US Consumer Finances in Distress

A large segment of Medical Tourism is patients seeking cheaper treatment without compromising on quality (if possible).

A key driver for this in the US market is state of household finances (Daily Telegraph article) and the amount of cash available for discretionary spending. Discretionary spending is not just SUVs but also purchasing annual medical insurance. Both are being squeezed.

Importantly businesses are retrenching in this area as well and are looking to examine, reduce or close medical benefits packages. Generally this situation is most pronounced with lower wage employees, the self-employed and contractors.

For medical tourism companies this opens opportunities, however patients in this situation require even more sensitive management as they balance tight finances with medical obligations.

Medical Tourism in India

India has been the most attractive destination for the visitors around the globe. India has the best medical technology and great skilled Physicians, who are well trained and experienced in Key Hole surgeries in all specialities.

But the recent trend in the medical tourism sector shows a propelling growth in the travel & tourism industry. This is not only due to the heritage attraction of the country but the medical tourism India which has depicted a steady southward movement, of late.

Why should people rush India for treatment? The simple equation is that the medical treatment package price in India is 35% to 40% lesser than the treatment cost in USA or Thailand.

A patient can travel to India, with a affordable price, and receive an excellent quality care and have an opportunity to visit attractive places, which includes the emerging concept in Ayurvedic medicine with holistic massages, and yoga and meditation, and not to forget the tourism packages supplement with lucrative offers like house boats in back waters of kerala, which provides a complete relaxation therapy before they go home.

India has got the benefit of English speaking populace. So there would not be any problem in making out and addressing the quandary due to the language difference. Not just because of the discount but the superiority concern also.

India has got the world eminent doctors & hospitals where all the services are provided to the patients. So when you can get the best health care in India then why not opt for India as the destination for medical treatment tourism. A number of specialty hospitals in India are -

MIOT Hospitals - Chennai.
Lifeline Hospitals - Chennai
Wochkardts Hospitals - Mumbai, Bangalore
Max Health Care - Delhi.
Lakeshore Hospital - Kerala.
Sunrise Hospital - Kerala
Smile Stylers - Kerala
Apollo Group of Hotels - Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Columbo

The tale does not cease here. In India the use of radioactive isotopes in small quantities and scanning of the same through the sophisticated Gamma camera has uplifted the standing of India in the medical care community of the world.

The medical services range from dental care to cosmetic surgery packages. Competitive pricing is another unique selling proposition (USP) for India.

CMA calls for national solution to medical tourism

The federal government should step in to help Canadians denied costly medical treatments outside the country, the head of the Canadian Medical Association says.
Ontario has several high-profile cases of people fighting to have the province pay for procedures such as joint replacements or cutting edge cancer treatments that they couldn't get at home.
Ontario is now reviewing its position on out-of-country treatments after receiving pressure from the provincial ombudsman.
It can be confusing for people to navigate provincial bureaucracies, said Dr. Colin McMillan, president of the Canadian Medical Association.
"One of the things we have suggested is a special access fund that the federal government might consider setting up, a fund of last resort if you like," said McMillan.
The fund would be an option for people in any province or territory who for whatever reason are unable to get care in a timely basis and have to turn to another province or country, he said.
The federal government should step in to help Canadians denied costly medical treatments outside the country, the head of the Canadian Medical Association says.
Ontario has several high-profile cases of people fighting to have the province pay for procedures such as joint replacements or cutting edge cancer treatments that they couldn't get at home.
Ontario is now reviewing its position on out-of-country treatments after receiving pressure from the provincial ombudsman.
It can be confusing for people to navigate provincial bureaucracies, said Dr. Colin McMillan, president of the Canadian Medical Association.
"One of the things we have suggested is a special access fund that the federal government might consider setting up, a fund of last resort if you like," said McMillan.
The fund would be an option for people in any province or territory who for whatever reason are unable to get care in a timely basis and have to turn to another province or country, he said.
No reimbursement for $477,000 bill
Adolfo Flora resorted to going overseas for treatment after he was denied a liver transplant in Ontario because of the limited number of organs available and his cancer tumours had grown too large. At Christmas time in 1999, specialists told Flora he had six months to live.
Feeling healthy at age 50, the Toronto high school teacher went to England where doctors performed an experimental procedure that cost Flora more than $470,000.
Flora said he no longer lives under a cancer death sentence, but his mother sold her home and he borrowed money from a friend to pay for the treatment.
"To characterize the Ontario government's stance, I think it's very uncaring," said Flora.
He feels the provincial government has a responsibility to help Ontarians who have trusted the system to provide for their needs.
Flora said he'll appeal his case in court, arguing it's not right that he was forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for treatment to save his life.
Flora now aims to see his 13-year-old son grow up and graduate from university.

Canadians Pay More for Treatment

Generally medical tourism is typified as patients seeking to save money by travelling. The most common medical tourism is patients seeking either better treatment or faster treatment; in both cases at greater expense that available locally to the patient. This interesting article points out that dissatisfaction with their own public health system is driving canadians to seek treatment in the USA at much greater expense and that fear that time wasted waiting for treatment is in its own right a medical danger.

Arabs Travel to Singapore

At this stage in the development of the medical tourism market, all you read is stories about people travelling and about how one community is choosing to travel to a single destination. In this case increasing numbers of arab nationals are choosing Singapore over the closer Indian centres.

Out of 8.9 million tourists in 2005, the total number of medical patients who travelled to Singapore was some 374,000 which means about 4% of all Singaporean visitors are patients.

What we don't know is how many planned this treatment, how many required treatment after arrival and why they chose Singapore above India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.