Category Archives: Healthcare Service Providers

Visiting India For Treatment? Know Your Medical Tourism Facilitator Well

Medical tourism industry is growing at an exponential rate. Thanks to high quality and low cost treatments in India and other south east countries, more and more people are opting to get treated overseas. This growth of the overseas travel has given birth to many organizations acting as facilitators between the patient and healthcare providers. The rise of facilitators has been associated with rise of bogus organizations having a website for attracting the patients and then leaving them in lurch when they arrive in the country of treatment. Therefore it becomes very important to have detailed information about your medical tourism facilitator.

Medical tourist should gain information regarding the points below while choosing a medical tourism facilitator.

The Team– It is very important to know who all are there in the team of the organization. Many organizations are travel agents and consider medical tourists as another kind of tourist. Though tourist does come in medical tourism, the main emphasis is on treatment and it is imperative for an organization to have medical professionals in the organization. Few organization do have doctors as advisors but again they are part timers, a medical tourist should look for a facilitator having dedicated team of doctors as need for health issue can arise anytime. Along with having a doctor it is also important to look for experience and credentials of the doctors and other professionals involved. The more the experience and reputation of doctors and other team members more the emphasis on quality of care and service.
Location of offices– In this era of globalization the internet provides a virtual office, and the medical tourism facilitators utilize the internet to exploit the medical tourist. It is very important for a medical tourist to confirm the permanent address of the organization. Some facilitators operate from apartments and flats which again cast doubt regarding the authenticity of the facilitator. If possible the medical tourist should go for a facilitator having office in business parks, or corporate location.
Hopsitals on board– There are many hospitals in India, but not all provide international standard treatments. Many facilitators provide options of choosing hospitals from the list provided on their website. It is important on the part of medical tourist to confirm whether the facilitator has written agreements with those hospitals or just verbal agreement. In addition to it, the medical tourist should also ask for what criteria the organization employs for empaneling the hospitals.
Accommodation arrangements– India offers wide range of accommodation options right from guest houses to luxurious presidential suites. Medical tourist should confirm regarding the agreements of facilitator with the hotels and guest houses. As distances can waste precious time in treatment it is important for the medical tourist to ask for accommodation near to the treating hospital.
Follow-up –Medical treatment is not a one time thing, but it requires follow up services after treatment when the patient is back in home country. The medical tourist should ensure that the facilitator has a comprehensive follow up programme post treatment. It is advisable for the patient to ask the facilitator for arranging contact between the home doctor and doctor in India. As the records of treatment play important role in treatment follow-up the patient should enquire about the format of reports he/she will get from the facilitator after the completion of treatment.
Tour agency- As with hospitals, the facilitators usually do not have a written agreements with a tour and travel agents. They operate as and when need arises. It is important to have a fixed tour and travel agent as it helps in improving the quality of services, reliability and safety of travel. The medical tourist should also ask for criteria and reputation of the travel agency on board of the facilitator.
Billing transparency- Medical tourist should enquire regarding the billing process and look out for hidden costs in the bill. A medical tourist should confirm the cost before traveling to India so as prevent herself/himself from paying extra money
Medical legal options- Medical negligence can arise anywhere in the world, what’s important is the option to consult a legal person in case of negligence. As the laws in India differ from other countries, it is important for you to know whether the facilitator has contract with any legam agency that can help in case the medico legal need arises.

The above are few points that the medical tourist should know regarding the facilitator. An informed medical tourist can save her/his money and get a high quality treatment in India which may have been inaccessible in home country because of cost of treatment, lack of technology or long waiting list. If you want more information or want to provide your comments, mail us at info@firstcareindia.com.

Cheap Dentist in Mexico, Cosmetic Dentistry in Los Algodones, Tijuana, Juarez, How to Choose, Where to find Dentist in Mexico, Extensive Cosmetic Dental Work, Arizona, California, Texas Border Dentist, Best, Top Dentist in Mexico, Veneers, Lumineers, Cost, Prices of Dental Care, www.dayodental.com Phoenix Bus Tour Shuttle to Mexico, High Quality, San Diego, El Paso
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Cheap Dentist in Mexico, Cosmetic Dentistry in Los Algodones, Tijuana, Juarez, How to Choose, Where to find Dentist in Mexico, Extensive Cosmetic Dental Work, Arizona, California, Texas Border Dentist, Best, Top Dentist in Mexico, Veneers, Lumineers, Cost, Prices of Dental Care, www.dayodental.com Phoenix Bus Tour Shuttle to Mexico, High Quality, San Diego, El Paso
Video Rating: 4 / 5

ROTAPLAST comes to Cebu to repair CLEFT LIP problems on over 100 patients, mostly children. Doctors and nurses from HAWAII and SAN FRANCISCO were on hand to perform the operations, all of which were a complete success! They managed to find time to take a Cebu City Tour of the main tourism attractions. If you would like to help contact: info@globalvideoprotv.com
Video Rating: 0 / 5

TotalMED is a total health care provider engaged in outpatient / inpatient health care and in allied medical and health education. Located in Subic Bay, Philippines. www.totalmed.com.ph http
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Medical Tourism for Overseas Surgery – Medical Travel Industry Surges Despite Recession

In these recessionary times, almost every industry is seeing significant losses.

Not so with medical tourism.

Hospitals specializing in medical tourism report seeing a 30 percent increase in business from international patients last year. Discounting other nationalities, The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions estimated the number of Americans that traveled abroad for healthcare in 2007 at 750,000.  As money gets tighter, more people are opting to travel long distances to save on their healthcare bills. Current research indicates that more than one million Americans are traveling overseas to receive medical treatment.

While traveling abroad for medical care is not a new concept, it is only in the past few years that the medical tourism industry has exploded.  International hospitals in foreign countries began focusing their marketing efforts on global clientele and medical tourism companies like MedTrava were created to help fill the gap between the patient’s need for information, support, and assistance and the hospital’s ability to devote its valuable resources to this area.

With the current state of the U.S. healthcare system, it’s no wonder that many uninsured Americans are eschewing medical care in their home country in favor of medical tourism. More than 47 million Americans are uninsured and nearly 120 million Americans are underinsured. The statistics for certain states are appalling. Only 76.1 percent of Texans and 79.9 percent of New Mexicans were insured as of 2007.  Worse still, only 81 percent of Mississippians and 81.5 percent of Texans could get medical care when they needed it.  

President Obama recognizes the problems inherent in the U.S. system of healthcare, saying “Fixing what’s wrong with our health care system is no longer a luxury we hope to achieve — it’s a necessity we cannot postpone any longer.”

But with no clear idea of how the administration will pay for the estimated 0 billion price tag for its proposed reform, and with Republicans remaining vehemently opposed to nationalized healthcare, it could be a long while until Obama can make good on his promise of “It’s time to deliver.”

In the meantime, more and more Americans will continue to feel the pinch of healthcare bills.  A recent Harvard University study reveals that medical bills play a factor in more than 62 percent of all bankruptcies.

And it’s not only the uninsured that are affected by hefty medical bills; 78 percent of those citing medical bills as a reason for filing bankruptcy were actually insured.

Part of this reason is the ever-increasing share of the medical bill insured consumers are expected to pay. According to a survey by the National Opinion Research Center and Watson Wyatt Worldwide, the annual out-of-pocket medical expenses for an insured worker increased 34 percent between 2004 and 2007.

The researchers recognized this problem and stated in their report, “in the United States, if you are sick and earn a modest income, then you are probably underinsured — even if you have employer-based health coverage.”

Health Insurance premiums have risen 73 percent since 2000, according to the National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC).  Employers and insurance companies are forced to more closely scrutinize their health plans to contain the high costs. Employers are now covering fewer employees, reducing the number of covered procedures and increasing co-pays and co-premiums. In fact, the NCHC states that employee contributions have increased 145 percent since 2000.

Many insured individuals in this situation find that they can save more money by traveling abroad for their treatment than they can by paying these hefty co-pays. Some have been pleasantly surprised to find that their insurance company will reimburse them for part of their medical travel.

While many medical travelers take advantage of cost savings for dental treatments, facelifts and liposuction, a growing number are opting for open heart surgery and orthopedic procedures like hip or knee replacements overseas. Medical tourism can also allow a patient to take advantage of procedures difficult to receive in the U.S.  Surgeries such as Birmingham hip resurfacing and cervical disc replacement were only recently approved by the FDA, so overseas surgeons can have years more experience than U.S. surgeons on these techniques. Procedures like stem cell treatment are also available in some foreign countries.

However, the bulk of the treatments medical tourists are seeking include orthopedics, cardiology, and dental.  Patients are able to save up to 80 percent in these fields and receive superior treatment over what they would probably have been able to afford in the U.S. Quality of care at  hospitals is comparable in quality to those in the United States. The Joint Commission International, an arm of the organization that accredits American hospitals has accredited nearly 200 hospitals overseas. Many doctors and surgeons are English-speaking and have trained at Western medical schools and teaching hospitals.

Medical travel companies can help expedite and facilitate a patient’s treatment. Once a patient contacts a medical tourism facilitator like MedTrava, it can connect them to carefully selected, pre-qualified providers and fast-track the sending of the patient’s medical records and set up a conference call with an overseas surgeon in days.  Surgery can be scheduled in as quickly as two weeks, and the medical travel facilitator can assist the patient with every aspect of their medical travels, from visa and passport assistance to arranging for a patient care manager, driver, cell phone, and hotel in the destination country.

While traveling abroad for surgery is not usually a person’s first choice, the quality of medical treatment available abroad is at an all time high—in some cases, superior to what is available in the United States. And in these days of a recession with no end in sight, being able to save 80 percent on anything without sacrificing any quality is a much-needed reprieve.