Medical and Health tourism

In some developed countries the medical treatment is a costly affair, specially when it comes to operations of the hearts or change of some organ like knee joints kidneys etc., combined with limited medical resources that often require patients to wait months or years for treatment, is behind an exciting new trend with excellent possibilities for medical care. The trend is often called Health Travel, and it combines travel with having low cost surgery abroad. Since many people have employer provided medical insurance, and since time away from work is needed to take advantage of Global Health Care, it is important for both employers and patients to understand how medical tourism works. In brief, patients travel to qualified medical facilities in other countries, where high quality medical care is provided at a fraction of what it would cost if it were done domestically, and often long before the patient could have the procedure at home, where waiting lists are common. In some oil rich countries where medical facilities are sufficient for every body citizen go abroad for treatments, as in old times people used to go to SWITZERLAND for treatment and for climate change for recuperating after illness.

Today, many employers are looking into the benefits of using a Medical Tourism Company as part of a plan to cut employee health care costs. Employers who offer medical tourism to their employers often discover that they are able to pick up a significant portion of the costs, including travel, and still save money on their employee health care benefits. Those who work for these companies are finding that essential procedures like a low cost dental treatment, dental surgery abroad, or receiving a gastric band abroad also decreases their out of pocket expenses, because they pay lower deductibles and their contribution toward the cost of their health insurance is reduced. Many health insurance companies are now offering policies that include Health Travel as an option, meaning employers have competitive choices when it comes to providing health insurance. Medical travel packages fully integrated with the health plans are also becoming more available, so travel costs are reduced, as well. Employers and patients alike are beginning to compare medical tourism prices to what they would pay locally, and many are finding the cost savings to be

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substantial, while the quality of their care is excellent.


The Government of India is taking serious initiatives in this
regard and plans to start overseas marketing of India as a medical tourism destination. The government of India is of the opinion that by marketing India as a global medical tourism destination, it could capitalize on the low-cost, high-quality medical care available in the country. India, promoted as one of the favorite destinations for information technology majors, is currently emerging as the chosen destination for medical or health tourism. The Government of India, State tourism boards, travel agents, tour operators, hotel companies and private sector hospitals are exploring the medical tourism industry for tremendous opportunities. They are seeking to capitalize on the opportunities by combining the country's popular leisure tourism with medical tourism.

Statistics estimate that the medical tourism industry in India is currently worth billions while a study by CII-McKinsey estimates that the country could well earn trillions by the year 2012. The Indian medical tourism industry, growing at an annualized rate of 30 percent, caters to patients chiefly from the US, Europe and Africa. Couples of hundred thousands medical tourists have visited India. There lots of competition in this field also

What makes it so attractive? Primary is the cost factor. The medical costs in India are a fraction of the costs in the US/Europe. For instance, a heart surgery costs $6,000 in India as against $30,000 in the US. Similarly, a bone marrow transplant costs $26,000 in India as compared to $2,50,000 in the US. Foreign patients throng Indian hospitals to pass up the long waiting lists and queues in their native countries. The NHS >patients in UK have to wait for months for Hip/Knee replacements surgery. Indian hospitals provide immediate attention to patients rather than asking them to wait for several months like in most western countries.
India's top notch private hospitals like Apollo, Fortis,Max Health Care have gained international recognition for their state-of-the-art facilities and diagnostic centers besides unsurpassed technical skills. Their technology and procedures are state of the art and on par with hospitals in developed nations. Foreign patients can get attractive package deals including flights, transfers, hotels, treatment and post-operative vacation for their medical visits to India. India has some

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world class SPAs and Ayurvedic facilities which help recuperation and healing. Naturopathic treatment centers are extra benefit.