Medical travel, medical holiday, medical tourism, wellness tourism, health travel, … are all different ways of referring to the same concept.
Table of Contents
What is medical travel?
Medical travel is the act of traveling abroad to undergo medical treatment. Treatments can range from dental treatments to surgery, anti-aging medical procedures, preventive medicine, diagnostics or even just some wellness-related treatments (meditation, physical therapy, psychological treatment, addiction treatment, spiritual treatments, etc.).
In the past this was usually involving the traveling to less developed countries and was often, and by a majority of professionals, criticized due to shady treatments and filthy hospitals as well as poorly trained physicians performing the surgeries, thus being an endangering choice for the patients. Nowadays, this is not the case anymore; actually it is pretty much the opposite if you know
- where to look for your treatment of choice and
- how to choose a surgeon and a clinic.
Medical tourism could be done for a great number of reasons, but here are our top 9 reasons to travel abroad for medical care, check them out!
1. Cost savings
Depending upon the country you come from, the treatment you need, whether you are insured, uninsured, under-insured you can save up to 85% of the cost of the treatment in your home country by traveling abroad.
2. Excluded treatments
Having an insurance doesn’t mean free 360° health care: your policy may exclude a variety of conditions and treatments, thus making a medical holiday cost saving. Same goes for countries which have a universal healthcare system, which covers many, but not all, treatments available.
3. Better quality care
Quality of facilities, instrumentation, doctors knowledge and experience, as well as nurse/patient and doctor/patient ratios, and many other parameters all match or exceed those found in your home country.
4. Better recovery
Quality of food, quality of care, patient-practitioner ratio (less complications, more patient compliance and lower stress levels both for the patient and for the doctors/nurses), time between admission and discharge (insurances and public hospitals might cut down on inpatient treatment time to save money), quality of the recovery environment (quiet and enjoyable atmospheres lower stress levels) and many other factors affect your recovery, that are all-around 5-star in our handpicked medical travel destinations.
5. Specialty treatments
Some procedures might not be available in your home country while they might be available in our selected destinations, for example some kind of assisted reproductive technology or stem cells treatments. Other procedures are widely practiced (ie. Sex Reassignment in Thailand or Facial contouring in South Korea) so that not only the surgeons have great knowledge and skills, but also a huge experience due to the high number of patients treated not comparable to other surgeons and hospitals in your home country.
6. Shorter waiting periods
Depending from the place you come from and its health-care system, the condition you have or the treatment you seek, your insurance, … you might have to wait weeks, months or even years for certain procedures. To solve your medical issue promptly without having to live with it for a long time because of how the system works, avoid the anxiety of waiting, the stress of not knowing, prolonged pain and physical issues… our medical treatment destinations with their short and almost-non-existent waiting lists could take care of your issue not only in an excellent way, but in a promptly one too.
7. In-patient friendly
Health insurances as well as public hospitals try to save costs by discharging the patients from the hospital as soon as possible, sometimes arguably too soon. In our chosen destinations you will be discharged just at the most appropriate time for you, boosting recovery and lowering the possibility of post-op complications.
8. New experience
Wanting to try something different, enjoying visiting a new country, exotic fruits, beaches, shopping, sightseeing? Depending on what medical procedure you are seeking, you might have the time and possibility to enjoy the medical travel destination of your choice, making a usually unpleasant experience like a hospital stay something more enjoyable, less stressful and overall positive, for both you and your travel companion.
9. Privacy
Many people, especially those undergoing cosmetic procedures, value their privacy and don’t like the idea of being seen with bruises, stitches and bandages by acquaintances, co-workers, friends or family. Some don’t want to disclose to others the fact that they underwent some surgical procedures and so feel the urge to hide until the most visible signs of surgery disappear. Many people feel uncomfortable even to go shopping for food while they heal, to not be seen by anyone. The same persons in a similar setting, but in a different country, would not mind being seen by complete strangers while they recover. Whatever the reason, it will be highly unlikely for you to meet someone you know in a place distant thousands of Kilometers from your country/city. Thus medical travel is the perfect choice for those who look for privacy.
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