Medical Tourism?

Medical tourism or medical travel or also health tourism is the practice of traveling to another country in order to obtain medical attention, that could be, but not limited to, heart surgery, breast implants or dental work. This is a term initially coined by travel agencies and the mass media and it is becoming very popular between people of all over the world due to its benefits.

Thanks to Internet, the ease and affordability of international travel, and recent advances in medicine, medical tourism is becoming in a global trend.

Costs for cosmetic surgery, hair implants, dental work and a bunch of other medical treatments abroad can be very low comparing with the cost of the same treatment at the USA and western Europe. Many people actively promote this trend and offer very competitive rates along with other benefits. There are also numerous companies around the world that offer medical tourism packages, which combine surgery with vacation in the country that you will get the procedure on, all for less than you would have to pay if you opted to have the procedure done at your home country. It's not wonder why this phenomena is becoming so popular.

Medical tourism is also a good choice for those who need the treatment in a timely manner. In some cases, waiting for a major surgery can be as long as a year which is not exactly a good news for patients. These long waits could be a deciding factor for people who choose to seek treatment abroad, as in most destination countries for medical tourism wait times simply does not exists. This allows patients to get the care they need sooner and at a time when it is convenient for them.

The high cost of health care and wait times for procedures in industrialized nations, the ease and affordability of international travel, and improvements in technology and standards of care in many countries of the world are factors that have led to the recent increase in popularity of medical travel.

Medical tourists come from all around the world, including U.S., the UK, Europe, Middle East, Japan and Canada. This is because of their large populations, higher income per capita, the high expense of health care or lack of health care options locally, and increasingly high expectations of their populations with respect to health care.

The main words to describe medical travel are convenience and speed. Public health-care systems in countries like the described above are often so taxed that it can take too much time to get non-urgent medical care. It can take a year or more waiting for a procedure such as a hip replacement in Britain and Canada; however, in Thailand, Hong Kong, Cuba, Colombia, India, Singapore or Philippines, a patient could feasibly have an operation the day after their arrival.

Additionally, insurance either does not cover orthopedic surgery (such as knee/hip replacement) or imposes unreasonable restrictions on the choice of the facility, surgeon, or prosthetics to be used. Medical tourism for cosmetic surgery is one of the more widely accepted procedures because of the lower cost and minimal difficulties associated with the traveling to/from the surgery. Colombia provides a breast implant and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) for about $8,000 USD, including all associated fees such as FDA approved surgeon and hospital expenses. However, many clinics quote prices that are not all inclusive and include only the surgeon fees associated with the procedure.

Medical tourists look for essential health care services such as cancer treatment or transplant surgery as well as complementary or 'elective' services such as cosmetic surgery.

According to research found in an article by the University of Delaware publication, UDaily:

"For many medical tourists, though, the real attraction is price. The cost of surgery in India, Thailand or South Africa can be one-tenth of what it is in the United States or Western Europe, and sometimes even less. A heart-valve replacement that would cost $200,000 or more in the U.S., for example, goes for $10,000 in India--and that includes round-trip airfare and a brief vacation package. Similarly, a metal-free dental bridge worth $5,500 in the U.S. costs $500 in India, a knee replacement in Thailand with six days of physical therapy costs about one-fifth of what it would in the States, and Lasik eye surgery worth $3,700 in the U.S. is available in many other countries for only $730. Cosmetic surgery savings are even greater: A full facelift that would cost $20,000 in the U.S. runs about $1,250 in South Africa."

Popular worldwide destinations for medical travel include: Brunei, Cuba, Colombia, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Israel, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, and recently, UAE and New Zealand.

Popular destinations for cosmetic surgery travel include:Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico and Turkey.

In Europe Belgium, Poland and Slovakia are also entering into the business. South Africa is taking the term "medical tourism" very literally by promoting their "medical safaris": Come to see African wildlife and get a facelift in the same trip.

In South America, countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Colombia lead on plastic surgery medical skills relying on the extensive experience their surgeons have in treating people with desire to enhance their look and feel. In Bolivia and Colombia, plastic surgery has become quite common. According to the "Sociedad Boliviana de Cirugia Plastica y Reconstructiva", more than 70% of middle and upper class women in the country have had some form of plastic surgery. Colombia also provides advanced care in cardiovascular and transplant surgery.