Each year, thousands of Americans travel outside the United States for medical treatment and care. This growing category of health care is known as medical tourism, health tourism or health travel services. Since the term is so broad, it’s worth explaining what medical tourism is and why some people choose to travel outside their own country for health care.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no single definition of medical tourism, and this makes it difficult to determine the number of people across the globe who seek medical care outside their home countries. In some cases, the term medical tourism is used to describe people who travel to other countries for elective procedures, such as cosmetic surgery or dentistry. In other cases, it applies to people who are seeking the most advanced care available for a specific condition, or who return to their country of birth to qualify for nationalized or universal health care.
However, there is no doubt that medical tourism is a global enterprise and interest. The U.S. International Trade Commission estimated that health travel into the United States added up to an estimated $1.8 billion in 2013, while Americans spent an estimated $1.4 billion on outbound medical tourism that same year.
According to the WHO, the most common drivers for medical tourism globally are:
- Most advanced technology (40 percent)
- Better quality care for necessary procedures (32 percent)
- Quicker access for necessary procedures (15 percent)
- Lower cost of care for necessary procedures (9 percent)
- Lower cost of care for discretionary procedures (4 percent)
For many Americans traveling for medical tourism, the most common reasons for traveling are cost of care and access to experimental or new procedures that aren’t available in the United States. This is especially true for Americans who don’t have health insurance or who are underinsured. For example, a knee replacement in India can cost $20,000 less than the same surgery in the United States.
U.S. government surveys estimate that between 150,000 and 320,000 travelers list health care as the reason for traveling outside the United States; their most frequent destinations are South America, Central America and the Caribbean. This list of regions also may reflect residents living in the United States who choose to return to their countries of origin for care.
For people living in the United States, the most common reasons for medical tourism are for cosmetic surgery, dentistry and heart surgery, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From the statistics, it’s clear that medical tourism is a varied enterprise, and according to at least one report, spending related to medical tourism is expected to grow by 25 percent year-over-year through 2026.
Arranging Transportation after Medical Tourism
Medical tourism is not without its risks. Issues of safety and liability are a concern for anyone traveling outside the United States for health care, according to the CDC and U.S. International Trade Commission. Communication with health care providers, the risk of infection, care offered during the recovery period, and the risk of blood clots post-surgery are also considerations.
Patients who are traveling as medical tourists should consider asking a friend or family member to travel with them if they are having surgery or other invasive medical procedure. Working with a medical transportation and escort service also can provide peace of mind for people who are planning to travel for medical care. A medical escort can travel with a patient who is recovering from surgery and provide needed medical care throughout the journey, including medication administration and assistance with the customs process.
SentinelMED provides medical transportation, medical repatriation, and medical escort services to medical tourists and others who require medical assistance to return to their homes in safety and comfort. In many cases, patients travel on commercial airlines with a SentinelMED escort who is an ICU- or emergency-medicine professional. This service is a cost-effective alternative to an air ambulance.
The SentinelMED team understands the complexity of delivering exceptional care to patients who need assistance during travel. Please contact us to learn more about the services that SentinelMED offers or its staff.
