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By Garret Lloyd [ 19/02/2009 ] Publishing Free Articles Zone articles is subject to our Publisher's Terms Of Service |
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Medical tourism was not so much in vogue even some years back than it is now. With rising healthcare costs in countries like US, more and more people are opting for medical treatment abroad for surgeries and other complex treatments. As a result, Asian countries like India, China, Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia are fast growing up to be some of the greatest “medical hubs” in the world.
One of the principal reasons for the recent rise in medical tourism is inadequate coverage of the medical insurance plans in effect in US. The cost for health insurance is skyrocketing in US and other developed countries. Besides, medical insurance does not cover quite a few types of surgeries and medical procedures. For instance, a patient requiring knee joint replacement may find that the procedure is not covered in his/ her health insurance. Thus the medical insurance he/ she had painstakingly paid for over the years is suddenly rendered useless for the patient. To add to the chagrin of the citizens, many medical insurance providers are often changing their terms and conditions in order to keep up with economic recession. This leads to confusion among patients who may at times feel cheated. These are certainly some of the most important factors contributing to the recent boom in medical tourism.
The value of dollar when compared against Asian currencies is quite high in most cases. This is another important factor for the rise in medical tourism. For instance, heart valve transplantation may cost more than $ 200,000 when done in US, but the same treatment can be carried out in India for as little as just $ 10,000, the cost including airfare for traveling to India and back, the stay for recuperation and a short vacation trip.
Many US based employers are now providing full financial support for employees who travel abroad for healthcare. This is helping many employees get superior healthcare in foreign countries. The employers also like the idea because they have to pay much less for the treatment to the employees than what they would have to pay for a procedure carried out in the US.
All these factors have contributed almost equally towards bringing about a revolution in the field of medical tourism. Many Asian countries are fast developing into popular destinations for medical tourism for the rest of the world. In the coming years, these countries are expected to earn millions in revenue, thanks to the superior healthcare facilities and the highly affordable healthcare costs.
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