Turkish Healthcare Tourism Development Council (THTDC) has been working as a medical tourism cluster in Turkey since 2008. The members of the group are national and international governmental institutions, hospitals, clinics, doctors, medical tourism facilitators.
Medical tourism promises to expand access to reduce costs for Americans and other patients by getting them the care they need. Despite this promise, a number of legal and ethical scholars raised concerns regarding medical tourism’s impact on healthcare access.
Wellmed is the first Medical Tourism facilitator working from Nicaragua with presence in the United States. Wellmed provides solutions both to patients looking for quality procedures/services at affordable prices and to doctors and hospitals looking to improve their market.
Japan has already been accepting thousands of patients from overseas annually – mainly from other Asian countries. The Japanese government has realized the rise in popularity of medical tourism and is now prepared to make efforts to become part of this.
Pan American Life Insurance Group, a leading provider of life and health insurance in Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market. PALIG had strong financial growth in 2011 with the Latin America Group’s sales at a growth of 24 percent.
As scientists continue to develop stem cell therapies, governments are setting their own rules about the use and abuse. With few tested and approved therapies available, especially in the U.S., people are turning to clinics abroad for a miracle cure.
Many health insurance companies have been or are starting to offer options for health coverage in another country. Health Net is now offering the option to employers in Kern County, which will provide medical care locally or in several Mexican border cities.
Mexicali has the location, physicians, pricing and now designated vans and medical tourism lanes from Mexico to Las Vegas. Unfortunately, this type of deal wouldn’t work for all countries trying to attract medical tourists, but it is an innovative approach.
In April the Medical Tourism Association™ traveled to Los Angeles for the annual International Pow Wow. It brings in more than 1,000 American travel organizations and 1,200 international and domestic travel buyers from more than 70 countries.
The federal legislature of Mexico has taken notice as foreign patients continue to flock to their border state for medical care. The lower chamber passed new progressive legislation aimed at making the application of stem cell therapies more uniform.
The medical tourism industry is growing, even if its subfields are expanding, the higher education systems are lagging behind. The lack of a curriculum focused on training professionals for a career in medical tourism is highly evident.
Cruise ships are designed to pamper their guests with luxury, relaxation and fun alongside the medical tourism industry. Most cruise ships are currently equipped to handle medical emergencies and curative treatments.
Dubai Medical Tourism has been set up to implement a number of initiatives that will address the needs of identified markets. Dubai Healthcare City, a healthcare free zone developed to promote medical tourism, is a partner in the initiatives.
Spain’s Health Tourism industry is booming, but not in a good way due to the industry’s finances and about how to regulate costs. As a member of the European Union, Spain serves many patients from member states.
There seems to be some confusion in Britain about the exact uses of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The EHIC provides travelers from the U.K. with healthcare at a reduced cost in other countries around Europe.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Suliman M. Alshuaibi Medical Attaché for the Saudi Arabian Embassy in the U.S. and Canada. Mr. Alshuaibi is responsible for the best care for patients whether sending them out of the country or bringing someone in.
All players in the medical tourism industry are searching for ways to attract more patients with marketing and creating a brand. Developing a Free Healthcare Zone is another way to showcase an area as a destination for healthcare.
Building a strong brand is art and a science and it requires a long term commitment and a creatively executed marketing. A strong brand commands intense consumer loyalty which also translates into consumer willingness to pay a higher price.
As part of the MTA's commitment to education and transparency we will be providing updated information on standard requirements. The MTA receives several calls from medical tourism facilitators and those that want to become a facilitator.
The Global Benefits Association has announced the launch of a global network of hospitals consisting of centers of excellence. One of the challenges multinational employers and insurers have is identifying centers of excellence and building a quality hospital network.
