Surgical Tourism

Brought to you by Healthbase http://www.healthbase.com/ info.hb@healthbase.com 1-888-MY1-HLTH

Surgery isn’t the first or even the last thing that comes to mind when you think tourism and vice versa. As misnomered as it may sound, but surgical tourism is what is happening in the health care industry today. Surgical tourism, also known as medical tourism, medical travel, health travel and health tourism , is traveling abroad for surgery.

 

So why would someone choose to go overseas for surgery?

The number one reason is because they can get huge discounts when compared to the price tags on surgeries at home. Surgical tourists claim to have saved from 50% to over 90%. Another reason revolves around the long wait-lists in countries like Canada and UK with public health care system. Some go for elective surgeries not covered by insurance.

 

Does low cost mean poor quality?

Check out pictures of some of the international hospitals catering to foreign patients at https://www.healthbase.com/hb/pages/hospitals_pl.jsp and you will notice how immaculate their 5-star hotel type facilities are. Their accreditations include those like JCI, JCAHO and ISO. Patients vouch for the personalized service they get. It’s not uncommon to see world-renowned surgeons at these international hospitals playing finger-magic behind the latest billion-dollar robotic machines.

 

Exactly how is such a miracle possible?

Well, that’s because in some countries like India, Thailand, Singapore, Turkey, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and others, the cost of labor when compared to the US, UK or Canada is lower. Plus, administrative costs and malpractice costs are also lower. These are the countries that are hot surgical tourism destinations.

 

Some of the surgeries that patients go overseas for…

Range from breast augmentation to Birmingham hip resurfacing surgery , and from lap band to triple cardiac bypass surgery. And it’s not just surgeries that people seek. Some go for therapeutic treatments and others for cancer treatments. Restorative and reparative treatments like LASIK are common and so are preventive check-ups and simple dental fix-ups .

 

Where is tourism in the picture?

While the primary motivation for most surgical tourists is affordable surgery, the opportunity to visit exotic destinations is an additional draw for some. You can plan to have a holiday during your visit to the foreign country before the surgery if your health permits or after the surgery if your surgeon permits.

 

How do I go about arranging my surgery abroad?

Getting surgery overseas is not even closely related to getting surgery at your local hospital but it can save you a ton of money. However, it involves careful research and planning. Begin by collecting more information about the trend of surgical tourism. You may start here: http://www.healthbase.com/resources/medical-tourism/medical-tourism-information . Read what others are saying about it. Educate yourself about the surgery desired. Do your due diligence in researching the various international hospitals and surgeons at the surgical destination you are interested in. Compare quotes from various providers and finalize one.

Many people find it useful to work with a surgical tourism provider that helps them with all the logistics of surgical tourism. Surgical tourism providers like Healthbase (http://www.healthbase.com) connect you with the hospital of your choice while providing many other related valuable services like detailed information about various procedures, detailed hospital profiles and surgeon profiles, medical records transfer, free surgery quote, pre- and post-consultation with the overseas hospital, feedback and testimonials from previous patients, medical and dental loan financing, passport and visa, airport pick-up and drop-off, hospital escort, tickets, travel insurance, hotel booking, tourism services in the destination country, etc.

You can learn more about the growing trend of medical tourism, international healthcare facilities and surgeons, and the details of the medical tourism process by logging on to http://www.healthbase.com. Healthbase.com is a medical tourism facilitator committed to providing low-cost high quality medical travel services to the global medical consumer.

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Interview with Josef Woodman - Author of Patients Beyond Borders

Just like we promised, we bring to you some more views from another expert in the medical tourism industry. Josef Woodman, the author of Patients Beyond Borders shares below his thoughts on the growing medical tourism trend in the US. Read on to learn from the expert..

Question: How did you develop an interest in medical tourism? What motivated you to write Patients Beyond Borders?

In 1997, I co-founded MyDailyHealth, an online, profile-driven preventive health service licensed to insurers and employers. Through that experience, I became aware of the looming US healthcare crisis. When contemporary international travel began to gain popularity, our research began. I became personally involved in medical tourism when I joined my father in Mexico, where he had some $24,000 worth of restorative dental work done, at a total savings of around $11,000. As international medical travel becomes a significant component of the US and global healthcare landscape, and the larger political debate, we see “Patients Beyond Borders” and related efforts as forming a mouthpiece of consumer advocacy for the more than 75 million un- and underinsured Americans aging into financially challenging medical procedures.

Question: How did you collect the information you used in your book? What form of research did you do?

A small team of authors and researchers worked on the book for nearly three years, profiling various medical tourism destinations, vetting hundreds of hospitals and clinics, investigating regional and international accreditation, interviewing patients, patient’s families, medical practitioners and administrators, health travel agents, and more. Extensive surveys were sent to treatment centers. The author has visited more then 40 hospitals in 7 destinations.

Question: Do you expect the medical tourism trend growing in the US?

Medical tourism is growing in the US 15-20% annually. This figure is expected to rise as baby boomers age into expensive treatment and as the industry gains infrastructure, raising consumer confidence in international medical travel.

Question: What do you tell people to keep in mind when deciding upon an overseas facility for treatment?

Above all, be an informed, scrutinizing healthcare consumer. Thoroughly check hospitals accreditation(s), number of surgeries performed, success/mortality rates; in the same manner, patients should check physicians’ credentials, board certifications, professional affiliations.

Question: Do you hear from happy or otherwise unhappy customers thanking you or complaining to you about the advice you gave in your book?

We’re often contacted by prospective patients, seeking supplemental advice to the information found in “Patients Beyond Borders.” As we do not recommend specific hospitals, physicians or courses of treatment, we are often of limited help to these callers.

Question: Are there hospitals out there that do not have international accreditations like JCI but still maintain best practice standards of care? If yes, why do they choose not to be accredited?

Yes, dozens of top-flight hospitals abroad are certified by their country’s accreditation agency, or an international agency other than JCI. Our research shows that Americans are gaining familiarity with accreditation, and gain comfort in JCI-accredited hospitals, as well as hospitals that partner with American medical centers, such as Harvard Medical, Johns Hopkins and Cleveland Clinic.

Question: How are the American healthcare providers reacting to Americans traveling overseas for care?

Regarding hospitals many of America’s best hospitals are aggressively partnering with hospitals and hospital networks abroad, sharing research, technical skills and sometimes staff. Duke University Medical Center is building a Graduate Medical School in Singapore. The list of partnerships grows monthly.

On the physician front, many doctors—understandably--feel threatened by medical tourism, and are openly hostile. Many lack knowledge about overseas hospitals and are not in a position to properly inform their patients. We believe that as the US healthcare crisis deepens, physicians and surgeons must engage in more collaborative relationships with patients who express wishes to travel overseas for affordable treatment.

Question: How about insurance companies? Do you anticipate them jumping into the medical tourism business?

Insurance companies are just getting their feet wet, and some have launched pilot programs (e.g. Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC). Pressured by employers large and small, carriers are seeking alternatives to the very costly treatments that break most plans. As challenges of liability and medical transparency are met, we expect to see insurance companies become more aggressive and creative on this front, offering specialized carve-outs for medical travelers and employers.

Question: To those Americans who are skeptical about going to a third world country for care, what do you have to say?

I say, we hear you. Even when armed with the facts, it’s hard for most people to imagine themselves actually boarding a plane for a medical procedure in a far-flung land. Medical travel isn’t for everyone. That said, there’s safety in numbers, and last year more than 150,000 Americans traveled abroad for a wide array of treatment, saved more than $2 billion collectively, and came home to tell about it.

Question: Why have you dedicated a full book on Singapore medical tourism?

The “Patients Beyond Borders Singapore Edition” is the first in what we expect to be a series of country-specific editions, which allow us to offer in-depth information that a general guidebook cannot. The Singapore Edition was the result of a very successful collaboration between our company, Singapore Medicine and the Singapore Tourism Board. With its excellent medical and research infrastructure, Singapore is the ideal candidate for the first edition of this series.

Question: What’s coming next for you?

A Second Edition of the book (mid-2008), greater Web presence, creative partnerships with carriers and providers, more country-specific editions.

Question: Would you like to add anything else?

We’re happy to hear from patients and others who wish to share their stories or otherwise comment on international medical travel.


Thanks, Mr. Woodman, for your time and your valuable insight. We wish you all the best with Patients Beyond Borders Singapore Edition.

Stay tuned to Medical Tourism News and Views for more news, views and videos.

This exclusive interview was brought to you by Healthbase. For more information on medical tourism visit Healthbase.com.


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Interview with David Hancock - Author of The Complete Medical Tourist

Below are some informative and enlightening thoughts by David Hancock - the author of The Complete Medical Tourist - about the factors leading to the growth of medical tourism in the UK. We had a chance to interview him recently where he shared his views about the sad state of Britain's NHS, the ever-growing wait-lists for treatment and other things. Here's the interview..


Question: Did you personally seek medical treatment in any overseas hospital before you got the idea of writing The Complete Medical Tourist? How did you collect the information you used in your book?

It is a strange story but it started when I fell off my bicycle in the Docklands area of London and fractured my pelvis. I was rushed to hospital and operated on immediately, but while recovering in the orthopaedic ward I heard stories of people who had been waiting two years, in considerable pain, for hip or knee replacements.

Then there was a post-operative infection discovered on the plate placed in my pelvis, which resulted in me having to undergo a hip replacement operation myself. All this from falling off a bicycle.

As a journalist I decided to investigate alternatives to Britain’s National Health Service. Private treatment I found was prohibitive because of the cost for people who did not have private health insurance. I discovered that a hip replacement in the UK was around £12,000 but if one went under the channel tunnel to Belgium the cost was halved. In India the same operation was a quarter of the UK cost. I had discovered medical tourism.

I decided to write The Complete Medical Tourist for anyone wanting to go abroad for treatment. All clinics, hospitals, addresses, web sites, costs of treatment and other important information from countries worldwide are available in one paperback book.

I researched clinics in Europe and used a string of friends round the world to help with information from more far-flung places’

Question: How is the National Health Service scene in Britain? Are the wait-lists long? For what kind of surgeries do patients have to wait the longest? Is that because of a lack of doctors/surgeons or because of poor infrastructure or something else? Is the government doing anything about it?

Billions and billions of pounds have been poured into the NHS in recent years and waiting lists have been cut, but patients are still waiting months for non-urgent operations. The longest waiting lists are usually for orthopaedic operations even though sufferers may be in considerable a pain and find walking difficult. The NHS is like a big black money pit, you can pour as much into it as possible but it will never be perfect. It is the hottest political potato in the UK with its promise of free medical care from cradle to grave and no political party has had the guts to promise long-overdue reform involving private medical insurance, so it continues to swallow billions and billions of pounds in taxes, with the common perception that nothing is getting better. Hospitals are dirty and superbugs like MRSA are prevalent.

Question: Do many people in the UK go to private doctors to avoid waiting for treatment? Or do they prefer knocking at their neighbors’ doors? If so, which countries do they usually choose to go to? How much of a discount can they get in those countries when compared with that in the UK?

As I mentioned earlier merely going to mainland Europe can usually cut the cost of private medical treatment in half compared with UK costs. Belgium, France, Spain, Germany and even Poland are proving to be favourite European destinations with East European countries like Hungary and Poland especially good value for dental surgery.

People who have private UK medical insurance will be treated in the UK, but once insurance companies embrace ‘medical tourism’ they will be able to cut their heavy premiums and will see an increase in take-up.

Question: Do UK patients also travel far to countries like India or Thailand? For which surgeries are these countries famous for among UK folks?

With long-haul holiday destinations on the increase combined with state-of-the-art hospitals like the Apollo Group in India it is no wonder that Far East countries are becoming a major choice for UK medical tourists. Prices are even more affordable that in Europe. Orthopaedic surgery, eye surgery and cosmetic and dental surgery is still the backbone of medical tourism. But Thailand is also famous for gender re-alignment and India offers every possible kind of medical surgery from cancer to cardiac treatments.

Question: Do you expect the medical tourism trend to continue to grow in the UK?

Medical Tourism is not a flash-in-the-pan. Its growth in the UK is around 50 per cent a year, which exponentially is quite an amazing figure. In the US it accounts for $5 billion to $6 billion a year. Not a lot compared with a healthcare industry of $2 trillion a year, but it is growing fast. To dismiss it would be foolish

Question: What do you tell medical tourists to keep in mind when deciding upon an overseas facility for treatment?

The first thing to remember is that the ‘medical’ part is the most important and not the ‘tourist’ bit, Some people can be easily swayed by the thought of recovering in a five-star hotel on a tropical beach, but the medical facilities and treatment are more important than the sun tan.

Research thoroughly the destinations and establishments you might wish to go to. The Complete Medical Tourist is a good reference book to begin with, from there you can phone the clinics, speak to the doctor who will be in charge of your case and assure yourself you are in the right hands. Ask for testimonials from previous patients, and follow that up – talk to those people.

Take into account the flight time and cost. You might want to go business class for extra comfort, and you may wish to take a partner or friend to be with you. This will all add to the cost.

Don’t forget to inform the person from whom you buy your travel insurance that you are traveling for medical treatment. This may, or may not, affect the premium you pay.

Question: When will we see the next edition of The Complete Tourist? What topics are covered in it?

I am still negotiating with my publisher about a future edition of The Complete Medical Tourist and no date has yet been set. But one thing is sure; it will be bigger, better and take into account the major strides in medical tourism since my book was first published.

Question: Would you like to add anything else?

Just to say thank you for inviting me to say a few words and the best of luck with Healthbase Online Inc.

Thanks, Mr. Hancock for sharing your thoughts with us. We hope to see the second edition of the Complete Medical Tourist soon.

Stay tuned y'all.. We'll soon be posting more interviews with other famous personalities in the medical tourism business..

This exclusive interview was brought to you by Healthbase. For more information on medical tourism visit Healthbase.com.

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Interview with Jeffrey Schult - Author of Beauty From Afar

Recently, we had the opportunity to interview Jeffrey Schult, the author of Beauty From Afar. Here are his views on medical tourism, the reaction of US healthcare providers, our changing healthcare system, the adapting insurance companies, etc. etc. Read on...


Question: How did you develop an interest in medical tourism? What motivated you to write Beauty From Afar?

I first heard of people traveling outside the United States for medical care in early 2004, on an e-mail list about outsourcing. Someone on the list interjected that outsourcing wasn’t just about manufacturing and call centers and computer programming and financial services – that people were actually outsourcing their own medical care. I had needed some extensive dental work for several years that I could not afford in the U.S. I immediately started looking into overseas options.

I ended up choosing Prisma Dental (www.cosmetics-dentistry.com) in Costa Rica and wrote a lengthy magazine article (www.tftb.com/beautyfromafar) about my positive experience. The article led directly to my finding a literary agent who believed there was a market for a book about medical tourism. The rights to Beauty from Afar were sold in early 2005 to Stewart, Tabori & Chang of New York, and I continued researching medical tourism worldwide. The book was finished in the spring of 2006 and published last summer.

Question: Did you personally visit the overseas facilities yourself to collect data that you used in Beauty From Afar?

I had originally hoped to tour the world personally as part of my research (who wouldn’t?!) but that was not in the budget. I did manage to make some trips abroad and I traveled within the United States to meet doctors and surgeons from overseas when they were visiting. But the research and interviews for the book were mostly done via telephone and e-mail with patients, doctors, surgeons and other medical professionals, along with extensive Internet research. I think, overall, I probably ended up with a better and more useful book this way. I was doing my research much the way any patient could, if they had the time (though far more in depth.) If I had traveled – well, I know I would have enjoyed the trips greatly, but the book probably would have been written more through just my own eyes rather than through the eyes of so many more people.

Question: You had extensive dental work done in Costa Rica. Did you ever have dental work done in the US? How would you compare the quality of care in the two countries?

I went to dentists in the United States, regularly, as one is supposed to, for the first 46 or so years of my life. The care was fine, as you would expect … but my upper teeth just were wearing out before they were supposed to. The restoration of my upper teeth was done superbly in Costa Rica at a cost of a half to a third of what it would have cost in the U.S. The facilities were outstanding, as were my dentists.

Comparing the two – I would say that I could not have had a better experience or result in the United States than I had in Costa Rica. And I could afford my Costa Rican experience. Without medical tourism, having a great smile in my 50s was going to be just a fantasy.

Question: Do you hear from happy or otherwise unhappy customers thanking you or complaining to you about the advice you gave in your book? What do you tell people to keep in mind when deciding upon an overseas facility for treatment?

I hear on almost a daily basis from people who have read Beauty from Afar, thanking me for giving them a way forward on their own medical, dental and cosmetic research. It’s a tremendous feeling, knowing I have helped a lot of people.

I have also heard directly from several people who have had bad experiences in seeking or obtaining medical and dental care abroad. I can recall just one who told me I had done a disservice to the public by writing the book, and he hadn’t actually read it. I also, of course, know indirectly of patients who have not gotten the results from medical tourism for which they hap hoped, and of people who died during or after surgery. Not very many, but a few. I don’t want to sound cold about such cases and I have the deepest sympathy for these people and their families. But the same thing could have happened to them in the United States.

Medical treatment and surgery does not come with guarantees. The care that one can receive in many places around the world, in the modern facilities in the major metropolitan areas, is comparable. I tell people that, and that they should look at all their medical options carefully. I think reading Beauty from Afar gives people the kind of information they need to make good decisions.

Question: How are the American healthcare providers reacting to Americans traveling overseas for care?

A Costa Rican surgeon I once interviewed kind of summed up what is going on: “Those who are not against us want to join us.” We laughed at that, but it’s true. American healthcare providers are beginning to recognize that medical tourism and out-of-country providers are viable options for many people under certain circumstances and are starting to incorporate international health care into the options available to insured Americans. This is going to evolve over the next few years, and it’s fascinating to watch.

Question: Do you foresee the American healthcare system changing owing to the rising popularity of medical tourism?

Sure, I think it will have an impact over time. But U.S. health care is a $1.5 trillion economic system and it doesn’t change rapidly. Medical tourism is a very small piece of that picture even if it continues to grow rapidly, which I think it will.

“Small” is relative, of course. In this case, “small” still means, potentially, billions or tens of billions of dollars spent annually on out-of-country health care.

Question: How about insurance companies? Do you anticipate them jumping into the medical tourism business? Do you think it will be profitable for them as well as the insured to opt for medical tourism plans?

Yes, yes, and yes.

It’s already happening. People in southern California can buy relatively inexpensive insurance that sends them to Mexico for non-emergency care, and the option is popular. Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina is gearing up to offer medical tourism through a subsidiary. These are innovative, early-stage offerings and others will be along soon. It makes sense for insurers to try to cut costs. It makes sense for consumers to try to cut costs. So it’s going to be tried.

Question: To those Americans who are skeptical about going to a third world country for care, what do you have to say?

I usually say, politely, that they need to update their notion of what “third world” means, and I’ll tell them about what is available and where, and what it’s like for people who actually do this. I think awareness of medical tourism, though still low, is growing rapidly. More people are going all the time. Medical tourism has phenomenal “word of mouth” appeal. And these days, it’s getting more and more favorable treatment in the media. That has sort of evolved over time, as such things do. That people go overseas for health care no longer shocks news reporters, as it did only a few years ago. It’s no longer a “gee whiz” story. We’ve moved on to “What’s next?” and “What does it mean?”

Question: What’s coming next for you?

I’m working with a company, CPR Strategic Marketing Communications (www.cpronline.com), which has a lot of experience with the development of medical tourism, to bring out a newsletter called Medical Travel Today. I expect we’ll launch that in the next few weeks and I think we can make it a valuable resource for the international medical/business community and for patients.

I continue to promote Beauty from Afar, of course, and that’s a lot of fun. I hope I’ll eventually have the opportunity to write the next chapter of the medical tourism story but I think that may be a year or two down the road. I have a couple of other books I’m working on – I’m a journalist and writer, that’s what I do – but none of them is yet contracted for, so I’m not decided on which will get finished first!

Question: Any final words?

I’m not ready to write my epitaph quite yet. ;-)

Seriously, I appreciate the opportunity to add to the ongoing conversation in the world about medical travel and I’ll be delighted to continue the discussion if people have comments or questions.


Those were quite objective views on the subject. Thanks, Mr. Schult, for your time and for providing us the insight into the matter. We wish you all the best in all your future ventures. And, may it be decades before you have to write your epitaph!

This exclusive interview was brought to you by Healthbase. For more information on medical tourism visit Healthbase.com.


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