Leading Edge Medical Procedures Not Available in the United States

While much of the discussion about medical travel is in the context of cost savings, money is not the only factor driving demand. Many advanced procedures are available in other countries long before they are available in America, primarily due to a slower regulatory approval process in the U.S.  This article discusses examples, such as hip resurfacing, stem cells, hearing devices, and stents

JCI Accreditation: an Interview with Karen Timmons

The Joint Commission is a Chicago-based organization which accredits 15,000 hospitals in the United States. The Joint Commission International (JCI) is its subsidiary which accredits hospitals outside the U.S. As the medical travel trend grows, JCI accreditation is becoming an important benchmark for quality standards.

Following a recent industry conference, Medical Tourism Insight editor Andrew Everett interviewed Karen Timmons, CEO of JCI, in order to find out more about how JCI works, and what accreditation means to patients.

International Medical Travel Association Formed

The International Medical Travel Association (IMTA) was formally launched at a press conference in Cyprus on March 24. The organization seeks to represent the interests of medical travelers and the medical travel industry, including health care providers and medical travel facilitators.

Innovative State Legislators Advance Medical Tourism Bills

Innovative state legislators in West Virginia and Colorado have introduced bills to their respective state legislatures that would offer incentives to state employees to take advantage of the costs savings available through overseas medical care.

Special Senate Hearings on Medical Tourism

On June 26, 2006, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held a Special Hearing, “The Globalization of Health Care: Can Medical Tourism Reduce Health Care Costs?” that explored the growing trend of medical tourism. This meeting provided a range of perspectives – from a patient who had heart surgery in India, to a self-insured company that is considering adding overseas hospitals as an option in its employee health plan. This compilation provides brief highlights of each participant’s testimony at the hearing with a link to their complete statement.

Can Medical Tourism Enable
Affordable Health Insurance?

Twenty percent of Americans between the ages of 19 and 64 have no health insurance. While medical tourism — traveling overseas to obtain lower cost medical care — is a compelling option for these people when they need surgery, it could also be a means of making health insurance more affordable to them. Though not widespread, there are some indications that this trend may be emerging. In this article, learn about forthcoming individual health insurance plans, as well as employers who are currently using medical tourism to reduce employee benefit costs.

Overview of Medical Tourism

Medical tourism — traveling overseas to obtain lower cost medical care — has its origins in cosmetic surgery, but is quickly growing to cover the spectrum of medical procedures, including neurosurgery, hip and knee replacements, and heart surgery.

Choosing and Working with a Health Travel Planner

Health travel planners offer patients seeking overseas medical care with a number of valuable services. A good planner works in collaboration with the patient, considering treatment needs, budget, and lifestyle preferences to design a package providing the most healthy, comfortable experience possible.

U.S. Medical Interpreter Association Goes Global

The Massachusetts Medical Interpreters Association announced that it has reformed as the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) and will expand its mission to decrease healthcare disparities worldwide through the advancement of professional medical interpreters.

Medical Tourism: The Key to U.S. Health Care Reform?

Health care reform is front-page news across the U.S.  Discussion on the federal level is largely focused on how to pay for health insurance plans through employer mandates, government entitlements, tax deductions and tax credits. By and large, the plans do not address the underlying problem of exorbitant medical care costs.

Conference Highlights: Medical Tourism Asia

IBC-Asia hosted a conference called Medical Tourism Asia 2007, February 26-28 in Singapore. This article includes some highlights from the topics presented.