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The number of foreign patients visiting Korea has been soaring at an annual rate of over 30 percent since 2009.

The figure rose 35.9 percent from 60,201 in 2009 to 81,789 in 2010, and is estimated to have exceeded 110,000 last year, up 34.5 percent, according to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.

The target for this year is 150,000 medical tourists, marking growth of 36 percent, it added.

American patients topped the list with 32.4 percent in 2010, followed by Chinese (19.4 percent), Japanese (16.8 percent) and Russians (7.7 percent).

Foreign patients spent an average of W1.31 million per person on medical expenses here (US$1=W1,133).

“Attracting three to four patients with serious illnesses creates a comparable economic effect to exporting a Hyundai Sonata,” the institute said.

People from Kazakhstan paid the highest medical bills, or W3.78 million on average, followed by Russians with W2.97 million and Mongolians with W2.58 million, as many of them came for expensive treatments for cardiovascular or other serious diseases.

Japanese patients spent the least amount of money, or W840,000 on average.

U.S. patients visited Korea largely to undergo medical check-ups or seek treatment from dentists, while most Chinese patients got treated by beauty therapists or plastic surgeons, and Russians sought cardiovascular or orthopedic surgeons.

Japanese mostly sought herbal and skin treatments. They accounted for 76 percent of the total number of foreign patients visiting Oriental medicine clinics, and 35 percent of those seeking dermatologists.

“Many Japanese want to receive simple treatments like acupuncture or skin care during their short visit” to Korea, said a director at the institute.

Meanwhile, Chinese patients, mostly women in their 20s or 30s, accounted for 66 percent of the total number of foreigners visiting plastic surgeons in Korea.

“Recently, an increasing number of older Chinese visitors have also been coming to get medical check-ups here as part of tour programs,” the director said.

“As Korea begins to be recognized for its advanced medical skills, the number of foreign patients with serious conditions is on the rise.”

In the southern port city of Busan, Russian patients account for 35 percent of foreign patients visiting clinics. Many hail from the eastern region of Vladivostok and show symptoms of cardiovascular, hip or disk diseases, the institute said.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/04/02/2012040201004.html

Medical Tourism Resource Online

There has been one bright note among all the hardships endured by the Asian travel industry over the past two years – the continued rise of medical tourism.

The double blow of the world economic crisis and, to a lesser degree, swine flu fears, has seen most markets in the region suffer double digit declines in numbers but not so when it comes to tourists looking for a little treatment to go with their holidays.

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Healthcare will soon become more patient-friendly and tailored in an attempt to encourage more people to take responsibility for managing their health and as new tools, technology and health information give consumers power to take charge, according to the latest in the HealthCast series of reports on health industry trends published today by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute. The trend will be reflected in significant healthcare business model changes, regulatory health reforms and realignment of financial incentives over the next five years.

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The Medical Tourism Association and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute are organizing the first Asia Global Healthcare & Medical Tourism Conference in Seoul, Korea, April 13-15th, 2010 with up to 800 attendees, bringing in employers, international insurers and medical tourism facilitators to view the top quality of Asian healthcare and network with Asian Healthcare Providers.

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The Medical Tourism Association along with KHIDI announces Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Rabeeah, Minister, Health Ministry of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a speaker for the upcoming regional conference, the 1st Global Healthcare & Medical Tourism Conference Korea which will take place in Seoul, Korea on April 13th-15th 2010.

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Korea is already a popular destination for patients from across the Far East seeking cost-effective plastic surgery and other medical treatment. Now, government officials plan to promote the country as a medical tourism destination.

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Patients can save as much as 80 percent on procedures done by medical professionals often educated and trained in the United States at hospitals increasingly accredited for meeting U.S.-like standards.

An estimated 150,000 people traveled abroad last year for medical treatment, and the number is expected to double by 2010, said Josef Woodman, author of “Patients Beyond Borders: Everybody’s Guide to Affordable, World-class Medical Tourism.” Nearly half had medically necessary surgeries, such as hip replacements or spinal work, heart surgeries, even cancer treatment.

The book, released in March, tells how patients can save 25 percent to 75 percent on anything from LASIK eye repair to neurosurgery by traveling outside the United States.

Health-industry representatives said U.S. healthcare costs more, in part, because of skyrocketing medical-malpractice insurance and the higher wages and benefits paid to hospital workers.

Costs are high, said Woodman in a telephone interview, “because Americans demand from cradle to grave the most expensive treatment, the most extensive testing.”

He said the American healthcare system is “stuck” because insurance companies are dictating what can and can’t be covered, and consumers are unable to negotiate direct payment to providers.
A longtime surgeon and clinical professor for UC San Francisco’s Fresno-based medical education program, said that while he has been all over the world and knows there is great medical care available, he advises caution.

He said there are also plenty of Third World countries with hospitals and doctors that don’t meet U.S. guidelines and restrictions but offer huge discounts. Hospitals here have to meet certain standards, he said.

Those who choose to go abroad? “I think it is probably dangerous, and you are probably taking a risk with your life. I think you should find a way to get it done at the good hospitals in town,” Parks said.

Woodman has traveled abroad for his own care. He went to Costa Rica for dental work — a root canal, implants and follow-up care — after looking at several other countries. He said he saved about $2,000.

The key to a good experience, he said, is to do your homework, find out about the doctors, try to interview them beforehand, and then ask about success rates and find out about the facility. “If they don’t speak English, then move on.”

Interest in traveling abroad for medical treatment has spawned a new industry: medical tourism. Companies are playing the role of travel agent and medical-care coordinator and linking American patients with overseas hospitals for a fee.

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