We always see a lot of people traveling abroad to find leisure time for themselves or for their family and friends. Especially if there’s an upcoming holiday, you see them preparing for a lot of things before they go. But what we don’t know is that there’s another group of individuals crossing nations for the sake of acquiring budget-friendly medical services. This is commonly known as medical tourism insurance. In fact, one major question about this type is – is it safe for elderly patients to travel abroad for medical tourism knowing the fact their range of motion is more limited than the younger generations?
There are many major reasons as to why medical tourism insurance has become rampant. Here are some of them:
- Significant increase of the number of airlines with affordable air travel rates
- The healthcare costs of rapidly developing countries have dramatically elevated
- Waiting list of individuals, where most are senior citizens, who require health services keeps on getting lengthier
These main reasons have all contributed to the expansion of medical tourism insurance, and companies with this business are undoubtedly booming.
Imagine this scenario – a 50-year old man in America has been required by his cardiologist to undergo an open-heart surgery which costs approximately $70,000 in the country. After a few hours, this man discovered that the same surgery would only cost $7,000 in India. That is a staggering discount of 90%! You don’t need to be extra smart to know the reason as to why countless people prefer to undergo medical procedures to other countries.
Invest Extra Effort in Research
Though medical tourism is a huge advantage if you’re on a limited budget, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to research on the hospital accreditation, the surgeon and the facility. An accredited hospital would never hire an unlicensed doctor, but verifying is still highly recommended. After all, it’s your health we’re talking about.
Aside from doing your research on the internet, you can check out the reviews of the previous patients or if you can, make direct communication with them. Ask questions whether they had any complications especially during the post-operative procedure.
Confirm that the Medical Insurance Does Cover You
Medical tourism insurance will depend on the patient’s case. There are those which will not cover elective procedures. That’s why it’s important to go over your policy as many times as possible. Moreover, book an appointment with the insurance company to find out if the surgery’s expenses you’ll be undergoing abroad will be covered.
Ask Help from the Insurance Company
Processing the papers for you to travel abroad and making sure your expenses are covered can be exhausting. That’s why it’s highly recommended to have an insurance agent help you out in doing everything for you. This agent can help you find the right country you can go to, and the best hospital and surgeon.
Your agent can also help you find a place a stay while you’re out of the country. As long as you know this agent can be trusted, you’re in good hands.
Leave a Reply