Are Health Vacations Becoming Too Mainstream?

Boom Forecast for Health Vacations

A recent study by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions forecasts that medical tourism will grow significantly over the next few years.  The current number of patients who travel on health vacations is around 750,000 patients annually, and this is expected to touch 6 million patients annually by 2011, the report says. There are several indicators pointing to this change in the winds, and the most important of these is the fact that the American Medical Association has issued guidelines to insurance companies, medical tourism agencies, and other components that may be involved in helping patients travel outside the US for heath vacations.  Medical tourism is moving slowly but surely from the fringes of the American health care system to becoming an accepted part of the way Americans choose to access health care.

The most important factor driving medical tourism is the low cost of procedures abroad.  Hip resurfacing surgery that costs as much as $50,000 in the US can be 80% less in countries like India.  The savings are not only in highly specialized areas like hip resurfacing surgery that are only available at selected Western facilities.  Comparable savings can also be found for cosmetic procedures and even non-surgical cosmetic treatments like Botox.  In fact, there is an entire menu of medical procedures that you can choose from on health vacations to India, Brazil, Israel, Hungary, Thailand, Costa Rica, or even Mexico.

Insurance Companies and Medical Tourism Agencies Support Industry

With more insurers jumping on the medical tourism bandwagon, and several agencies involved in facilitating travel arrangements for those who wish to travel abroad for medical treatment, it will become easier than ever to enjoy a health vacation aboard.  As it becomes clear that medical tourism can actually take some of the pressure off the US heath care system, patients will begin to find it easier to make the decision to travel abroad for treatment.  

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