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Medical Tourism

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MEDICAL TOURISM

ABSTRACT A growing number of people are discovering the benefits of medical tourism. In the U.S.A and throughout the western world, it is becoming common knowledge that medical tourism offers a cheaper option for receiving medical treatment without compromising on quality1. The costs of medical treatment and state-of-the-art technology are the most important factors for Americans in making a decision to travel abroad for treatment2. The cost-conscious factor and availability of accredited facilities have led to the emergence of several global medical tourism corridors3. Asia leads the medical tourism industry worth billions4. Amongst these corridors of health, India has the second largest number of accredited …show more content…

* Immediate access to treatment is possible. * Improved communication opportunities make it easier to find and contact medical centers overseas * International travel is trouble-free and reasonably priced. * Fluent English speaking staff Another factor to consider is health insurance. People without health insurance, or with a limited insurance policy, are more likely to seek other options such as medical tourism. As the price of healthcare services increase, the range of treatments and procedures that the health insurance policies cover decreases. The deductible on a person’s health insurance may turnout to be more expensive than the price of going overseas for treatment. This is one of the major reasons why people who simply cannot afford health insurance, choose traveling abroad as a legitimate alternative. India spends on average $40 a person annually on healthcare and United States spends $8500 a person. The entire GDP of India is $1.6 trillion but U.S. health care spending alone is $2.6 trillion. But both countries are comparable in terms of patient outcomes.
PREPARATION BEFORE OVERSEAS MEDICAL TRAVEL:
(1) GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDER: Collect complete information about the hospitals, doctors and the range of services available at the chosen hospital. (2) IDENTIFY THE DOCTORS AT THE CHOSEN HEALTHCARE: (a) The ‘Find the doctor ‘section in the hospital website offers profiles on

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