Why There are No Medical Borders in the 21st Century

Why There are No Medical Borders in the
21st Century

Copyright © 2008 Medical-Tourism-Guide.com
by Jay Siva

The 21st Century is bringing a new way of getting needs met, and traveling a day to obtain services in another country will soon be as commonplace as traveling a couple of hours within a country is now!

Medical tourism is commonly described as the practice of obtaining medical services in a foreign destination. Although this niche market is now being capitalized on and becoming better known, the practice of traveling abroad for services is not new.

For nearly a decade, the concept of medical tourism has been misunderstood and received bad media coverage in developed countries. Today not only has that trend reversed, but medical tourism is being embraced as a viable option for people in need of affordable medical care. Well known newspapers and television networks are doing pieces medical tourism as a whole and are spotlighting individuals who have taken advantage of the cost saving option.

If a person would travel thousands of miles to vacation, why not travel that far to have a medical procedure done? If a person is willing to risk having a foreign doctor perform the procedure in the developed country (E.G. a cardiologist from India, working in Chicago) why does that person not trust going to the same caliber cardiologist in the country of India itself? If a person is willing to fully research the hospitals and credentials in their homeland, why not check the ones abroad and save money by choosing a facility abroad?

Some 4.3 million people in the U.S. do not have insurance, due to the high cost of insurance premiums. Many people are paying high premiums AND still only have partial coverage. Blue collar workers account for an increasing percentage of people outsourcing their medical needs to the medical tourism industry. Uninsured and underinsured laborers are tired of the rising medical costs and the astronomical costs of insurance coverage in developed countries. Sadly, many are going without treatment.

A developing trend in medical tourism is that insurance companies are beginning to send their patients overseas for treatment. Not all insurance companies are willing to pay for treatment in a foreign country, primarily because they are uneducated as to the benefits associated with medical tourism. For the insurance companies who have become informed consumers, there is a trend developing. These companies realize that it is going to save them money by sending a patient into the global medical community rather than into the local hospital for surgery.

We are seeing, in the 21st Century, that we are truly living in a world with no medical borders! If the only difference is whether or not the service is on home or foreign soil, one needs to consider again the global community we live in. The world used to be a very large place, and traveling an hour for services was unheard of. Today, people fly all over their homeland to obtain services, but do not often think of traveling outside of the borders of the country.

The risks of choosing to have surgery abroad are no greater than at home. Just as one needs to research doctors and facilities in a home country, one also needs to research the options available in another country.

There is a growing competition amongst those providing services to medical tourists. Each is aware that top quality service is what will continue to build their tourism industry. From the first contact from a potential patient, the staff in foreign facilities aim to make the patient feel comfortable and at ease. Fluent translators are provided to ensure that there are no gaps in communication. Communication itself takes the priority place. There is usually a constant flow between the patient, insurance companies, homeland doctors and the facility abroad that will be doing the treatment. The high level of communication ensures that all records are transmitted and received prior to the travel occurring, and that all details are finalized.

Living in the 21st Century means that we are world travelers, and that there are no medical borders. If you have a passport, the world awaits you! For the same price as a week at a theme park or a ski resort, a person can have lunch and a facelift! Whereas the cost of a facelift in the US equals the cost of an inexpensive automobile, the cost in a foreign country is equal to the cost of an annual budget for a daily latte!

We are truly living in a global medical community that knows no borders. With the Internet readily at the fingertips of anyone desiring to use it, information about various facilities, services, and destinations can be searched out. An emerging trend is for the facility to offer “inclusive” packages. Medical travel agents are standing by, offering a package that includes discounted airfare, ground transportation, all meals and accommodations in a resort type facility, with internationally trained doctors and medical staff who will be extremely attentive before, during and after your procedure. The all inclusive price is a fraction of the cost of just the medical procedure in a developed country. What individual or corporation (insurance companies included) would turn down the opportunity to save up to 90% of the cost of a medical procedure?

Jay Siva is the author of the best seller book "The Complete Guide to Medical Tourism" where he reveals crucial information on how to successfully plan your medical trip abroad, find discount airfare, American-trained doctors, and internationally-accredited hospitals. You’ll find out such things as: how to pick your treatment destination, what you can expect to pay for specific surgical procedures, what to look for before choosing a hospital, what to ask your doctors, how to manage your travel and treatment costs and so much more.

Why There are No Medical Borders in the 21st Century

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Why There are No Medical Borders in the
21st Century