Perhaps the rationale for this “Medical Tourism” it’s to “jump the queue”, perhaps it for a cost savings. Or sometimes it’s just to get a vacation. Effectively for the cost of medical and dental care back at home you can also have the procedures and get a restive vacation in Asia or Mexico to boot. Recently its not only regular doctor’s medical care that people/patients are seeking, but also dental care. It’s known in the dental trade as “Dental Tourism”.

The “hospitality” & tourism industries at the present is constantly growing and branching out. Dental tourism is an emerging new growth area and trend in the tourism and travel industries nowadays. It would surprise you that “ordinary people “are seriously contemplating one of the “dental vacations” where this would not of even been a consideration what so ever 10 years ago. Again apart from getting the dental care they need, dental tourism also gives them the opportunity to visit a new place, meet new people, be exposed to new culture and customs and have a great vacation while taking a trip for their dental care appointment. For the most part, due to the reduced costs of the medical or dental procedures the far away trip or vacation is “free”.

In Cancun Mexico,for example, competent, well trained and hygienic dentists openly advertise that the professional fees for their services are 70 % less than American or Canadian dental association tariff rates. Voila consider your vacation or recuperative time in paradise is more than subsidized and offset by the cost of air travel, ground transport and reasonable lodgings. While there are a myriad of places around the world to obtain competent and safe medical and dental procedures it often boils down to proximity to reduce travel and time off work costs. For Europeans India is often the first pick. Others in more eastern European countries or Israel and the Middle East choose Turkey or Cyprus. For North Americans – both Canadians and Americans – it can be South or Central America or close by to home, and a short vacation flight – standard holiday vacation charter discount vacation flights.

Despite the low cost oral care, there can also be complications when it comes to traveling abroad for dental care for some facilities and clinics may be uneducated about the different policies including basic hygiene in the workplace. With this, it is the responsibility of the traveler to first know the information about their selected clinic before traveling so that they can avoid having a trip to a un-hygienic clinic that may offer low cost oral work but totally unsafe. Also make allowances both in terms of time and money if complications arise. If you have chosen your medical practitioner, clinic or hospital wisely and with care, this need not be a major issue. Still just like at home complications can occur no matter the care and attention to detail as well as hygiene. Hence make allowances in your mind, both in terms of funding and costs should this unfortunately arise. If your medical insurance plan is funding the trip – ensure that extra stays and costs due to complicating events are covered as part of the coverage. It might surprise many that established medical insurers are recommending to their clients offshore medical procedures as a means of controlling costs and outlays on their end.

Planned well and done wisely, medical / dental tourism offers a myriad of benefits of those who partake in its opportunity. Obviously it’s not for life threatening medical care which must be done on the spot and as well not for those who for reasons of poor health are unable to travel what so ever. Yet with some foresight, thought and planning those needing medical procedures and care can have their cake and eat it too, in terms of having the medical procedures done and enjoying a well beautiful vacation.

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Gaining a second residency, or giving up your native citizenship altogether, typically means severing ties (even if only temporarily) with the culture, amenities and conveniences to which you have become accustomed.

You can take your Social Security with you when you go … even if you forfeit your citizenship. But of all the things you give up … what happens if your insurance coverage is among them?

Believe it or not, that’s a “risk” that many – even those in need of costly surgeries and routine preventive medicine for a low co-pay — are willing to take. Here’s why…

Healthcare in the United States may be a hot-button topic at cocktail parties and on Capitol Hill.

But no matter what side of the issue you fall on, among the many transitions you must be prepared to make before you move overseas includes a change in your medical care.

It’s one thing to toss some ibuprofen, a hot/cold pack and a six-month supply of allergy medicine into your suitcase when you travel for a week or two at a time. But what about if you need emergency or longer-term care?

You’ve probably developed a relationship with your primary care physician, specialist(s) and perhaps even a particular hospital.

Especially if you have chronic conditions, traveling can be a challenge – not just because of the loss of familiarity, but because the doctors and facilities you so carefully researched in your home city or country don’t make house calls, let alone jump on a plane and meet you halfway around the world.

If you’ve been thinking about living or even retiring overseas, but feel like it may not be an option for you, you may want to revisit your stance.

Why? Because an emerging “medical tourism” industry means that not only can you travel with health issues, but your health might even be a reason to leave in the first place!

‘Electing’ to Go Elsewhere

Medical tourism is a growing business in which U.S. and Canadian patients fly overseas to have surgeries and procedures because they can have them done for approximately 25% to 50% of the cost in North America.

The most-popular ones are electives such as plastic surgery and dental work, because they are typically not covered by insurance.

India and Thailand, however, are now doing major operations like open-heart surgery.

But why would someone decide to go to Bangkok over, say, Boston for such a risky procedure?

For many, the question is instead, “Why not?”

As we move toward socialized medicine and the lines get longer — and the treatments get rationed — anyone with money is going to look elsewhere for service.

And this can be a nice option for anyone wanting not only to accelerate their access to services, but also to lower their premiums as well.

Advancements Being Made Outside of America

Keep in mind that the FDA approval process is a slow one. In the United States, you may not have access to equipment, medication, materials and procedures that have been approved in Europe for years.

Latin countries have access to many of these new tools of medicine. Here in Belize, where I am based, my wife was getting 3-D ultrasounds for our second daughter … when her friends in the United States were getting 2-D.

Each country has one or two top-notch hospitals with U.S.-trained English-speaking doctors and state-of-the-art equipment. In fact, the technology is in place to let a doctor in Belize send images to docs anywhere in the world real-time for consult.

Covering Your Coverage Costs

You might have to change providers when you leave the country, but you might not necessarily be giving up anything when you give up your U.S. citizenship.

There are some great insurance companies out there. I use one called BUPA, out of Miami, that covers anyone living outside North America.

Coverage is for hospitals worldwide, including the U.S. and Canada, and they even have a jet they use to air-evac you if you need it.

I pay less than $5,000 per year for a family of four. And many folks supplement with a local policy at a hospital “in country” to cover their non-emergency and non-major medical needs.

What About More-Comprehensive Care?

What if you or a loved one is in need of assisted-living services? While this is still a few years off, the opportunities for assisted living experts to develop this product in the region is huge.

My company, ECI Development, is currently in discussion stages with some doctors who’d like to partner with us to provide the medical component to our real estate developments in Belize, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. We have the regional and development experience, local connections and an existing human resource infrastructure to launch a program.

The medical component is taking shape and stands to provide a huge opportunity for any number of physicians to participate full time, part time or on a consulting basis.

Longer-term care is just one area where ECI will facilitate a joint venture with experts from that industry. We’ve already done some limited assisted living in the case of a woman with M.S. Her costs in the United States ran about $10,000-$12,000 per month for round-the-clock care.

Her costs at Gran Pacifica, however, were 25% of that. Because healthcare jobs tend to pay well in that area, they are very coveted. Accordingly, the quality of her care, she believes, is also improved from what she was receiving in the U.S.

An Opportunity Gold Mine

People – investors, developers and medical professionals – who get into the medical tourism arena first will carve out a nice spot for themselves on the ground floor of this growing industry.

Remember, Levi Strauss went west to the gold fields to make a fortune and he did … selling shovels, buckets, overalls and rations to the miners.

Medical tourism and assisted living are going to provide similar opportunities to folks who want to be out there ahead of the crowd and serve the growing needs of this group of clients.

Any way you slice it, whether you take advantage of overseas medical care or simply wait for the real players in this booming industry to emerge, you can take comfort in knowing that your health as well as your wealth can be preserved by going offshore!

source: sovereignsociety.com

Medical tourism, however, is a truly an open market with no barriers. An American is free to travel abroad and seek healthcare internationally. Knowing the difference is important for patients, industry and the media.

We have all heard anecdotes, either from friends or in the media, of how Americans have traveled abroad to receive medical care. Whether it be a coronary artery bypass or total hip replacement, physicians the world over are embracing Americans who are willing to travel the “extra mile” (or thousand) for discounted care.

Is that care any good? According to Glenn Beck, traveling to India for a given surgical procedure would be ludicrous and incredibly risky, since he believes medical education there is in all likelihood at the “third world” level. Sensationalists (such as the aforementioned) and adversaries of medical tourism often deliver such bombastic statements disregarding the facts of our very own system. Competition is strong, and many physicians abroad are willing to see American patients.

By and large, only the most accomplished physicians worldwide will endeavor to treat an American. And like any business, their outcomes are measured against the competitor — in this case, the competitor becomes your local thoracic or orthopedic surgeon who is billing five times the amount.

These doctors are seeing such patients in their own offices, in say Bangkok or Mumbai. In a nutshell, this is the concept of medical tourism, and according to pundits, the rest of the world is eager to see how healthcare reform unfolds in the U.S. Many would agree that regardless of political opinion on the matter, it does little to change the way healthcare is practiced, or how much it costs.

What about medical outsourcing?

There could no better example than advanced imaging interpretation. Within the past decade, the amount of imaging studies performed has skyrocketed. The demand for image interpretation quickly exceeded the supply of Diagnostic Radiologists in the United States. Some hospitals responded by hiring help. Except that “help” was on the other side of the globe, in India.

Overnight, when imaging studies are completed a Radiologist abroad could provide a preliminary reading of the pertinent findings. By morning, the Radiologist here in the U.S., may then reinterpret the study, and declare a final read. This concept, now in motion for several years, is the source of much confusion and dread amongst patients, industry, and even physicians.

How is this different from medical tourism?

For starters, the ease of exporting images online does make it seem like it’s much easier for physicians abroad to partake in patient care. Not so. Unlike personally receiving care abroad, where the traveling patient assumes all the risks of adverse medical outcomes (financial and/or medico-legal) upon themselves, having a CT scan preliminarily read abroad is a carefully guarded process.

First and foremost, only a Radiologist who has completed a residency in Diagnostic Radiology in the United States and attained Board Certification is eligible to offer such a service from abroad. Furthermore, the maximum they can provide is a preliminary reading. Ultimately, management may be deferred until the Radiologist here commits to a final interpretation.

The number of physicians abroad who satisfy the criteria for this service is limited. In fact, the medico-legal risk in this scenario is absorbed by the local Radiologist by relying on such a service in the first place, not the patient. Even organizations, such as the American College of Radiology has shown support for such outsourcing, since really, the term “outsourcing” is actually a misnomer. So long as U.S. standards are met or exceeded, this process becomes invaluable.

Unlike medical tourism, where a global economy is at work, medical outsourcing is a puppet whose strings are in our hands. Such differences are important, since regardless of where one stands on healthcare reform, some major changes lay ahead. Understanding some basics will prevent large scale misconceptions.

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So what about countries like Belgium, Mexico and India, where you can get surgery at a fraction of the cost? It’s called medical tourism, but is it safe? Here are the pros and cons, and what you should consider before going abroad to get surgery.

1. Savings
The number one benefit is obviously significant savings. Take open heart surgery: in the U.S., you’ll pay upwards of $324,000, where in India, the surgery will cost you only $8,000. Extensive cosmetic dental work can set you back $8,000 in the States; in India, you’ll pay just $1,000.

2. No Wait
Where many procedures have waiting lists of a year or more, there’s little or no wait for medical care in many countries outside the U.S. For patients who are suffering (or worse, at death’s door), waiting can be excruciating, costing them time away from work and decreasing their quality of life.

3. Less Hassle
Paperwork, insurance claims and other administrative hassles can be a full-time job when you’re awaiting a procedure. If you’re very sick or simply lead a busy life, this red tape can take its toll. Since you’re paying for the procedure, the hassle-factor is very low with surgeries outside the country. There may be some travel documentation required, depending on the country. (Learn more in Fighting The High Costs Of Healthcare and Steering Clear Of Medical Debt.)

4. Getting Away
Although medical care is the primary purpose of medical tourism, many procedures are sold as packages, which function like a getaway. If you bring a spouse along, that dental work can be a little vacation – once the procedure is over, of course.

Cons

1. Safety
Who is really performing that operation? Is Mexico, Brazil, or India such a safe country to visit, let alone a place where you should get risky surgery? Although India, for example, is considered an impoverished country, education for doctors is some of the best in the world. Many foreign doctors are trained in the U.K. or in the U.S. Do your homework on your chosen hospital and physician. The Joint Commission is an accrediting agency of foreign healthcare providers, and would be a good place to start in your research. Find out everything you can, and talk to your physician at home about your plans.

2. No Recourse
That hefty price tag in the U.S. stems partly from the high cost of liability coverage, something you’re not paying for in Bangkok or Malaysia. But that also means that if something goes wrong, you have little or no recourse. With risky procedures like heart surgery, you may lose your life over those dollars saved. Again, make sure you do your research on the facility you’re entrusting with your life, and understand you are taking a risk. (Learn more about saving for your American healthcare bills, read 20 Ways To Save On Medical Bills.)

3. Travel
Although that trip to Mexico may be just the thing to get you out of the snowy Midwest, traveling after surgery also poses its share of risk. Part of those high bills here in the United States comes from a lengthy hospital stay to make sure you don’t go home until you’re ready. As well as researching the facility you intend to use, find out about your procedure, recovery time and possible complications. You have to be a smart consumer; don’t be afraid to ask questions when talking to the hospital or physician. Find out about travel and immunization requirements you may have to comply with. (For more on getting ready to travel, check out The Basics Of Travel Insurance.)

4. Other Health Risks
What if something goes wrong when you get home? That doctor in India won’t be close enough to help you, so you’ll be making a trip to your American doctor, or worse, the emergency room. Consider the cost of complications during your recovery once you’re home.

5. Ethical Questions
Some countries, particularly impoverished ones, offer organ transplants with little to no wait list. Ask yourself, how this is possible? Where do those organs come from? Did they just buy that kidney from a poor man trying to feed his family, or worse? Be prepared to ask your prospective healthcare provider difficult questions, and ask yourself those questions too. Make sure you are not compromising your ethics or breaking the law. (Learn 10 Ways The New Healthcare Bill May Affect You.)

The Bottom Line
Medical tourism may well be the answer if you lack the healthcare coverage to pay the high U.S. medical bill. Just do your homework before booking that trip. Remember that for these foreign healthcare providers, this is a business, but to you, this is your body and your life. Be a very cautious consumer.

source: sfgate.com

The question looms in many people’s minds how do you get health insurance if you can’t afford it or if you have a pre-existing condition. Here are some different ideas to get health insurance or medical care when you have a pre-existing condition.

Move to Canada. Well, it probably would be hard to pull off, but if you are still healthy and don’t have a pre-existing condition and have skills to bring to the country you could move there and be covered after living there a while. But if you have a pre-existing health condition you might have to marry someone from the country to be able to live there and get access to the medical care.

Save up your money and travel to far away countries like India to get your medical care. This doesn’t always work for everyone as sometimes you need to have your care right away. But if you have something that can be planned in advance you could save a bundle getting the treatment or surgery in the other country. They call it medical tourism because you travel to get medical treatment.

Start your own group health insurance plan. Another option is to start your own company and depending on the state you live in you may need 1 or you may need 2 employees to include in your group medical plan. This doesn’t mean that you won’t get hit with high insurance premiums. If you have people that have conditions in your group the rates could go up. So you need to do your homework and shop around to consider your options.

Get help through the state government. States are going broke, and unfortunately the cutbacks in spending are going towards providing for medical assistance for the poor or those with uninsured health conditions. Let’s say that you have diabetes and you can’t get health insurance on your own, you can go through the state’s help to gain some insurance, that is if it is available. Be prepared for a waiting list.

File for medical bankruptcy and start over again. Make sure that you seek help from proper legal assistance of a lawyer that specializes in medical bankruptcies.

Beg with the doctors and hospitals for a break on your medical expenses. If you are uninsured and unable to pay the astronomical bill that they mail, chances are they will be able to lower it if you can show that it poses a hardship for you and your family.

Get hired with a company that has a health insurance policy and hope that they keep you working with them after they find out how much more they will have to pay for health insurance. The bigger the company the better your chances of staying because they have a larger pool of employees to insure and their rates hikes won’t be as shocking as it would be to a small company. But you never know for sure there are plenty of stories of people being pushed out of their work because of their medical condition.

Last but not least, we can hope and ask our government leaders to make sense out of a failing health care industry. To cater to the health of individuals instead of the profits of the health insurance companies. To ensure that doctors treat patients with necessary treatments and not short change the individual because they can’t afford it. Possibly after the health care industry self implodes upon itself because not one person can afford it, except for the super rich, then maybe there will be some changes for a sensible health care industry that doesn’t require you to make a fortune to afford it.

A divorced lady was sharing her plan to get health insurance coverage on the day-time syndicated television show ‘The Doctors.’ She has posted her plea for a man to marry that has a good health insurance plan. So far she has received 7,000 marriage proposals. The doctors asked her if she would seriously marry someone just for good health insurance. She said yeah, but at the same time she hasn’t agreed to marry anyone yet. She pointed out on the show that if she went to prison she could get the necessary health care and medication. She spends 90 percent of her income paying for her medications and medical care. She is a working person that can’t get health insurance, but if she marries she could get covered.

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In some cases there are well known areas and vectors where is not unexpected to fall ill. Most well known of course is a person traveling to Mexico and experiencing Montezuma” Revenge ( Traveler’s Diarreigh) – which is not a life threatening condition all in all . However for most affected it is all too memorable.

When it comes to traveling what overall basic recommendations can be given or taken to heart:

First it never hurts to play it safe. Have a very high temperature that just will not seem to dissipate ? Blood in your stool ? If you have a travel insurance toll free number simply give them a call . At the worst most hotels. resorts and other facilities have an arrangement with a physician or other health care provider on call and sometimes by mutual arrangement on site.

If you are treated abroad take into consideration that there may be a two tier system at your location . It may not even be a case of one set of rules and medical level of care for those that can pay and those that cannot . There may be even be shades of grey in between. It is always best to ask.

For minor , non life threatening emergencies and ailments , the “free” care available to everyone may be fine. If you have the time. Note that you may be asked to pay fees as a non-resident which may be similar in rates to those “Back home”.

If its something serious or you have restricted time – go the private more high end route.

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The key factor in terms of medical tourism and insurance coverage is that now an increasing amount of insurance companies – group plans, commercial coverage and coverage by employers are now covering overseas treatments as well as surgeries.

Read the small print of your medical insurance coverage and benefits and as well the extent to which the coverage by the medical insurance coverage covers any follow-up treatments required. A key question as well is what happens if mistakes or complications arise – what costs are covered or are not covered. Are out of pocket or additional costs covered. It is not a negative feature of the care provider chosen. Complications can arise at home, or at the best first world medical care intuitions. Why not could they not arise overseas? The major difference here is that you are far away from home – or even far away from other specialized medical care if need be.

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A Montreal, Quebec Canada may be well forced to shut down almost 25 per cent of its beds. In the past number of years, nearly half the doctors there — 25 of them– have resigned as a result of difficult working conditions, but only several have been hired as replacements.

“ Doctors are said to be working extra long shifts and overtime to provide medical care. “This cannot go on for long without a reduction of the standards of medical care and expertise” states the hospital administration. The hospital will need in order of 20 to 30 doctors to keep this regional center open. Doctors as if seems are in overall short supply.

The Montreal area hospital has had to reduce its level of service to the community at large. Service was reduced in order that the remaining doctors would only have to “work 12 hours or less a day, if possible,” he said.

The impact of the hospital’s decision to close the beds as of Friday is yet unclear.

“There might be longer waits in the emergency room for the patients, as well some of the ambulances may have to be rerouted to other hospitals which, for some patients, might mean being further away from home,” Keyway said.

But while some people at the hospital say it’s frustrating that the beds must close, they understand the reasoning.

“You can’t push staff beyond their reach either … if closing 30 beds allows them to give safe care, it’s too bad, but I guess that’s the way it has to be done,” one woman told CTV Montreal.

The beds might be closed at the hospital for as long as a year.

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]]> http://mmedsolution.com/31/canadian-medical-care-further-erodes-at-home/feed/ 0 http://mmedsolution.com/34/medical-tourism-is-becoming-more-and-more-of-a-healthcare-option/ http://mmedsolution.com/34/medical-tourism-is-becoming-more-and-more-of-a-healthcare-option/#comments Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:59:23 +0000 admin http://mmedsolution.ryeglasses.com/?p=34 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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Medical tourism or “medtravel”  or  “medical tourism / medtravel”  often is not most times refers to people , patients or their families traveling to far off , what were once backward third world places , to get medical treatment or medical treatments which they either cannot afford to get “back home”  or are too far down the list or que.

Medical tourism can now refer to medical treatment in the good old USA.

It is now accident that often the most wealthy and powerful come to the US for treatment.

The choice of oil rich sheiks , with no shortage of cash and money to burn , – ever,  used to be “private British ” health care clinic or private British hospitals.  It was closer and more familiar to the colonial past .  However , or in spite of this many of the wealthiest people in the world now routinely , as a matter of course , to American hospitals for their medical care – be it John Hopkins , the Mayo Clinic , Sloane-Kettering or a myriad of others.

In addition to that many who holiday in the US – say for warmer Florida in the winter are already there , so to speak.  Travel costs are already covered , as well as a stay away from home in nice surroundings.  Even friends or family can visit for a stay – and have minimal costs .  Hence these areas , Florida included , have incurred a resulting boom in medical care to those who are not their direct population and citizenry.

These too can be termed “medical tourism”  or medical tourism medtravel even home in the USA.

Medical Tourism: World-class Medical Care at Affordable Rates … – Well-trained and experienced doctors, state of art medical facilities and personalized care have helped India to register the fastest growth rate in this Industry. The number of patients seeking treatment in India has gone up from 10000 …

Florida’s Tourism Addiction | Newgeography.com – Growth in medical research is already happening with the arrival of the Nemours Center for Pediatric Research. Both of these are happening because of internal decisions, windows of opportunity, and with mostly private, …

Kerala Medical Tourism – The government’s initiative to combine tourism along with medical practices at a cost which is comparatively very low as compared to U.S. or U. K , has contributed to the rapid growth of medical tourism in the state. …

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