MEDICAL TOURISM
In the United States and Britain, patients are choosing international healthcare because of cheaper costs and shorter waiting times and high quality facilities.
According to the 2006 Health Confidence Survey: 31% of Americans rated the healthcare system as 'poor'. In the USA, the primary cause for dissatisfaction among Americans is the increasing healthcare costs. Currently medical travelers are seeking treatments that are not covered by insurance or are simply too expensive such as dental care and cosmetic surgery. On the other hand with 45.7 million uninsured citizens in 2007, medical tourism may offer a feasible alternative to the existing system.
The U.S. Healthcare System
The current American healthcare system is made up of both private and public insurers. What is unique about the US system is that the private element dominates the public.
The current American healthcare system is made up of both private and public insurers. What is unique about the US system is that the private element dominates the public.
Public Health Insurance Companies
These insurance companies are owned by the government. For the most part they cover seniors, the disabled, children from low income households, very poor parents, pregnant women and veterans. According to federal law, the states are required to cover these groups.
Often people insured with public healthcare have to purchase supplemental insurance due to incomplete coverage and no dental care.
Adults with no children are not entitled to public healthcare and many individuals who cannot afford healthcare are not eligible because their income is considered too high.
Private Health Insurance Companies
The current private insurance system offers most citizens with low quality care at a high cost. This may be caused by the lack of competition as well as the predetermined costs and procedures that an insurance company will cover. As a result, the quality of care is based on a patient’s level of financial coverage and the amount of money the doctor will receive for the treatment.
The following factors contribute to the high costs of healthcare available in the U.S.:
Price and service are not sensibly packaged resulting in higher costs and lower quality.
Healthcare is fragmented among specialties and different providers, and communication among providers treating the same patient is often nonexistent.
Out-of-pocket expenses are increasing each year. In 2003, 43.1% of Americans under age 65 spent over $2000 a year in out-of-pocket health care costs, including that of health insurance.
Wasteful spending of increased healthcare budgets. Inefficiencies, excessive administrative expenses, inflated prices, poor management, and inappropriate care, waste and fraud significantly increase the cost of medical care and health insurance for employers, workers and families.
In Britain, Healthcare Problems are Widespread and Complex
In Britain, there is widespread
public disapproval of the lack of cleanliness in British hospitals and
the high rate of 'superbug' infections that have killed thousands.
British patients are so afraid of becoming infected and disgusted with
long waiting times that 40% now travel to Europe and Asia for cheaper
healthcare that guarantee much higher levels of hygiene. Physicians are aware that they cannot provide the best care for patients in the United Kingdom and they are speaking out against their government-controlled systems
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the number of practicing physicians per 1000 residents increased in the United Kingdom from 1.9 in 1999 to 2.3 in 2005.
However, the United Kingdom is still well below the OECD average of 3 physicians per 1000 citizens and ranks 24th out of 27 nations.
Doctors in the United Kingdom are beginning to express concern and dismay about the NHS. A group of 500 doctors in the United Kingdom have joined together to create “Doctors for Reform.” This group calls for NHS reform, stating on their website,
“We once believed that the NHS was the finest health care system in the world. Today few health care professionals would make such a claim.”
Dr. Jonathan Fielden, chairman of the Central Consultants and Specialists Committee, said that medical professionals in the United Kingdom are “angry because of this government’s mishandling of the health service.”
He went on to say that the profession has “lost all confidence that the government can solve the problems it has created.”
Dr. Ahmet Fuat, a long-time Darlington general practitioner, launched an outspoken attack on NHS, saying the NHS was no longer free at the point of use and is letting down vulnerable cancer patients.
He also said restrictions on new cancer drugs widely prescribed in Europe and in the United States showed that the NHS was no longer meeting the needs of patients.
“It saddens me that the NHS is withholding care from patients.”
Dr. John Crippen (alias), a British doctor who has worked for more than 20 years in the NHS, has developed his own blog to “watch and weep as the Health Service, slowly but inexorably, is destroyed."
His writing has appeared in the United Kingdom’s Guardian, one of the country’s largest newspapers.
Patients Denied Health Care in Britain
In the United Kingdom’s Health Care System, patients are denied access to medicines that could save their lives
- 80,000 patients with mild Alzheimer’s symptoms do not receive treatment because the National Health Service (NHS) only approved drugs for those “moderately” affected by the disease.
- British citizens wait up to five years for new hearing aids.
Not only does patient care suffer, but the United Kingdom’s health services are filled with inequalities
- Medicines are available in some parts of the United Kingdom for patients, but not available in other areas
- Waiting lists for treatment also vary wildly from region to region.
- In fact, some regions in the United Kingdom spend £280 per capita on cancer care, while other regions just spend £90.
Patients in the United Kingdom’s health care system are not satisfied and the health care system is wasting money.
Medical Tourism a Cost Effective Solution
With patients paying out-of-pocket expenses in addition to health insurance costs in the U.S and the unsatisfactory levels of care and poor hygiene in the U.K, it is becoming increasingly popular for patients to travel abroad for surgery and other medical treatments. Treatment centers abroad typically offer low cost packages that include:
A member of staff to pick up patients at the airport
Lodging and Airfare
Cost of the full treatment
Physician and hospital and administration fees
Exceptional high quality of care within a private setting
Facilities and physicians that meet American standards
The use of advanced technologies for patient security and safety
In addition to this, there is a genuine interest in the outcome and well being of the patient. Staff go out of their way to ensure the experience is as calming and pleasant as possible. Patients feel as if they are getting much more than their money is worth.
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For more details and to learn more about medical tourism read:
Medical Travelers and the American Healthcare System – A Cost Effective Solution (For the US).
In addition there are numerous informative websites on alternative healthcare in Europe and Asia
Jerry Rockson is a researcher and writer for www.health-tourism.com. For more information contact him at Contact.us@health-tourism.com