Is Medical Tourism Dangerous?

Is There a Downside to Cheap Healthcare?

Cheap healthcare has always been sought after by those who are overlooked and underserved by health programs and coverage in their home countries. Medical tourism, thus, was an inevitable industry in an age where consumers constantly look for the best value for the money.  However, this globalization of medicine has not been without its detractors.  As one doctor eloquently put it,

“Overseas medical facilities are not required to follow the high standards… It is quite conceivable that patients…will end up back home in United States hospitals with complications, adding to the health care cost and burden, affecting all of us.” 

Comments like this were quite common in the early days of medical tourism and, indeed, still persist.  Much of the fear has since evaporated, though, as more and more tourists are setting their sights abroad each year.  In recent years, insurance companies have also shown interest in providing coverage for operations conducted abroad, and financing is commonly available for elective surgeries.  Consumers now have the opportunity to select from a whole world (literally) of specialists and to combine any necessary surgery with a dream vacation. 

Affordable Cataract Surgery minus the Fear

Despite the almost constant criticism and certainly very real risk involved, the influx of patients to less-developed countries like Mexico has only increased.  Is medical tourism dangerous?  To the uninformed, it certainly can be.  Those who do their background checks well in advance, though, typically get exactly what they wanted at a terrific price.  Doctors and clinics in Mexico, or whichever country you have chosen, should be checked to ensure that they are adequately certified and accredited.  In Mexico, for example, the Entidad Mexicana de Acceditación is a full member of the International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation and provides verifiable standards for accredited institutions.  Proper accreditation gives you, as a consumer, more confidence in the clinic and surgeon providing its services.  So you can take that affordable cataract surgery and leave the fear behind.  If you're new to the research angle, try visiting our Forums or FAQs.  These can serve as useful launching pads for more focused "homework."

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