Posted on 09/08/2013 4:35:20 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The industry of medical tourism is growing quickly all around the world in response to the ever-climbing price of US healthcare bills. Outraged patients have been warming to the idea of overseas provision of surgery and treatment over the past seven years, says the Medical Tourism Association; an operation that works towards helping Americans find suitable healthcare in other countries.
Europe is emerging as a key player in the medical tourism industry based on its competitive prices and well-respected medical reputation. Prices there are kept down by strict government regulation that stipulates a national maximum on specific operational cost, full price disclosures and pre-operative financial consent, among other things. As well as regulation on hospitals and operation centres, distributors are limited to the profits they can demand - lowering the price of the same prosthesis from $8,000 in the US to just $4,000 in Belgium. All of these factors reduce the price of a hip replacement from, at most, $100,000 in the US to just $13,600 in Belgium and France - a price described as “expensive” by top Parisian private surgeon Dr. Fabrice Gaudot.
The Middle and Far East are also emerging as rapid growers in the industry, with projected CAGR in Thailand and Korea of 26.5%. Countries such as India, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines have also shown an interest in catering for traveling patients, with international patient attitudes towards them warming substantially. The company IsraMedica is the principle medical tourism agency in Israel, boasting provisions for numerous procedures including cosmetics, cancer treatments, orthopedics, IVF treatments and others, usually for a fraction of the US price. These countries are seen as agreeable for their holistic approach to recovery, often advertising yoga, massage and aromatherapy as complimentary and alternative medicines.
It is, however, cardinally important to note that medical tourism need not be synonymous with international travel. The New York Times has found that most NYC surgery centres would save money by transporting their patients to and from Buffalo, NY in a limousine for treatment. Prices in Glendale, CA have been as low as $14,450 for hip replacements, which is more than competitive in even the international market. This market trend presents a further growth opportunity for established medical brands to supply the security that Americans recognise in our healthcare system abroad and for a more competitive price.
Feel free to get your surgery where ever. Just be sure you go back there if you have a complication, and not to the local ER.
There needs to be more transparancy as to prices to allow people to shop around. I think there are regulations preventing this sort of advertising currently.
Why not the local ER?
Isn’t my money good there?
There is one group that I think could benefit from medical tourism, Native American reservations. They are not included under ObamaCare, and so I think they could set up concierge hospitals, often close to American cities.
Nobody wants to deal with a problem like that.
When we get people who have had cheapo Mexican plastic surgery or gastric bypass the local surgeons don’t want to get involved.
I don’t doubt that what you say is true.
What we have though, is a situation of rational people trying to deal with a government sponsored irrational medical system.
People are going to go to where they can afford to be fixed, and if thing go wrong, they are probably going to show up at the ER.
To me, it looks like that’s how it’s going to be, because there isn’t any other rational solution.
You know what one thing I hate about working in the ER?
We are the ONLY part of the entire healthcare system that can never say no. No matter what stupid decisions people make, no matter what the circumstances we can never say no. The floors can refuse admissions, the ICUs can close, ambulances can refuse to take people to the hospital they want, consultants can refuse to see patients, families can refuse to take people home, but we can never ever ever say no. Gets a bit tiresome.
Lots of days I feel like the guy at the circus who gets to follow the Elephants and clean up.
I could see possibly going to Europe, but medical care in the Middle or Far East? No, thanks. You want a side of MRSA with that surgical procedure?
For what it’s worth, I’ve used the ER only a few times in my 65 years.
Great service every time. I’d rate it right up there with The Mayo Clinic, which was easily my best medical experience.
Now that’s an interesting thought!
There is a surgical hospital in OKC that keeps its costs down and posts its fees up front. It’s run by doctors and is one of the best hospitals in the state. I don’t know if they do this by avoiding insurance companies or what. Since it is highly successful, I’m sure Obamacare regulations will attempt to shut it down.
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