WHAT IS MEDICAL TOURISM AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?
The juxtaposition of the two words ‘medical’ and ‘tourism’ still strikes some people as odd, as it may to you. However, it is a real phenomenon, as health care costs continue to escalate, and wait times become more inconvenient, especially for elective procedures. More Canadians have expressed a willingness to travel to foreign countries such as Mexico, India, and the Far East, as they encounter time and cost obstacles that impair their quality of life and delay their healing. Others are concerned about the quality of medical care they receive domestically, or access to procedures performed regularly in other parts of the world that the Canadian health care system either doesn’t allow or won’t pay for. For the most part, medical travelers have had to rely on word of mouth, information online, or from books and magazines – not always the most up-to-date or reliable sources. So this piece is a primer for those interested in learning more. The infrastructure for medical tourism in Mexico operates with top domestic and international hospital organizations and healthcare providers delivering the highest level of quality of healthcare possible to patients from Canada, the USA and elsewhere. Every day, more and more people make the trip, citing various reasons typically concerning cost and/or timing, and it has created a very competitive market giving effective cost savings to buyers. Medical organizations, private hospitals and medical spa’s are focused on ensuring patient safety by offering transparency about the quality of healthcare that can be found in various destinations throughout Mexico. The hospital & medical clinic construction boom has been in small clinics & surgery centres, as well as big, high quality hospitals. A number of factors are fueling this healthcare related construction; a big increase in demand from the medical tourist who travels south for affordable treatment, an increasing number of Mexican middle class patients opting for private health care, and a growing health-insured population in Mexico to name a few. Hospital Angeles is the largest chain of hospitals in Mexico. Many of Mexico’s medical providers are members of the various medical associations and in addition must subscribe to rigorous government standards.
So why opt for medical tourism? Over and above some of the cost advantages, it seems that some patients just would like to travel outside of their country for healthcare to incorporate high quality of care with a holiday and tourism for recuperative purposes. Imagine spending a few weeks at a resort location after having an elective surgery and being able to heal, rest and regain your strength while being pampered by professional health care providers. Obviously caution is necessary and we can help you with your research and planning! Prospective patients need education and information to understand what they should be looking for when choosing a provider in Mexico; there are numerous considerations that should be taken seriously to ensure patients’ safety. We are even learning that some insurance companies incorporate global healthcare and medical tourism options into their benefit plans. Certain domestic healthcare providers are required to treat patients for aftercare when patients return to their home country. . Our primary interest is to provide unbiased information for our members, in order to help you to find reputable, professional medical services in Mexico.
Doctors and Hospitals in Mexico http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/mexico-mexique/emerge-urgence/med.aspx The Canadian Embassy states on its website that it cannot assume any responsibility for the professional qualifications, integrity, or services of the persons and institutions listed. They include an extensive list of doctors within Mexico working in destinations from the North of Mexico such as Aguascalientes, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, to the central Mexican highlands, such as Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Mexico City Mexico (State), Morelos, Puebla, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, to the coastal cities of Tabasco, Veracruz, Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo and Baja. We will be bringing more data on this trend and look forward to opening a dialogue on this subject.
Image: New AMERIMED Hospital in Cancun, Mexico is representative of much of the new private sector hospital infrastructure available throughout Mexico today.