Medical tourism

The medical tourism (also called tourism of health, hospital tourism) is a new world tendency, in full growth which initially began in South America with agencies and turns operators exclusively specialized in this sector. The goal of esthetic tourism is to propose to the foreign patients formulas 2 into 1 including/understanding the medical act and the stay of relaxation. The whole is famous to have a price 30 to 50% less expensive than that of the only medical act in Europe or North America, and also makes it possible to make tourist activities during its convalescence.

There are five distinct phenomena which contribute to the development of these activities:

the disparities of standard of living between countries (which allow, in a less advanced country, to lower the cost price of the offer of care compared to a country more developed)

the medical disparities of infrastructures (which will lead by ex a British or Algerian citizen to seek an offer of care in a country such as France, sometimes within the framework of bilateral agreements between country, fault of being able to profit from an adequate offer of care in its country)

the disparities of legislations/regulations (which will result in an increase in surgical acts in certain countries, because of the premiums of compulsory insurances subscribed by the experts and reflected in their tariffs or which limit the access to certain medical acts such as the abortion or sterilization)

the opening of the borders in particular in the field of the goods and the services which makes it possible an expert of a country X to hold of the consultations in a country Y to program an medical act in a country Z.

the development of Internet like media of information, exchange of opinions on the health and the use of Internet to promote alternative offers of care since a country subjected to a less constraining regulation as regards promotion of the departments of health.

Since 2002, the phenomenon was spread universally: Asia, Eastern Europe, and maintaining North Africa (Tunisia, Morocco) launched out in this sector. Nearly 12 million tourists resulting from the rich countries go in these countries to carry out medical acts or of cosmetic surgery.

So certain countries of South America specialize primarily in plastic surgeon, others chose the dental surgery, or ophthalmology. At the head from line of the country proposing of the acts of plastic surgeon, come the Brésil, the Bolivia, and the Costa Rica. These countries knew to benefit of a strong international image representing always at the head the Latin woman international beauty contests. Then the Maghreb countries come: Tunisia, Morocco

In Europe, other countries specialized in the dental surgery such as the Hungary, the Romania, or the Czech Republic.

Thailand and India specialized in the Clerc's Offices of bodies, the specialities in cardiology, and the surgeries in open heart.

Medical tourism, directions for use: The example of dental tourism in Hungary

Quality, saving of money and time: All the dental care is possible in Hungary. They are lavished by specialists in private dental private clinics. For a quality equivalent to that of Western Europe, in fact thus the prices of dental attract the foreign patients (economies being able to reach 60-70% for a dental prosthesis, approximately 40% for a dental implant with crown). The duration of a stay does not exceed a week during which all the treatments are concentrated. The withdrawal periods for the care is also reduced, generally one can obtain an appointment under 15 days or 3 weeks and begin the dental care immediately.

Unfolding: The first exchanges are done remotely between the patient and the dental private clinic: On the basis of dental documents transmitted by the patient (a panoramic radio generally is enough), a personalized estimate is sent to the patient with the detail of the recommended dental care and the plan of treatment. If the patient wishes it, a first stay in Hungary is organized for a consultation with the dentist, the handing-over of the final estimate and if this one is accepted, the immediate beginning of the treatment. The handing-over of estimate, the consultation with the dentist are generally free and in all the cases without engagement.

Accompaniment: The patient can deal with the whole of the steps or pass by a dental travel agency. To pass by an agency as to eurodentair facilitates the steps, avoids the problem of the language and the prices charged are the same ones as for the local prices. The airport transfer - hotel - dentist's surgery is often also dealt with. The foreign patients thus have the possibility of being assisted for the organization of their voyage and to be followed at the time of their stay without additional cost but they must make sure of serious of their agency of dental stay which will collaborate if possible with several private clinics in order to give several estimates to the customer and leave him the choice of its final decision.

The Councils: To avoid any bad surprise, it is necessary ensure oneself to pay its care near the private clinic and the price must be a local tariff. For choosing its private clinic and its surgeon well, you must have access to information such as the prices and guarantees suggested, the presentations and CV of the dentists, the equipment used, etc if necessary, photograph with the support! To privilege the private clinics where all the specialities and services can be available and provided to the same place, under control of a Director of Private clinic.

DESTINATIONS

Canada

In Canada, the patients can put side at 30 pourcent American costs of health care. Carrying out hospitals and facilities of medical departments are typically localized in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, Canada three plus big cities. The Report/ratio of World of the Organization of Health of World in the year 2000 classified it 30e for “the general execution” of its system of health care. In the comparison, the United States was classified 37. Canada has a higher life expectancy (80 years for the men and the women) that the United States, Germany and Ireland, according to the Statistics of Health of World of the Organization of Health of World 2006. English and French are the official languages of the country communication facilitating between professionals of health care and the patients of around the world. And, Canada can be easily reached by air transport of through North America, Europe and the other parts of the world.

Cuba

For more than 40 years, Cuba was a popular destination of tourism medical. In 2006, Cuba attracted almost 20000 Touristes of health. In 2001, the News of BBC reported that the thousands of patients come to Cuba from also to far Latin America and Europe, attracted by “the beautiful reputation of cuban doctors, the close low prices and beaches on which to recover”. A large variety of medical care is provided including the common replacement, the treatment of cancer, the surgery of eye, the surgery and the dependences cosmetic rehabilitation. The costs are approximately 60 to 80 pourcent than American costs less. Cuba has hospitals for the cuban inhabitants, and the others which are fixed on being used as foreigners and the diplomats. The Cubans receive free medical departments for the life. In 2007 American documentary film, “Sicko,” which criticize the American system of medical departments, the producer Michael Moore leads a group of uninsured American patients to Cuba to obtain the more accessible medical care. “Sicko” extremely increased interest from abroad in the cuban medical departments.

A recent history of Forerunner of Miami was fixed on the higher quality of health care than Canadian and the American medical patients of tourism receive in Cuba. The medical departments in Cuba are very good compared to much of world countries. The chance of a cuban child dying in five years major or more young people is 7 by 1000 births in life in Cuba, while they is 8 per 1000 in the United States, known as the Organization of Health of World (WHICH). Cuba has almost twice more doctors by the person like the United States -- 5,91 doctors by thousand people compared to 2,56 doctors by the thousand, according to WHICH. The life expectancy in the two countries is almost equal. WHO the reports/ratios this life expectancy cuban with the birth is 75 years for the males, and 79 years for the females. In the comparison, the life expectancy of the United States to the birth is 75 and 80 years for the males and the females, respectively. The small death rate of Cuba is equal to that of the United States with 6 pourcent. The cuban government developed cuban medical tourism to produce the income for the country. There is a rolling programme which sends of the thousands of cuban doctors to Venezuela to help its poor inhabitants, and this helps Venezuela of wages of Cuba for oil. Inhabitants of Canada, the United Kingdom and the majority of the other countries can travel to Cuba without any difficulty, and a visa of tourist generally is required. For the Americans, however, because of the United States the policy exchanges towards Cuba, the travellers owe or obtain the American approval of government, or, more frequently, the voyage to Cuba of Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Jamaica or the Dominican Republic. The Americans of north can easily reach Cuba via the daily flights of Toronto, Montreal, Cancun, Mexico City, Nassau (the Bahamas), Kingston (Jamaica), and holy domingue (the Dominican Republic). The cuban authorities of immigration do not stamp the passports of visitors of the United States so that Americans can keep their voyages a private question.

Risks of medical tourism

August 1st

The cost of medical tourism

August 1st

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