Medical Tourism Procedures, Trends and Statistics

By: rudy rupak on 10:36 AM

Popular procedures abroad and their pricing

PROCEDURE	United States	Mexico	Costa Rica	India	Thailand	Singapore
Angioplasty	$166,000	$13,125	$14,500	$7,800	$9,200	$12,500
Heart Bypass	$137,000	$14,400	$13,600	$6,650	$11,000	$13,500
Hip Replacement	$65,000	$13,000	$13,000	$6,500	$8,000	$10,000
Knee Replacement	$41,000	$10,500	$9,500	$6,500	$8,500	$9,000
Laparoscopic Hysterectomy	$29,000	$6,275	$6,500	$2,238	$4,500	$4,500
Laparoscopic Prostatectomy	$37,500	$11,800	$11,500	$5,900	$9,500	$16,000

(source: IBM, with data from PlanetHospital)

Trends and statistics

Pre 2000:

       In 1997 the Joint Commission International (JCI) was formed to investigate international health care facilities for compliance to international healthcare standards because of the emergence of healthcare centers abroad. JCI focuses on improving the safety and wellbeing of patients by way of an accreditation process as well as by providing services to help international healthcare facilities improve their facilities and staff.[i]

       Prior to 2001 most medical tourism was for high-end medical procedures and the two centers of the healthcare world were the US and Europe with Singapore as a medical hub in Asia.

[i] Joint Commision International. http://www.jointcommissioninternational.org/about-jci/

   

2002-2005:

       Between 2001 and 2005 medical tourism continued to grow. With the help of the growth of construction in Asia as well as the aftermath of the economic crisis from 1997 government officials marketed their countries as the premiere locations of medical tourism especially in the field of plastic surgery. In 2004 1.2 million tourists traveled to India for healthcare and 1.1 million traveled to Thailand.[i] Thailand’s fast growth in the industry was due much in part to Bumrungrad Hospital’s accreditation as an international hospital in 2002- the first of its kind in South East Asia. In this hospital alone the growth of international patients increased from 50,000 in 1997 to 350,000 in 2005.[ii]

[i] Harryono, Monica, et al. “3.1.1 Medical Tourism and Thailand’s Success” Thailand Medical Tourism Cluster. Microeconomics of Competiveness. Harvard Business School. 2006. http://www.isc.hbs.edu/pdf/Student_Projects/Thailand_Medical_Tourism_2006.pdf

[ii] Horowitz, Michael. “Medical Tourism: Globalization of the Medical Marketplace” Medscape General Medicine. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/pmc/articles/PMC2234298/#R13

2005-2007:

In 2005 it was reported that approximately a half a million medical tourists traveled to India alone- up from only 150,000 in 2002.[i] What’s more is even though one of the leading reasons for medical travel is cost, another reason that was especially prevalent in 2007 was the desire to avoid waiting lists. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, for this reason, around 500,000 Americans traveled abroad and approximately 70,000 Britons in 2007[ii] and that number was expected to rise as the population aged.

[i] Hutchinson, Becca. “Medical Tourism Growing Worldwide.” UDaily. University of Delaware. http://www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2005/mar/tourism072505.html

[ii] Ben-Natan, Merav. “Medical Tourism: A New Role for Nursing?: Reasons for the Increase in Medical Tourism.” Medscape Today. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/708073_4

2008, interest from insurers:

   Now that the Baby Boomers are progressing in age, the demand for affordable and speedy health care is rising—quickly. Along with the need for health care that is more readily accessible, is the need for better health insurance. Because of the recent economic times several companies are turning to High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs), sometimes known as Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHPs).[i] Consumer driven health plans allow for employers to save money on their insurance costs and encourage their employees to save money for when an emergency should arise. The problem with this is the employee will still have to pay a large percentage out of pocket. This will inevitably lead to looking for other health care options such as traveling abroad for treatment. It was estimated that by 2017 over 23 million Americans could be traveling overseas, spending around $79.6 billion dollars at overseas hospitals.[ii]

[i] Stephano, Renee-Marie and Jonathan Edelheit. “The Future of Medical Tourism” Medical Tourism Magazine. http://www.medicaltourismmag.com/detail.php?Req=173&issue=8

[ii] Stephano, Renee-Marie and Jonathan Edelheit. “The Future of Medical Tourism” Medical Tourism Magazine. http://www.medicaltourismmag.com/detail.php?Req=173&issue=8

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Avoiding the Risks of Medical Tourism

By: rudy rupak on 10:22 AM

Medical tourism has benefits such as cheaper medical care and medical care that may not be offered in your own country. However, there are also some risks, depending on the procedure and the country Some of those risks include:

• Communication - Receiving care when you don't speak the language makes it hard to properly communicate location and level of pain. It simply increases the chances of a misunderstanding.
• Needle Reuse - Doctors may reuse needles between patients which can unfortunately transmit diseases like hepatitis and HIV. 
• Medication - Medication may not be of the best caliber in certain countries.
• Antibiotic resistance - This is a global issue. Resistant bacteria may be more common in other countries.
• The Blood Supply - In some countries the blood may not be screened, creating additional risk of HIV and other infections spread through blood.
• Flying - Traveling, especially in the air, after surgery increases risk of blood clots. 

If you are planning to travel to another country for medical care and participate in medical tourism, there are a few things you can do to minimize risk:

• See a travel medicine practitioner at least 4-6 weeks prior to your trip to discuss general information for health travel.
• Check the qualifications of the health care providers who will be performing the procedure as well as the credentials of the facility.
• Compose a written agreement with the health care facility or the group to specify the treatments, supplies and care covered by the costs of the trip.
• Figure out what legal actions you can take if anything goes wrong.
• If you will be in a country where you do not speak the language, how will you communicate with your doctor or caretakers? Do they speak your language? Can you find a translator?
• Bring your medical records which should include any allergies.
• Make copies of your medical records just in case and leave them at home.
• Bring a list of medicines you currently take include their brand, manufacturer and dosage.
• Schedule a follow-up with your local health care provider.
• Figure out if activities such as sitting in the sun, drinking alcohol, or swimming are permitted after the surgery.

There are a few organizations that can provide extra guidance so that your medical procedures go as smoothly as possible. The Organization for Safety, Asepsis & Prevention's Travelers Guide to Safe Dental Care is one. The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Guidelines for Travelers is another. CDC Yellow Book 2014 information on Medical Tourism is also helpful.

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What is Medical Tourism?

By: rudy rupak on 2:04 PM

Medical tourism, also referred to as health tourism, is when people travel to another country to obtain medical treatment. It can also be defined as the branch of health and tourism economy that contributes to maintaining and restoring health and well-being in particular by using validated medical services.

The reason for travel for treatment varies. In the past, people would travel from less developed countries to major medical centers in more developed countries from high quality medical treatment unavailable in their own community. Recently, people have been traveling from developed countries to third-world countries for medical treatment because of the lower cost. Another reason for travel is that some treatments are not available in certain countries, such as those having to do with fertility. Some have rare genetic disorders and travel to other countries where the condition is better understood.

Medical tourists are subject to a variety of risks such as deep vein thrombosis, tuberculosis, amoebic dysentery, paratyphoid, poor post operative care, and more.

The first recorded instance of people traveling for medical treatment dates back to when Greek pilgrims travelled from all over the Mediterranean to the Epidauria, the sanctuary of the healing god Asklepios.

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Rudy Rupak

By: Anonymous on 2:01 PM

Welcome to Rudy Rupak's blog.

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