Is Medical Tourism For You

look into the health care abroadMedical tourism is a fascinating concept, gaining quick recognition in the United States. Although the practice of traveling abroad to receive medical procedures is decades old in Europe, and has been practiced for hundreds of years in Asia, it is still pretty new to Americans. So, in an attempt to help explain the advantages and pitfalls of this relatively new industry, let me share some of my firsthand experience with you, the potential medical tourists.There are four basic groups of North America who are most interested in medical tourism and the savings it offers:• 45 million uninsured Americans• 250 million insured Americans with limited coverage because of pre-existing conditions, resulting in out-of-pocket costs• 32 million Canadians receiving socialized medicine and continuing long waiting lists for many popular surgery• Potentially, 332 million in North America seeking elective cosmetic and / or dental surgeryAs you can see the market potential is huge, but if well organized, comprehensive, individualized programs to facilitate the health needs and travel desires of North American consumers are structured, medical tourism will remain only a vision, not reality.Quality and safety of health care abroadThere is much to consider before you experience a successful medical retreat. One of the first questions we will explore the quality and safety of health care abroad. You can perform a quick search on the internet and find many foreign hospitals, doctors, and even government organizations marketing directly to consumers around the world with the hope of attracting them to their country.CONSUMERS BEWARE! Marketing rhetoric and posh photos can be very disappointing. I can personally vouch for this kind of misunderstanding. In his travels to 11 destinations in 7 countries around the world, I have seen false information more often than not. It gives a very interesting question, how do you know who is telling the truth and who is making the data? It is true that not until you've experienced it firsthand or knows or confidential informant who had experience.In reality it is impossible for most people to know firsthand, because they have not traveled abroad for quality health care. So, what's the next step? Find someone to be trusted, who had experience and willing to give an objective view.Good luck in your quest! On May not be an easy task to accomplish. The need for a bona fide, professional, medical tourism service agency in the U.S. in order to get consumers to these difficult decisions. Using the knowledge and expertise from an unbiased medical tourism specialist, will better ensure your safety and comfort while traveling abroad for your surgery.

 To date, only one American-owned company offers a complete and thorough service for managing patients through the intricacies of this complex approach. An organization called MedRetreat, an American company to facilitate health care needs and travel desires of North America. You can visit http://www.medretreat.com for a very comprehensive training about the whole process.MedRetreat examine and verify the effect of its hospital partners. Most health care providers in the network or a JCI accredited or are in the process of accreditation. Many physicians are board certified by the U.S., UK or Australia.My personal advice - do not go through the process themselves. Use the experience of companies such as MedRetreat who have done their due diligence on your behalf. It's like trying to bake a cake for the first time.Without help from an experienced baker, just good old grandmother, you are sure to make some mistakes. Travel abroad for surgery without the necessary knowledge is too important to risk of error.Cost SavingsWhen you feel comfortable with the quality of health care abroad, then it is time to explore another important factor in considering medical tourism as an option for surgery ... cost savings. Due to two main factors, the cost is as low as 1/10th of the price in the U.S. There are two main reasons, which are Mike Adams, the Health Ranger:The first "Many employees in the health care industry are basically getting paid to shuffle paper around. Health insurance paid to deny health claims and public officials in the Medicare and Medicaid offices are paid to find new ways to deny payments to doctors and hospitals for services. So , dispensaries and hospitals have to hire a whole army of people to sit and reclassify procedures in ways that they can get paid by insurers, Medicare and Medicaid. This is a massive waste of time, money and effort. ""As a medical tourist in another country, remove the paperwork shufflers. And right there, you can save as much as 80% right off the bat. Since it is your dollar actually goes to the surgeons, anesthesiologists and other hospital workers fits you during the surgery. While in the U.S., the money goes to the insurer, then the money the insurance company will pay paper shufflers. "Other "Another reason these surgical procedures are much more affordable in Asia or other regions in the world due to liability issue. In the United States that doctors and hospitals carry extremely expensive medical malpractice insurance policy. And patients seem to love the application in the U.S. . In contrast, when passing a surgical procedure as a medical tourist in an offshore hospital, you sign paperwork that says you agree not to sue under certain conditions. so to save the wealth does not substantially funding the legal fees, settlements and malpractice insurance costs normally found in the U.S. on the basis of medical practice. "Mr. Adams goes on to say: "When you combine these two savings - reducing paperwork mix and medical malpractice lawsuits - you get a fantastic deal for your dollar."Medical Tourism ExperienceNow that we've covered the two most important aspects of medical tourism, quality and price, let us briefly comment on the experience of traveling abroad.Even if you decide on a destination is not the most important element of their treatment goals, and ultimately should be satisfied with your choices. After all, you will spend anywhere between two to four week overseas and should be able to enjoy the recovery process. There are many alternatives, but you should definitely choose a destination that specializes in the desired operation. Since many websites available, I have found that Malaysia, Thailand and Brazil are the most popular. Make sure your service agent representative educates you about the country and culture before you go. This will prove a valuable investment of your time. Education is the key to a successful medical tour.Conduct research and planning of the recovery period can be exciting and adventurous process. It helps to relieve your mind about the surgery and concentrate on enjoying the segment of your medical retreat. Keep in mind, depending on the surgery, you may not be able to enjoy some activities, so my best advice would be to look physically inactive forms of pleasure.Destination management programWith the exception of Penang, Malaysia, English-speaking destinations, and very easy to navigate on your own, all other destinations offer help Destination Program Manager (DPM) to navigate the site and explain the nuances of culture. DPM will be your friend away from home. They will take care of all your personal needs while you are visiting.Remember, you are recovering from surgery and in most cases not in the best physical and emotional state to take care of the necessary information about the new environment. Here are some of the DPM service will offer a guarantee of your comfort and enjoyment:• Meet and greet the arrival of customers at the airport• Private transportation to the hotel• Pre-arrange hotel check-in• Private transportation to and from medical consultation• Private transportation to and from medical procedure• Interpretation assistance at hospital or clinic, if necessary• Provide communications support, such as a cell phone or a 24-hour contact number• Ensure the patient is recovering in a day is the procedure for• Provide emotional support, if needed during a visit• Assist with local tour and excursion arrangements• Provide information about local restaurants, shopping and pampering facilities• Information about the local culture and customs of your destination• Ensure that the client is comfortable and content at any time• Deliver customer to airport for departure• Assist the customer baggage check-in after the departure of• Arrange for Airport medical assistance upon departure if necessarySo much to do ... so little timeBeing a successful medical retreat requires between 35-40 hours of planning, all aspects of medical tourism is being treated in an article like this.There is much to learn. The question is how much is your time worth? Do not waste time trying to reinvent the wheel. It would be very time consuming and difficult to piece together all the available information on medical tourism on the Internet. It can also be very confusing and overwhelming.There are companies perfectly capable of helping you through the process. And some do not even charge for their services. They receive a fee from overseas partners for their role in this process. In fact, in many cases, you will spend less by using a professional medical tourism services agency. If you find the right organization, they will have negotiated favorable rates on your behalf and pass along some savings to you. So in essence, you will not be able to get a better price - even going directly to the hospital itself. The choice is yours. Choose well.So, the question remains: is medical tourism for you?