Health care managers today need to be aware of the rising popularity of medical tourism. Medical tourism is, quite simply, when patients travel to receive their medical care. Often this travel is a result of patients seeking less expensive procedures outside of the United States, where the ‘same‘ procedure may cost only a fraction of the price. According to the Medical Tourism Association, for example, a heart valve replacement may cost $170,000 in the U.S., and would cost only $5,500 in India. Expensive operations, fertility treatments, cosmetic surgery, major dental work, and even pharmaceuticals are all being obtained outside of the country with increasing frequency. According to David G. Vequist IV, PhD., Director of the Center for Medical Tourism Research, “More than 1.1 million Americans traveled abroad in 2009 for some form of medical tourism...”
It is important to note, that not all medical tourism is patients seeking care outside of the United States. Globalization has made world travel more of a possibility than ever before, but it is also simplifying the reality of domestic medical tourism. The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio is renowned for their cardiac care, and not only do they attract clients from all over the world for their great care - but they also have corporate assistance obtaining patients - there is the example of Lowes, the home improvement retail company, which sends their employees and dependents who are in need of cardiac care to the Cleveland Clinic.
As Vequist notes, “Price is not always the reason that people travel for medical care.” If health care managers can help their facilities to find a unique niche, then the growing trend of medical tourism could work in their favor. Health care managers who are able to find such solutions to the growing trend of medical tourism will become an invaluable asset to their workplace.
Further information on medical tourism
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2234298/
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