Selecting a Medical Tourism Agency

Which Medical Tourism Company Is Best?

Each medical tourism company offers slightly different benefits and packages.  Some cover cosmetic surgery procedures exclusively.  Others stick with South East Asia travel only.  Some agencies will work only with EU citizens.  And other medical tourism companies specialize in travelers with disabilities.  And thus, the first step involves outlining exactly what you want from your medical tourism vacation.   

If you are a 45-year woman who wants hip replacement surgery at the best possible price, your research might take you down one path.  If you’re a 60-year man who requires dental bonding ASAP, your research might take you down a totally different path.  Using our facility finder, you can better narrow down the field and zero-in on a group of medical tourism agencies that meet your needs. 

How Do You further Narrow down Your List?

Because global medical tourism is still in it infancy, the majority of tour operators haven’t established sufficient capital in the industry.  It’s difficult to find a “trusted name” when most medical tourism agencies are younger than 5 years old.  This isn’t to say that young companies are good or bad.  You’ll just need to use a broader range of criteria when assessing the legitimacy of any organization.   

Below are just some of the questions you should bring up when shopping for medical tourism companies.  These are in addition to the questions that every health vacationer should ask prior to committing to a trip.  In addition, we recommend having an attorney present before signing any documents.  With his or her help, you can develop an even more comprehensive list of topics to cover during your research.  

• How many medical tourism trips have you conducted so far?
• How many of these trips were successful (however you choose to define success)?
• May I speak with satisfied customers?
• May I speak with unsatisfied customers?
• Have you ever handled a case exactly like mine (i.e. a procedure in this   country for a person of my age, sex, and condition)?
• What services do you offer?  And may I pick & choose?
• Who bears legal liability in case something goes wrong?
• Who bears the financial responsibility in case something goes wrong?
• In what country, state, or province is your medical tourism/travel company incorporated?
• What medical facility will handle my case?
• How and why did you select this facility?
• How do you vet physicians, nurses, and medical personnel?
• Who accredits this organization?
• May I speak with the physician/dentist beforehand?
• Are you accredited to run tours in this country (your home country)?
• Are you accredited to run tours in the medical tourism country?
• Are you qualified to offer medical advice in this country?
• Are you qualified to offer medical advice in the medical tourism country?
• What is the total cost of the trip (including travel, medical, and miscellaneous)?

For a growing list of medical tourism operators, please consult our facility finder search engine.