Medical tourism has been shown to be an effective way of securing affordable and quality health care while travelling abroad. It is a multimillion dollar industry that is quickly growing in size, becoming more accessible to the masses. This has led to a variety of medical procedures and treatments being provided in foreign locations. So, can medical tourism provide cost-effective healthcare options?
Cost
The cost of phuket medical tourism procedures is often far less expensive than what is currently available in the patient’s home country. This can mean savings of millions of dollars, depending on the procedure. Patients who opt for low-cost medical tourism are more likely to access high quality diagnostic and treatment services. This, in turn, reduces overall healthcare expenditure. Instead of paying for health care out of pocket or through insurance, patients can travel overseas for cheaper alternatives and use their savings to pay for other expenses such as accommodation and food.
Quality
Medical tourism should not be looked upon as a way of saving money because of lower quality. Patients who seek medical tourism are often travelling to countries where the quality is the same, if not better, than that in developed nations. Some countries even have stricter requirements for practicing medicine than do some nations in Western Europe and North America. Sometimes medical tourists travel further afield in order to take advantage of more advanced facilities, as well as personal care from medical specialists who make house calls.
Localization
In the United States alone, there are over 40 countries that provide health care. In these places, medical tourism is a well-established practice and the standard of care is the same as that in America. This makes it easier for patients to choose to travel domestically rather than overseas if they have certain issues. Patients are also able to take advantage of more convenient locations since many international healthcare centers are located near major international cities and airports.
National pride
Freedom for medical tourism is offered because patients can decide to travel where and when they want. This gives them the freedom to choose affordable and high-quality healthcare facilities, rather than being tied down by long waiting lists or having to go through the same treatment in multiple hospitals.
Confidentiality
Patients are able to select their own medical specialists from countries in which they are not familiar with the language or culture. This may be a reason why some patients choose to travel overseas rather than travelling back home.