Medical Tourism is on the Increase

By: Sarah James Click author's name for more of his/her articles

More than 45 million Americans have no health insurance and can’t afford surgery within the US. Many of these are now travelling abroad for medical treatment due solely to the cost.

Having an operation on an aortic aneurysm in a US hospital typically costs $450,000. The same medical treatment can be arranged in India for around $9,000. Even after adding the costs of flights and hotels it is a fraction of what US hospitals are charging. No wonder medical tourism is increasing.

During 2007 750,000 Americans travelled abroad for elective medical treatment, the companies offering this service expect the numbers to continue to grow. The high cost of health insurance is causing many to opt for emergency only cover; they are willing to take the chance of continuing good health. Now many have added the option of medical tourism as one of their fall back positions.

The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions a Washington based research group expect the numbers travelling abroad for health treatments to reach 6 million by the end of 2010.

To date the most common medical tourism procedures have been dental treatment and cosmetic surgery, however hip and knee replacements are also becoming popular.

So where should you go for medical treatment abroad?

• Costa Rica is known for orthopaedic and spinal surgery, liposuction, and various cosmetic procedures.

• Mexico is the main destination for dental work and can often be completed as a day trip. Many though are preferring to recuperate on the white sands of the pacific coast.

• India – orthopaedic surgery and cardiac care.

• Singapore – cancer treatments, spinal surgery, transplants, and orthopaedic surgery.

• Thailand – orthopaedic surgery, cosmetic surgery, and cardiac procedures.

Many patients electing to travel abroad for their medical treatment add in sightseeing trips that they might not otherwise have had the chance to do. However for some recuperation can take a while, but they have service in VIP hospitals and hotels; generally this is a much better service than they could ever afford in the US.

British and Irish residents have been taking advantage of the excellent health care in Eastern Europe since the wall came down. Dental treatment especially is very cheap in comparison and they don’t have long waiting periods, a problem that plagues the health services of both these countries.

Many travelling abroad for their medical treatment use specialist companies to make all the arrangements for them, individuals can however make the arrangements on their own. But for little more than you would pay on your own you can have an expert facilitator from a company that specializes in this area. These companies find the best doctors, compare the prices between countries, and arrange hotels, visas, and flights.