He was arguing in favour of local healthcare providers building a large-scale medical tourism industry here.

“The same things that all tourists do,” he said, “the medical tourist has to do. (And) if the ownership is Bahamian, then the economy really wins because those funds will stay here.”

But at the same time he felt constrained to point out that Bahamians were offsetting the income from foreigners by flying off to get treatment in the US.

“We boost their economy big time. We are reverse medical tourists. Several hospitals in South Florida say their biggest international clientele is from the Bahamas.”

Medical tourism is a multi-billion-dollar growth industry that hospitals, doctors and tourism marketers around the world are eager to tap into.

By some accounts, more than half a million Americans travel to other countries for medical treatment – partly for cost reasons and partly to take advantage of procedures not yet approved in the US.

There can be no disagreement with Dr Brown’s position in terms of the Bahamian economy. And for patients, the benefits are equally obvious and compelling.

If Bahamians obtained their medical treatment at home they would significantly reduce the logistics, expense and stress of being treated abroad.

Why then, do so many of us spend so much money overseas for treatments that are available right here at home? We can answer that question fairly confidently – given a choice, patients will seek medical care from the doctors, hospitals and clinics they trust the most.

This is a personal decision, and it is usually an informed decision. Patients must feel assured that the doctors and facilities they choose are both accountable and able to provide the best quality care they can afford. So what processes do we have in place to convey such assurances to Bahamians?

Well, there are three statutory bodies that are capable of providing quality assurance and oversight to the Bahamian healthcare sector.

The Public Health Authority has managed government hospitals and clinics since 1999, under the direction of the Minister of Health.

As an independent public body, the Authority is responsible for planning, policy, monitoring, evaluation, and management, as well as programme development and oversight.

However, the PHA’s legislation has no provision for the investigation of complaints about the healthcare facilities managed by the Authority.

Instead, PHA patients are advised to contact the “patient representative” to discuss any concerns they may have.

The Hospital and Health Care Facilities Board was created by Parliament in 1998 to license private hospitals and clinics. This legislation does include a specific mandate to investigate complaints into the “diagnosis, management and treatment” of any patient.

Physicians are the primary providers of healthcare, whether in the public or private sector, and since 1974 they have been licensed and regulated by the Medical Council.

According to its website, the Council was established “to regulate the medical profession, to upgrade doctors through continuing education requirements, and to safeguard the public through receiving and disposing of complaints.”

However, despite the fact that it represents one of the richest professions, the Council is made up of a handful of volunteers with virtually no administrative staff. Their website, for example, includes dead and departed physicians on its registry.

So do the records of these three bodies help to inspire confidence and trust in the delivery of healthcare services in the Bahamas?

Well, It would be useful to know how many complaints have been processed by the PHA’s “patient representative” and how they were resolved, but unfortunately that information is not publicly available.

As for the Hospital Board and the Medical Council, a summary of the case history of one complaint to these bodies over the past decade is instructive.

In 2004 a complaint was made to the Hospital Board concerning the treatment of a 42-year-old man who unexpectedly died in 2002 in a licensed Bahamian healthcare facility.

The Board initially refused to deal with the complaint. But after several Board members were replaced in 2005 by then Health Minister Dr. Marcus Bethel, he ordered that the complaint be investigated. This order by Dr. Bethel more than six years ago is the high-point of the case.

The 2005 Board met with the complainant’s legal and medical representatives in 2006. Afterwards, the Board chairman advised that ”since the patient was dead, the file should be closed.”

The Board did, however, reconsider, and an investigatory panel was to be formed. However, the government changed before this happened.

The new government reinstated the 2004 Board chairman, and other members. This chairman reported to a Rotary Club meeting in 2008 that the Board didn’t want to investigate any complaints, or “be involved in that detailed level of work.”

The Board said it would seek to have its enabling legislation amended, to remove the investigative requirements, and also to remove the requirement for licensed facilities to report deaths occurring on their premises – a legal mandate never complied with, and never enforced, over the Board’s entire lifetime.

(It should also be noted that over the past 14 years the Board has issued only two “annual” reports to Parliament, something which it is required to do by law every year. And even obtaining copies of those two reports presents enormous challenges.)

At a public meeting in 2008, Health Minister Dr Hubert Minnis also promised to investigate the 2004 complaint. But it is now 2012 and the Board has taken no action whatsoever. Neither has it ever responded to the complainant.

As for the Medical Council, it received a complaint about the same patient’s treatment and care in 2008. The disciplinary committee of the Medical Council met twice on the matter, and three years ago, then Council chairman Dr Duane Sands assured Tough Call that “There is no stonewalling.

We take this very, very seriously because we want to ensure that the public will be well-served at the end of the day by this groundbreaking precedent.”

He also told me that a revision of the medical act (something which has been stalled for almost a decade now) would strengthen the Council’s ability to deal with “a finite group of people who are discrediting the profession without any real repercussions – from charging extortionary fees to providing less than appropriate care.”

However, in December of last year the Medical Council’s disciplinary committee suspended the 2008 complaint investigation indefinitely.

The Council decided it could not proceed because of an ex-parte injunction granted by a Supreme Court judge against the disciplinary committee in 2009, on the application of a doctor concerned in the matter.

Since then, the Medical Council has taken no steps to have the injunction removed or to proceed with the investigation.

The injunction itself is a curious feature in this story. It is perhaps “the one and only” injunction to be granted by one Supreme Court judge against another Supreme Court judge (who sits in his judicial capacity as a member of the statutory disciplinary committee).

Kerzner’s branding of the Ocean Club as the “One and Only” has given a high profile to the Bahamas as an attractive destination, but the “one and only” injunction against a Supreme Court judge could have a converse effect on the Bahamas as a destination for medical tourism – quite apart from the collateral damage inflicted on the public oversight function of the Medical Council.

If doctors and politicians want to attract medical tourism to the Bahamas, they need first to inspire confidence in Bahamian medical services among Bahamians themselves.

Putting the legislation that already exists to work on behalf of the public interest by providing quality assurance and oversight of healthcare delivery is the obvious place to start.

http://www.bahamapundit.com/2012/01/medical-tourism-and-medical-oversight-in-the-bahamas.html

Medical Tourism Resource Online

These medical tourists will go to Mexico, Thailand, Costa Rica and elsewhere for everything from root canals to hip replacements.

And while this type of tourism has been around for decades, it’s become more and more popular as health-care costs in the U.S. continue to rise.

And if Obamacare is overturned by the Supreme Court — more average Americans may soon be medical tourists as well.

Paul Vehorn is a behavioral psychologist, host of the Paul Vehorn radio show, and a medical tourist who’s visited Thailand for two different procedures.

And James Surowiecki is a journalist with the New Yorker. He explores what the bigger economic implications of medical tourism might be in his article entitled “Club Med.”

http://www.thetakeaway.org/2012/apr/12/rise-medical-tourism/

Medical Tourism Resource Online

From the corridors of Government to the layman on the street everyone wants to know how Barbados can be a part of it.

But hang on a minute, this isn’t actually a new concept for Barbados at all, we have been selling ourselves as an island of well-being and the place to relax for over 200 years.

Our first and most famous medical tourist was George Washington, who brought his brother Lawrence to Barbados in 1751 to successfully recover from tuberculosis.

From that time until now, Barbados has affirmed its reputation for excellent medical care.

Barbados has changed a lot since 1751, but when it comes to medical care, our reputation is still very strong, particularly for assisted reproduction in the international community, and much of this is credited to the work of Barbados Fertility Centre (BFC).

The medical team at BFC is headed up by Barbadian Dr. Juliet Skinner and in April 2012 will be celebrating 10 years of success in creating families.

From inception BFC set out to be an international centre of excellence for fertility treatment.

BFC treats patients from the UK, Canada, USA and the Caribbean region. Patients are encouraged to leave the stresses and strains of everyday life and have a 14 day vacation in Barbados whilst undergoing fertility treatments at the state of the art centre in Hastings, Christ Church.

Over the 10 years, BFC has created a successful treatment program to ensure their patients are at their optimum of relaxation to receive IVF treatment.

Combining holistic and traditional treatment methods, their success is proven in the thousands of babies having been created for childless couples.

With the understanding that the island and its natural beauty compliment the services at the clinic, BFC created holiday packages to suit each patient’s budget from self-catering apartments right through to a fortnight at Sandy Lane.

Gone are the days that travel was once deemed a luxury for only the elite. In today’s world, travel itself can heighten stress levels for the travelling tourist. To minimize this, BFC offers an entire holiday package for patients including flights, accommodation, all transportation requirements and a local mobile phone.

As patients embrace Barbados’ island culture, they begin to unwind enjoying other aspects of their holiday including island tours, catamaran cruises, restaurants, and a plethora of ancillary tourist oriented activities which in turn benefit the island’s foreign exchange and employment levels.

To spread the word of the clinic’s success and options available to future patients, BFC works hard at marketing their services internationally.

By attending and exhibiting at targeted conferences and exhibitions throughout the year in the US and UK, BFC is now a recognized brand within the medical tourism fraternity.

Dr. Skinner and her team are often asked to speak at international conferences on the subject of medical tourism and for the last 3 consecutive years has been a featured speaker as one of the leaders in their field at the Medical Tourism Association AGM in the USA.

The medical team also go out on the road, travelling around the Caribbean to hold free educational seminars to help people to understand the subject of infertility, which affects one in six couples throughout the world.

Diverse marketing has brought the spotlight to the services of this gem in the crown of Barbados’ Medical Tourism.

Incorporated in their market strategies are dedicated websites for both European and North American clients in an effort to help the patients feel more comfortable with travelling to Barbados for treatment. With a strong social media and web based presence, the clinic is reaching global recognition.

Not only keeping with state of the art medical technology, BFC was also the first healthcare provider to develop The Fertility App for iPhone & iPad to help anyone, anywhere in the world that is trying to conceive.

With downloads across the globe, again helping to put Barbados on the map as a health care destination.

Imperative to any business which falls under medical tourism umbrella, BFC holds the gold seal of approval from JCI, the premier US health accreditation body, assuring patients of the highest quality and patient safety standards upheld at the clinic.

For an international patient it makes a lot of sense to come to Barbados for IVF treatment. With costs being a third of that of the US, combined with high success rates of 72% for women under 35 – this attractive combination of low cost, high success means that their dreams of having a family can indeed come true.

Medical tourism is alive and working exceptionally well in Barbados and is part of the government and private sectors vision for the future as other hospitals and therapy areas continue to progress in this industry.

http://businessbarbados.com/industry-guide/tourism/medical-tourism-concept-barbados/

Medical Tourism Resource Online

Revenue in the UAE’s Medical Tourism market amounted to about US$1.7 billion (Dh6.24bn) in 2010, and the sector is projected to grow by about 15 per cent annually, according to the market research firm Business Monitor International.

Dubai Healthcare City is planning to create centres for oncology, genetic disorders and diabetes within five years in an effort to expand the medical-tourism segment of its business.

About 15 per cent of more than 500,000 patients who sought care there last year were medical tourists, up from just 5 per cent of 231,000 patients in 2009.

Over the past year, RAK Hospital has been opening small offices in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Nigeria to find out more about the kinds of patients who are travelling abroad for treatment.

It has also been putting together its own treatment packages that include airline tickets, visitor visas and negotiated rates at partner hotels near its base in Ras Al Khaimah.

“UAE has tremendous potential to come up as the next important medical-tourism destination for the people of this region,” said Raza Siddiqui, the executive director of RAK Hospital.

While the medical tourism service started last year still makes up a small part of RAK Hospital’s business, it now attracts one or two patients each day. Mr Siddiqui said the hospital plans to open offices in Russia, Pakistan, Kenya and Uganda to expand this business further.

At the same time, healthcare facilities in the UAE are working to keep local patients from travelling elsewhere for treatment – and boosting the medical-tourism sector of competing countries.

“One of the challenges that the UAE faces is stiff competition from popular medical destinations such as India and South East Asia that also provide competitive medical care,” said Dr Ayesha Abdullah, the executive director of Dubai Healthcare City.

“Another challenge is many patients still prefer to get medical care outside the UAE.”

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, which is scheduled to open on Sowwah Island next year, is encouraging local residents to seek treatment there while it also tries to attract medical tourists.

It plans to use certain amenities such as a climate-controlled walkway that connects to a nearby luxury hotel to entice patients to its facilities.

“The primary purpose of bringing the Cleveland Clinic model of care to Abu Dhabi is to provide those patients who might otherwise go abroad for treatment to places like Cleveland in Ohio with the highest international standards of health care in their home country [of the UAE],” said Dr Marc Harrison, the chief executive of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

“The hospital is designed primarily to cater to the needs of patients in Abu Dhabi and other emirates in the UAE, but we will, of course, welcome patients from the wider region.”

A greater challenge for UAE hospitals may be accounting for healthcare policies in the home countries of potential medical tourists.

For instance, some jurisdictions may not approve drugs or treatment methods that are offered in the Emirates, while certain doctors may be reluctant to treat patients who have received elective care here or elsewhere.

“The issues in a universal healthcare system are different than in jurisdictions with a patient pay structure,” said Dino Wilkinson, a partner based in Abu Dhabi at the law firm Norton Rose.

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/industry-insights/economics/medical-tourism-rising-in-the-uae

Medical Tourism Resource Online

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.

Medical Tourism Dentistry Vacation Resource On-line

http://mmedsolution.com/

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.

source: www.glgroup.com

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.

source: bestsyndication.com

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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