Muhammad Imran Alam: Medical Tourism - Frequently Asked Questions

Medical Tourism - Frequently Asked Questions: " Frequently Asked Questions "

What is medical tourism? top

Medical tourism is simply the process of traveling abroad to a specific destination to obtain certain medical procedures. Medical tourism is certainly not a new concept. Canadians and Europeans have been traveling outside their regions for years to obtain medical procedures due the long waiting periods associated with socialized medicine. The global elite have been traveling to the US for years as well to our world renowned hospitals, such as Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and MD Anderson. Now US citizens have an excellent opportunity to seek top quality procedures outside the US, where they can recover in anonymity and luxury at more affordable rates.

Who are medical tourists? top

Medical tourists are generally residents of the industrialized nations of the world and primarily originate from The United States, Canada, Great Britain, Western Europe, Australia, and The Middle East. But more and more, people from many other countries of the world are seeking out places where they can obtain their medical care at an affordable cost.

What kind of healthcare do medical tourists obtain? top

A myriad of options exist for medical tourists - from purely elective procedures such as face lifts, liposuction, tummy tucks, breast augmentation, dental crowns, and LASIK, to more serious procedures such as joint replacements, spinal disc replacements, hysterectomies, and cardiac bypass surgery - medical tourists can now obtain many types of medical or surgical procedure abroad in a safe and effective manner for a fraction of the cost that they would face in their home countries.

What services are included? top

There are a host of services incorporated in our medical travel program. We will walk you through the entire process. You need not be aware of anything about the medical tourism process other than your wish to receive a medical procedure. Please follow this link to receive more information about our process: http://www.medretreat.com/medical_tourism/medical_tourism_process.html

Why should I consider medical or surgical procedures outside the US? top

The cost of the medical procedures in the countries that we participate is generally 50 to 80 percent less expensive than the same procedures in the US. This cost differential enables you the opportunity to have a vacation in an exotic country, recover in a 4 to 5 star resort in complete anonymity, and then return home having spent less than the procedure alone in the US.

What happens if something goes wrong? top

A legitimate concern that most people have when considering medical care abroad is legal recourse in the event that something goes wrong. To date no formal legal framework has been established to protect international patents while receiving medical care outside the U.S. If this is an overriding concern to you, then you should perhaps consider remaining in the U.S. for your medical procedure. In the unlikely event that some medical malpractice error does occur, it would be very unrealistic to expect any financial recourse in a foreign jurisdiction.

However, it is important to understand that international patients still have tremendous leverage in insuring the best possible outcomes. This leverage is the international brand image of any hospital seeking to attract foreign patients. They fully understand that one mistake with an international patient could potentially end up on CNN Headline news the next day. Such negative publicity would certainly be a detrimental blow to their international patient flow for some time. Since these hospitals have invested vast resources in cultivating their global brand image, they have a huge incentive to insure that you are safe and satisfied during every phase of your medical retreat. Of course there are still no guarantees when undergoing surgery, but that goes for your local hospital down the street from you as well.

Is cost the most important factor that I should consider? top

Absolutely not, however, cost is always an important factor to consider when seeking medical care. If you work with MedRetreat, we will assist you in finding the facilities and doctors that will be much less expensive than in the US. However, we do not encourage you to travel abroad for surgery because it is cheaper. Surgery is a risky procedure, regardless where it is performed and should be taken very seriously and discussed with your family and other professionals. If you are serious about a surgery abroad, we can inform you about where you will find the best hospitals and doctors to perform your surgical procedure and save money.

What is the typical cost difference of medical procedures abroad? top

The difference in price depends upon the medical procedure you choose. In reviewing the cost of many procedures in the US, versus the same ones performed in our selected destinations, costs are typically 50-80% lower abroad. The greatest cost savings is typically found in cardiac procedures (75-90% lower fees outside of the United States). If you have received quotes in the US for $10,000, you can expect the same procedure to cost between $2,000 and $5,000. This significant cost reduction enables you purchase a round trip air ticket, recover in a 5 star resort, buy a new wardrobe, and return home saving money.

Why is medical care so much cheaper in certain countries? top

Although many countries have imitated our world-renowned health care system in terms of quality and technology, they have not adopted our legal system completely. Doctors in the US are required to pay medical malpractice insurance that usually cost over $100,000 annually. Foreign doctors are required to pay medical malpractice insurance as well, but their costs are as low as $4000 annually. In addition to this insurance, certain economies are at different stages of development than the US. This absolutely does not mean that their healthcare technologies and institutions are behind the US. In fact, most of the private hospitals in our network use exactly the same equipment and instruments as the most advanced hospitals in the US.

Here are some other reasons why the costs are less overseas:

Lower cost of labor
Lower real estate values
Lower construction costs (to build hospitals)
Favorable exchange rates
Lower government taxes
No accounts receivable collections issues with medical tourism patients (cash/credit card payment before release from hospital)
No emergency room bad debt
Less administrative paper shuffling
Less bureaucracy/red tape
Cheaper medical supplies/equipment/medications

How can I trust the quality of the foreign doctors? top

To begin with, one of our key service offerings to you is to provide all the information to you about the doctors in order for you to make the most educated decision possible. We will provide you with resumes and facilitate phone conversations or even video conferences. If you are still not comfortable, we will work to provide you with the information about the doctors that is important to you.

Additionally, many of the doctors in our network were educated in the US. Some have even practiced in the US for years and remain Board Certified in the US.

How can I correspond with a doctor in a foreign country? top

As part of our health tourism service, we will help facilitate the initial consultation between you and the doctor. Additional correspondence before traveling can be conducted via phone, email, and/or video-conference, if desired. For cosmetic surgery, the doctors will want to see images of the designated regions for surgery. These images can easily be sent via email though the use of a privacy number that will be assigned to you to protect your anonymity..

Are the hospitals safe? top

We will do all that we can to insure that you are comfortable with the hospitals that you review. A large part of our value to you is that we have visited these facilities personally and can attest to their standards of hygiene, modernity and use of technology. We will also be your advocates to assist in obtaining necessary statistics for your chosen facility. Additionally, even though the hospitals in our network have accreditation from their government and non-government entities, we will continue to work with the executive management teams of the foreign hospitals in our network to seek accreditation from the Joint Commission International.

Why have you selected Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, India, Malaysia, Mexicao, Thailand, Turkey and South Africa as your medical tourism destinations? top

That is an excellent question since there are many countries around the world that provide medical care at a fraction of the cost in the US. In the future we may possibly add new destination packages to our network. However, in selecting these destinations, we took several important factors into consideration. First and foremost, we selected countries with the most established, most experience and highest quality in the global medical tourism sector. Next we selected countries that are investing immense resources into building up their medical tourism infrastructure. This means that in addition to their healthcare facilities and technology, they also have built advanced transportation and communications systems. Then we reviewed their healthcare standards, professionalism and quality of their doctors. For more information about these countries, please contact us.

Can you select or advise which doctors and/or hospitals to visit? top

Our sole purpose is to provide you with the necessary tools and information to make an informed and educated choice about medical tourism options. We absolutely will not encourage, advise, advocate or underwrite any of the doctors or healthcare facilities in our network. The choice is completely up to you. We will facilitate your research and provide answers to multitude of questions that you may have.

What if I don’t find the procedure that I am interest in on you website? top

If you are interested in or require a certain procedure that is not listed on our website, please contact us so that we may assist you in your search. Our network covers a wide spectrum of medical procedures, from the least invasive procedures to the most advanced procedures.

What if my family doctor advises against a medical procedure abroad? top

Such advice is certainly to be expected. Rest assured that the US is not the only country that has rigorous healthcare standards and strong patient rights. If fact, you may be surprised to learn that your local hospital has lost accreditation due to poor quality standards. Many hospitals throughout the world are accredited by the JCAHO or Joint Commission International, a US based hospital accreditation organization. Check to see if your hospital is accredited by the JCAHO.

How can it be safe to travel so far after a surgical procedure? top

Your travel plans will be entirely dictated by the surgical procedure you select. Once you select a procedure and destination, we inform you about the recommended recuperation time required before return travel.

How do I know MedRetreat is a legitimate, ethical company? top

MedRetreat has been in existence since July of 2003 and has had an international presence since January of 2004. We are a member in good standing with the Better Business Bureau (BBB.) The BBB only accepts members that are registered as a U.S. company. Please feel free to check our status by visiting the following link: BetterBusinessBureau

Why should I work with a medical tourism service agency? top

You don’t have to work with a medical tourism service agency. You can contact an overseas hospital directly, schedule your appointments, and book all your arrangements on your own. Many people have done this. However, if you work with a reputable service agency, they have taken care of all the guesswork for you. They have personally inspected all of their affiliate hospitals, met the doctors, and have established strong relationships with their affiliates. They will have a direct connection to all the administrators of your hospital. Equally important, they will have many past clients that have had your procedure, whom they can refer you to speak about their experience with the destination, the doctor, the hospital, and even the hotel. Pages could be written about the value of working with a service agency, versus attempting to manage the process on your own.

Can I speak with a past client about their experience? top

Absolutely. Once you decide to move forward with MedRetreat, we will be happy refer you to past clients that have had the procedure that you are seeking. In return, we will appreciate your referrals once you return from your medical retreat. This being said, we totally respect the privacy of all our clients and will only assign referrals to those that give permission to do so.

How long will I have to remain in the destination after my procedure? top

It depends on your selected procedure. In most cases the required length of stay in your destination will be between 2 and 3 weeks. Your surgeon will advise you on the length of stay in the hospital and destination in your initial pre-travel quotation.

What if I need to make changes to my itinerary when I am already abroad? top

No problem. If you need to make any changes to your medical retreat itinerary, your Program Manager will take care of all the work for you. They will revise your flight itinerary, as well as your hotel stay. They will even contact family and friends back in the USA to inform them of your changes.

What are your hours of operations? top

Our Program Managers are available 24/7 to serve you. They sleep with their cell phones so that they are in constant contact with you. You will never have to worry about being abroad and not being able to contact us for assistance.

How can I contact MedRetreat while am I abroad? top

Prior to you departure from the US, you will be given 4 contact numbers. These contacts include your US Program Manager, Destination Program Manager, the Director of Facilitation, and the Managing Director of MedRetreat. In most destinations, you will receive a cell phone to use through the duration of your medical retreat. This cell phone is programmed with all the pertinent phone numbers that you will need.

What happens if I arrive at my destination and I decide not to proceed with my procedure? top

At MedRetreat, we offer a Guarantee, which stipulates that if you decide to not go through with your procedure after meeting your doctor and touring the hospital, you will be refunded 100% of your initial deposit. For more information, please see our Guarantee.

If I bring a relative or friend, will there be an additional charge? top

We encourage our clients to bring a companion along with them. They can stay in the same hotel room at no additional charge. In fact, many of our hotel affiliates offer large buffet breakfast for two. The only extra expense that your companion will incur will be the cost of the flight, meals, and other travel essentials.

Can I make my own flight arrangements? top

Yes. You can make your own flight arrangements. However, we strongly encourage our clients to use our affiliate travel partner so that in the event you need to make any changes to your medical retreat flight itinerary, we easily work with our travel partner to make those changes on your behalf. Although you may find a cheaper flight over the internet, making changes could be very difficult.

Can I use my frequent flyer miles for my flight? top

Yes, many of our clients have used their frequent flyer mileage for additional savings. Once you begin working with our travel partner, they will assist you in finding flights that will accept your frequent flyer miles.

Can I book my own hotel stay? top

Yes. You can arrange your own hotel stay. However, we strongly recommend that you stay in one of our affiliate hotels. The simple reason is our concern for your safety. We have personally selected our affiliate hotels based upon their proximity to the hospitals, reputation for customer service, safety, amenities, and convenience. If you're not familiar with the destination, you could select a hotel that is less expensive than our affiliate partners, but may be in an unsafe area or have poor customer service.

Muhammad Imran Alam

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Thursday, August 4, 2011

Medical Tourism - Frequently Asked Questions

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