4 Common Mistakes That Medical Tourists Make (and How to Avoid Them)

Medical tourism is an ideal solution for those looking for cost-effective treatments that may not be available to them at home, and the opportunity to explore a new culture makes travelling for healthcare enticing to many. But a medical tourism trip requires a lot of research, planning and forethought in order to ensure everything goes smoothly. The last thing you need to happen on your trip is to run into an obstacle in the midst of your post-op recovery.
To help avoid any potential follies on your trip, MedHalt published a list of everything that a medical tourism patient should avoid in order to have a pleasant and successful trip. Here are the top four from their list:

1. Choosing a non-accredited hospital.

It’s essential to ensure that the chosen hospital is “approved by an official review board after the hospital has met all the standards set for medical tourism.” An accredited hospital has to abide by internationally accepted rules and regulations regarding medical code and professional ethics. A non-accredited hospital has little reason to show its patients any transparency, and some insurance companies can refuse to cover the cost of treatment from non-accredited hospitals.

2. Making a decision based on cost savings.

While budgeting the trip and other medical expenses is important, it should never be at the cost of quality care. An MTA Medical Tourism Patient Survey found that nearly 80% of the demand for medical travel is driven by cost savings, but more often than not, the patient can end up compromising on quality of healthcare in the effort to save money.

3. Not asking for a second opinion.

You should always take a second opinion before proceeding with any kind of medical treatment or surgery. In the case of medical tourism, a second consultation is doubly weighted as this makes the patient aware of all his/her options. A second opinion is also required by many insurance companies to provide monetary coverage.

4. Not getting medical tourism insurance.

Tourism insurance shields a patient financially from any extremity that happens on a medical tourism visit, such as scheduled appointments, complications and travel emergencies. Medical tourism without insurance can prove costly if things ever go awry.

You can read the full list here.