What is Medical Tourism?

The term medical tourism has been used to describe the process of obtaining various health care facilities through travel. It is alternatively referred to as medical travel or health tourism.

Why medical tourism?

There has been a steep rise in the number of patients opting for medical tourism as a solution for their medical concerns. Some of the reasons for this trend have been:

Lower price tags for treatments - Medical tourism has proved to be a cost effective process of health care. It has been found that the cost of some of the treatments in Asian countries is at least 10 times lesser than that of its western counterpart. A survey reporting the cost differences for various health treatments across the globe has reported that a metal-free dental bridge worth $5,500 in the U.S costs a mere $500 in India which includes commutation charges as well.

A save on waiting period - In countries like Britain and Canada the public health service systems are sometimes unable to provide quick service especially when it comes to non-urgent medical services. Under such circumstances patients consider medical tourism as a lucrative option. They can choose from a wide option in the global market to suit their pocket. A hip replacement for instance which may require a patient from Canada to wait for a year can now avail the service in a days notice in countries like India ,Philippines or Thailand, most of the times at a cost much lesser than what they pay in their homelands.

Professional help - Risk factors such as poor hygiene, lack of expertise, legal issues post-operation care and the like have been often entailed with medical tourism. However, one can now seek professional help by means of approaching Health Tourism Providers who ct as intermediates between the patient and provider hospitals. They assist patients with pre and post-travel medical issues. They also help the patients' follow up medical care. This has been a relief for those who are apprehensive about medical tourism.