| Medical tourism is the act of traveling to other | | | | that operate from a public health care systems are |
| nations to obtain medical, services. The concept | | | | so taxed that it can take a long time, to get required |
| medical tourism was initially coined by the travel | | | | medical care. The time duration spent for waiting for |
| agencies and the media as a catchall phrase to | | | | a procedure, such as a hip replacement, may be a |
| describe a fast growing industry where people travel | | | | year or more in Britain and Canada; however, in |
| to different nations to obtain medical services. Leisure | | | | Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, Philippines or Bangalore, a |
| aspect of traveling can be included on such a medical | | | | patient may have their operation on the same day of |
| travel trip. It includes medical health care services | | | | their arrival. Additionally, many peoples are finding that |
| (inclusive of elective procedure and complex | | | | insurance coverage either does not cover orthopedic |
| specialized surgeries) like knee/hip replacement, heart | | | | surgery or charges unreasonable restrictions on the |
| surgery, dental procedures and different cosmetic | | | | choice of the facility, surgeon or prosthetics to be |
| surgery. | | | | used within the United States. Medical tourism for |
| The idea of Medical Tourism is not a new one. The | | | | knee or hip replacements has came as one of the |
| earliest recorded event of medical tourism dates | | | | most widely accepted procedures because of the |
| back hundreds of years to when Greek pilgrims | | | | least cost and minimum difficulties concerned with |
| traveled from Mediterranean to the small place in the | | | | traveling to and from the surgery. Colombia offers a |
| Saronic Gulf called Epidauria. This place was the | | | | knee replacement for about $5000 USD including all |
| sanctuary of the healing God Asklepios. Epidauria then | | | | associated charges like FDA approved prosthetics |
| became the original travel destination for medical | | | | and hospital stay over expenses. |
| tourism. | | | | Idea pushing medical traveling assumes lower health |
| In the recent days, people would travel from all over | | | | care services fess as well as the search for medical |
| the world to have surgery done in clinics in the United | | | | experts, quality of care, safety, and waiting times. In |
| States; but, the changing political situation in the USA | | | | he nation Canada, the number of procedures in 2005 |
| imposed unreasonable visa restrictions on many | | | | for which patients were waiting was 782,936. Again, |
| persons who in the past traveled with fewer | | | | in the same year, Canada recorded the highest level |
| restrictions (especially people from the Middle East). | | | | of health spending in its history. |
| What emerged as a result of different factors, | | | | As per the research found in an article by the |
| including the increasing cost of medical care service in | | | | University of Delaware publication, the cost of |
| the US, is a phenomenon which has insurance service | | | | surgery in Bolivia, Argentina, India, Thailand, Colombia, |
| providers, Third Party Administrators (TPA's) and | | | | Philippines can be one tenth of what it is in the United |
| self-insured organization evaluating a future stake in a | | | | States and sometimes even less. A heart valve |
| burgeoning industry that has yet to be fully | | | | replacement that would cost US$200,000 or more in |
| developed. This event in health care service is similar | | | | the U.S., for example, goes for $10,000 in the India |
| to the longstanding practice of sending manufacturing | | | | and that also includes round trip airfare and a |
| and service jobs offshore. However, many analyzers | | | | vacation package. Similarly, a metal free dental bridge |
| are surprised by the fact that services provided by | | | | costs $5,500 in the U.S. and $500 in India and only |
| medical professionals are now going the way of | | | | $200 in the Philippines, a knee replacement in Thailand |
| other industries. Likewise, few industry analyzers | | | | with six days of physical therapy charges about one |
| have noted that medical tourism will result to a $10 | | | | fifth of what it would be in the States, and Lasik eye |
| billion industry by 2009. The advantage to foreign | | | | surgery costs $3,700 in the U.S. is available in many |
| doctors and clinics is obvious, but the future difficulty | | | | other countries for only $730. |
| to American medicine remains unclear and a matter | | | | Medical tourists may come from any parts of the |
| of contention in the American medical service | | | | world and may seek necessary health care services |
| community. | | | | such as cancer treatment and brain and transplant |
| A combination of large numbers of factors has led to | | | | surgery as well as complementary or 'elective' |
| the recent increase in popularity of medical tourism | | | | services like aesthetic treatments. While the medical |
| the huge cost of healthcare in industrialized nations, | | | | tourism component might be a huge draw for few |
| the ease and affordability of international travel, and | | | | Southeast Asia nation that focus on simple |
| the advancement of technology and standards of | | | | procedures. India is positioning itself the primary |
| medical service in many countries of the world. | | | | medical tourism destination for the most complex |
| A big draw to medical tourism is the convenience in | | | | medical procedures in the world. |
| comparison to that of other countries. Few nations | | | | |