It is inevitable that a United States citizen receiving medical care abroad will experience a less than satisfactory outcome. Because cost and access were primary motivations for the patient to seek care in another country.
You need just a little extra patience and consideration to have a wonderful experience. The transport and the range of hotels in some ways eclipse those you will find at home and you will comfortably get by with English in any established tourist town or city.
Within the medical tourism industry, networking is connecting with others in the industry, sharing knowledge and information and uncovering hidden opportunities, but more importantly, it is about building relationships and getting to know people.
At Joint Commission International (JCI) we are constantly learning and sharing the knowledge gleaned from over 55 years of experience working with many hospitals we accredited around the world.
Overseas healthcare facilities marketing themselves as a suitable alternative for the North American patient, the inevitable question is “how safe are they?” and “will I receive the same quality of care I would receive in an American hospital?”
If international hospitals are to succeed in attracting Americans they first need to succeed in narrowing their marketing efforts. Just as many hospitals have been misled into believing Medicare will soon be approving overseas medical treatment.
U.S. Employers juggling the high costs of healthcare are always looking for solutions, flexibility on benefit coverage, and ways to reduce the cost of their healthcare. Partial Self Funding/Self Insurance with Stop Loss Coverage is an attractive alternative.
The U.S. Healthcare system is in double, perhaps triple, jeopardy; to coin a popular legal phrase used to get the point across that the situation is dire. The statistics should be very familiar to everyone in the health and healthcare industry.
Medical tourism is greatly influenced by the global economic environment. This article explains the impact of currency exchange rates in the medical tourism marketplace with particular attention to the meaning of a weakening US dollar.
As Americans seek care in other countries, they look for reassurance that health care organizations abroad meet certain quality. Therefore, hospitals abroad who hope to attract Americans to their institutions often seek JCI accreditation.
People have been traveling across the continents in search of cures for any imaginable illnesses and making therapeutic trips for health wellness. In ancient Greece pilgrims and patients came from all over the Mediterranean to the sanctuary of the healing god.
The needs of the “Medical Tourist” are much different than those of someone traveling on business or vacation. Historically, for a medical tourist, staying at a traditional hotel comes with much apprehension.
The historical fee for service method does not align quality of treatment and treatment results with reimbursement ~ but rather with volume of treatment. Financial incentives have been demonstrated to change behavior.
While no one should avoid seeking medical care in an emergency, all tourists should be aware that their privacy may receive more or less protection depending on where they are. Depending on where patients are coming from and where they are going.
It seems like every day you see the same statistics quoted in the news media, cited by candidates running for political office or in the trade press, that as many as 50 million Americans have no health insurance.
American patients pursue health care in medical destinations primarily to save money. Employers and insurance companies are exploring offshore healthcare options for the same reason.
Costa Rica not only has universal health care, but Costa Rica is considered to have one of the best health care systems in all of Latin America The government runs more than 30 hospitals and 250 clinics.
Costa Rica is well known around the world as a premier ecotourism destination. Its proximity, stunning scenery and friendly locals have been luring North American travelers for at least three decades, long before the term “ecotourism” became popular.
All our patients not only leave satisfied with the medical result obtained they leave thankful for having found a different way of medical care. From the medical point of view it behooves just to mention that in Costa Rica we have the highest longevity index.
With so many choices available to us, it is sometimes difficult to discern truth from fiction and make sense of the mountain of information that is coming our way. This is especially true when it comes to choosing and trusting the right hospital.
