Tourism

chillibreeze writer — Crystal Ajay

Imagine the glorious beaches of Thailand, the natural wonders of India or the journey of a lifetime on an African safari. As enticing as any of these may sound, you cannot choose a country based solely on the merit of its tourist attractions while deliberating a medical vacation.

Spurred by a phenomenal boost in the medical tourism industry, everyone is vying for a piece of the pie. Being a relatively new industry, it is largely unregulated, so prospective customers should take a "buyer beware" approach.

The 3 tips for a successful medical vacation are Research, Research and Research. Right from understanding the medical procedure down to the basic travel arrangements, you need to explore all the ‘ins’ & ’outs’ so that you can make informed decisions. We have outlined ten points here that you must be aware of before venturing out on your medical vacation.

10. Understand the procedure you require
Getting a clear understanding of the procedure you need, will equip you to make decisions later in a more informed and practical manner. As with any medical, surgical, dental, or cosmetic procedure, different methodologies and techniques may be available. Each procedure would come with its own set of risks and benefits. It is important to discuss this with your local provider, who will be able to guide you as to which alternative would be the best for you.

It is essential to consider how long the procedure will take, the hospitalization and recovery time involved, the post-procedure follow-ups and care required as well as if the procedure involves complications, what kinds of contingency plans will be needed?

11. Know the appropriate destination
Once you understand the nature of the procedure involved, you need to research which destination could provide you with the best possible care. Don’t let the allure of an exciting holiday destination become more important than the reputation of the treatment in that particular country. Each country varies in terms of areas of specialization and costs.

For instance, India is known for orthopedics and cardiology, Thailand for cosmetic dentistry and sexual reassignment, and Brazil, Costa Rica and South Africa are recognized for cosmetic surgery. Even if you chose to fly half-way across the world, you can save anywhere between 30% -80%, get first class, state-of-the-art medical treatment – and you get to enjoy a holiday in a beautiful exotic place.

12. Know the cost comparisons

Procedure / Treatment	Asia ($)	USA ($)	UK (GBP)
Open Heart Surgery (CABG)	7,500	100,000	20,000
Total Knee Replacement	6,500	48,000	15,000
Hip Resurfacing	7,500	55,000	15,000
LA Hysterectomy	4,000	22,000	6,000
Lap Cholcystectomy	3,500	18,000	4,000
Spinal Decompression Fusion	7,100	60,000	32,100
Obesity Surgery (Gastric Bypass)	9,500	65,000	12,000

13. Know your agent
While deciding on a medical vacation, you can choose to deal directly with the provider and make your own arrangements, or go through a medical tourism agent, who will make all the arrangements, starting from the medical care to accommodation to travel within a lump sum package. This is a crucial element in planning your medical vacation and the success or failure of your trip will be determined by your choice of agent.

However, it is important that before you decide on using the services of any medical tour agent you make sure you’re dealing with someone who can handle the many nuances of medical tourism.

While speaking with your agent, understand exactly what are the services included in the package cost. Ideally, the agent with which you’re dealing with should also provide a case manager who will meet you at your destination and assist you throughout your trip; from your pre-operative to your post-operative arrangements. Another important factor to take into consideration is what standards these agents use to determine which hospitals they will associate with.

Before soliciting the services of any agent, make sure you have a valid contract, detailing every aspect of your trip.

14. Know the costs involved
Prices vary depending upon the procedure, the destination and also from provider to provider. Typically the package cost includes flight fares, accommodation, meals, hospitalization charges, surgeon fees, medical team, laboratory tests, procedure charges, all consultations, all transfers (airport and hospital), medication, and an English speaking case manager. Also make sure, you include other costs like special care required post-operatively, and medical supplies. Don’t forget the cost of your passport and travel visas as well.

Even while you should anticipate having to cover most or all of these costs on your own, you should nevertheless contact your medical insurer to see whether a necessary medical procedure can be fully or partially covered.

Although, we one hopes that the procedure will go according to plan, you must ask the agent about what would happen to the cost if a complication arises, and if there would be a need for more hospitalization and medication. Ensure that a clause in your contract covers this aspect as well.

Whether you are dealing with the provider directly, or going through a broker, make sure to get a clear estimate of the costs – you don’t want any unpleasant surprises on your trip.

15. Know the hospital and doctors
The hospital and physicians are the crux of any medical vacation. You need to feel reassured that you are in the best possible hands.

Check out if the hospital is accredited by a country-level association or government body or better still by an international body like Joint Commission International or ISO. Doctors also have similar associations and accreditations relevant to their country.

Also several hospitals are directly linked to international institutions. For instance, Wockhardt, India is an associate of Harvard Medical. A few insurance companies also cover some overseas care, so find out if your insurance covers your care in the hospital you have selected.

You should also find out the experience the hospital as well as the doctor has in the procedure you need, and their success rates.

Understanding the qualifications of the doctor and the facilities in the hospital, right from the nurse to patient ratio to their ICU set-up will help you feel at ease.

16. Know what will happen in case of a complication and the medico-legal systems involved
Although, we hope that the procedure goes through without a hitch, we must be prudent and consider the eventuality of a complication. You have to plan well in terms of costs as well as time. A complication will considerably increase the cost due to additional hospitalization as well as medication. You will also need to allow some flexibility in your schedule to accommodate the need for treatment in the case of a complication.

If the complication has occurred because of negligence of the hospital or the malpractice of a physician, you may not be able to enforce a foreign law overseas, and hence have little or no legal recourse. Find out what legal protection you have as a visiting patient.

17. Know that medical tourism is not without risks
A medical vacation has many alluring advantages, the main being the low costs of first class treatment as well as the opportunity to see some exotic locations. But one cannot separate the risks from the benefits. Medical travel comes with some serious risks.

a. It’s not easy to know exactly what you are getting into, until you are actually there. There are many fly-by-night providers that you may be unfortunate to hook up with and this could cost you dearly.

b. Exposure to foreign infectious diseases without having built up natural immunity can be a hazard for weakened individuals.

c. Travel soon after surgery can increase the risk of complications, as can vacation activities. For example, scars will be darker and more noticeable if they get sunburnt while healing. Long flights can be bad for those with heart or breathing related problems.

d. Follow-up care is another important consideration. Most medical packages provide for limited or no follow-up consultations once the patient returns back home.

e. In the case of a complication, you may not get covered by insurance or be able sue in case of negligence.

18. Know the travel requirements
While making your travel arrangements, be sure to keep several factors in mind:

19. Peak travel dates to and from the country you will be visiting. The price for airline tickets and accommodations can vary dramatically during off-season periods.

20. Weather-wise; what is the best time to travel so that it does not affect your post-procedure recovery

21. Treatment and recovery-time requirements.

22. Make sure to have all the travel documents ready with you including your passport, visas and any other permits that maybe required. Also check the validity of all these travel documents. For some countries you may also need certain vaccinations.

23. Get acquainted with the country’s culture and customs. The more familiar you are, the more comfortable your trip will be.

24. Know that ‘the choice is yours’
The idea of shopping around to save money on quality health care is a new concept alien to most people. But, the choice is yours, choose well.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.

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Crystal says, "I'm easily excited about the small things in life...and that's what keeps mine interesting."

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