by Denise

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons states that one in seven Americans currently suffers from bone or joint issues, costing consumers nearly $850 billion a year. Elderly individuals suffering from chronic arthritis conditions make up the largest demographic of those seeking orthopedic care. When it comes to injuries, back and knee injuries are the most common, and cost workers in the United States over 400 million lost workdays.

Due to increasing costs and wait times for orthopedic treatments and surgeries, more individuals are crossing international borders to seek treatment in what is now called cross-border medical travel. Lower costs, decreased wait time, new technologies, and the expertise and experience of orthopedic surgeons in foreign destinations has created a boom in the number of individuals, especially the elderly, seeking treatment in such destinations as South America, India, and Middle East countries such as Jordan and Turkey.

In the United States, cruciate ligament repair via knee arthroscopy averages $17,000 per knee, while at the Madras Joint Replacement Center in Chennai, India, medical travelers may save up to 40%, paying just under $5,000 for the same procedure. Hip replacement procedures in the United States cost an average of $45,000, while the same procedure in a facility in Poland costs just over $5,000, with a 50-60% savings, or roughly $7,000 in Turkey, and $6,000 in India.

Orthopedic surgery abroad, such as hip replacement surgery or rotator cuff surgery in Costa Rica or those provided by the best sports injuries programs in Croatia such as those found at Terme Selce offer medical travelers the best in care and experience while at the same time saving thousands of dollars in medical care costs.

Tags: arthritis, back injury, best sports injuries programs in Croatia, bone and joint issues, bone care, bone injury, Chennai, chronic arthritis, costa rica, cross-border medical travel, cruciate ligament repair, foreign destinations, hip replacement, hip replacement surgery, India, international medical care, joint, joint injury, jordan, knee arthroscopy, knee injury, Madras Joint Replacement Center, medical care, medical travelers, middle east, orthopedic care, orthopedic surgeons, orthopedic surgeries, orthopedic treatment abroad, orthopedic treatments, rotator cuff, rotator cuff surgery in Costa Rica, south america, Terme Selce, turkey
Posted in Costa Rica Medical Tourism, Croatian Medical Tourism, Hip Surgery Abroad, India Medical Tourism, Jordan Medical Tourism, Knee Surgery Abroad, Medical Tourism, Medical Tourism Turkey, Orthopedics Surgery Abroad | 4 Comments »

by Denise

Why are so many people venturing abroad for their medical care? Why are expatriates returning to their homelands for medical care and treatment? Rising healthcare costs, uncertainty regarding Health Care reforms, and long wait times as well as limited options when it comes to techniques, methods and procedures to treat a wide variety of medical conditions that range from obesity and bariatric surgery to breast augmentation to sports training and rehabilitation, prompts individuals from around the world to travel abroad for their health care needs.

Expatriates from Japan, Thailand, Korea, and China are traveling to world-class facilities such as South Korea’s Wooridul Spine Care Hospital, while Albanians, Russians, Armenians, Georgians and those from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan are traveling to facilities in Croatia and Turkey.  North Americans are traveling to Mexico and South America in ever increasing numbers to receive affordable and quality cosmetic and plastic surgeon procedures, weight loss treatments, obesity and bariatric surgery treatments and dental care.

Citizens from France, England, Germany, Norway and Sweden are traveling to central European countries such as Poland, and Hungary for affordable medical care while South Africans increasingly travel to destinations such as India, Malaysia and Singapore for superlative, available, effective and affordable medical treatment.

This growing trend in International Medical Care, promoted by the Medical Tourism Board and Ministries of Health as well as medical tourism portals such as PlacidWay offer international patients a true choice in their healthcare options. Affordability, availability, quality, and effective care is available in medical fields from stem cell research and development to the latest in cardiac surgical procedures.

Tags: affordable cosmetic surgery, affordable medical care, affordable medical treatment, Albanians, bariatric surgery, bariatric surgery treatments, Breast augmentation, cardiac surgical procedures, China, cosmetic and plastic surgeon procedures, cosmetic surgery, croatia, dental care, effective care, expatriots, expats, health care, health care needs, health care reform, healthcare costs, hungary, India, international medical care, international medical destinations, Japan, Korea, medical conditions, medical destinations, Medical Tourism, Medical Tourism Board, medical tourism portals, Mexico, Ministries of Health, obesity, obesity and bariatric surgery, PlacisWay, plastic surgeon, poland, rehabilitation, Singapore, south america, sports training, stem cell research, thailand, turkey, weight loss, weight loss treatments, Wooridul Spine Care Hospital
Posted in Cosmetic Surgery Abroad, Croatian Medical Tourism, Dental Tourism Abroad, Drug Addiction Therapy Abroad, Hungary Medical Tourism, India Medical Tourism, Medical Tourism, Medical Tourism Singapore, Medical Tourism Turkey, Mexico Medical Tourism, Obesity | Bariatric Surgery Abroad, Rehab Centers Abroad, South America Medical Tourism, Thailand Medical Tourism | 2 Comments »

by Denise

The 2009 World Medical Tourism and Global Health Conference of 2009 begins on Monday, October 26, 2009. The conference is designed to bring together healthcare providers, insurance companies, and medical personnel from around the world to discuss the growing trends in international medical and global health care and tourism. Taking place in Los Angeles, California, healthcare providers from around the world, including South America, Asia, Africa, Central Europe and the Middle East will join to discuss how to market services to international employers, patients and insurance companies.

Over 1.5 million Americans alone are expected to annually travel overseas for healthcare services in the coming years, with expenditures in the billions of dollars. Many south African nation citizens travel to locations in Southeast Asia including India, Thailand and Malaysia for quality healthcare, while Western, Central European and American travelers visit medical facilities in Middle Eastern and Central European countries such as Jordan, Croatia, and Albania for affordable, high class and timely procedures, treatments and operations.

Workshops, conferences, and networking benefit healthcare providers around the world, focusing on quality service, enhanced patient experience, and benefits of international healthcare, information regarding relevant and current case studies in the fields of technology, stem cell development and research, orthopedics, cardiac care, substance abuse and more.

Speakers at the conference will include Ministry Of Health as well as International Relations and Health Affairs Directors, Executive Hospital Board Council members, Ministers of Financial Services and health, Health Insurance representatives, speakers from the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Board Of Trustee members from the American Medical Association, the Medical Tourism Association, and more.

Tags: Africa, Albania, American Medical Association, asia, California, cardiac care, central Europe, croatia, Executive Hospital Board Council members, global health, global health care, Global Health Conference, global health tourism, Health Affairs directios, health conference 2009, healthcare, healthcare providers, healthcare services, India, international health care, international medical care, International Relations, jordan, Los Angeles, Malaysia, medical, medical facilities, Medical Tourism, Medical Tourism Association, middle east, Ministry of Health, orthopedics, overseas medical care, patient experience, quality healthcare, quality service, south america, Southeast Asia, stem cell, stem cell research, substance abuse, thailand, World Medical Tourism
Posted in Health Tourism, Medical Tourism | No Comments »

by Denise

The popularity of medical travel, more commonly known as medical tourism is a more common topic these days than it used to be. At first, people were leery of the concept of visiting other countries for their international medical care needs. What about qualifications? What about experience? What about education in various medical procedures and techniques? Unfortunately, many individuals, mostly in the United States, don’t realize that many other countries in the world offer world class, high-tech and state of the art equipment, surgeons and physicians in most medical fields, including cancer treatment and research, orthopedics, autoimmune disease processes, cosmetic and plastic surgeries, dental care and dental surgeries and more.

PlacidWay, a medical tourism portal, offers individuals up-to-date information and resources for individuals considering medical tourism. Questions about Spine Care Abroad to anti aging abroad, dental and cosmetic surgery, orthopedics and stem cell research are front and center at PlacidWay.

Some of the most common questions and individuals considering traveling to another country for medical care would naturally be:

• How much will it cost?
• How do I get there?
• How will I navigate my way in a country where I don’t know the language?
• Will someone meet me at the airport and take me to the medical facility?
• Will translators be available?
• How much training does the surgeon or physician have in this procedure?

Of course, there’s probably 1,000 more questions than any given individual might want to ask, the taking the first step means researching the facility, checking our web sites, and if possible, contacting individuals who have undergone surgery or treatments at that facility.

Doctor and facility certification, accreditation, standards of care and quality of care should be uppermost, and patients, regardless of origin, should never be afraid to ask questions of the physician or surgeon. After all, it’s your care.  Options are at your fingertips, and it’s up to you to choose which medical facility will best meet your needs.

Tags: accreditation, autoimmune disease, autoimmune disease processes, cancer, cancer research, cancer treatment, certification, cosmetic, cosmetic and plastic surgeries, dental, dental care, dental surgeries, doctor accreditation, doctor and facility certification, facility accreditation, international medical care, medical care, medical facility, medical fields, medical procedures, Medical Tourism, medical travel, orthopedics, physicians, planning for medical travel, plastic surgeries, qualifications, quality of care, standards of care, surgeons, surgeons and physicians, traveling to another country for medical care
Posted in Cancer Treatment Abroad, Cosmetic Surgery Abroad, Dental Tourism Abroad, Health Tourism, Medical Tourism, Medical Tourism Accreditations, Orthopedics Surgery Abroad | No Comments »

by Denise

These days, because of the economy and rising health care costs, more baby boomers than ever before are going to be venturing beyond domestic borders to obtain healthcare as well as medical treatments in the field of orthopedics, such as hip replacements, hip resurfacing, knee surgeries as well as anti-aging and age management procedures and techniques in cosmetic and plastic surgery.

Baby boomers are considered to be those who were born between 1946 and 1964. By 2011, many baby boomers will be reaching the age of 65, and increasing the percentage of the US population that 65 or older. Today, the population of individuals over 65 is roughly 17%, but in just a few years, that figure rises to 26%. According to research data, there’ll be 75 million baby boomers who need affordable medical care by the year 2010. These individuals will become the future of healthcare and growing trends toward health and wellness tourism for this group of individuals is on the rise.

Baby boomers, for the most part, are health conscious, educated, and aware of the potential possibilities of international medical care and aren’t afraid to ask questions or perform research on who can perform the best surgical procedures or offer quality treatments for affordable costs. These days, boomers, more than any other age demographic are carefully watching their money, and no one wants to have to choose between health care in groceries.

Affordable heart surgery, cancer treatment abroad, cosmetic surgery abroad, and health tourism abroad in fields such as dental, vision, cardiac and stem cell treatments are in demand. Locations such as Argentina, India, Thailand, Latin America and central Europe are growing more popular by the year. Boomers know this, and are acting on it.

The baby boomers are going to literally change the face of medical care in the very near future as the demand for excellence, quality and state-of-the-art technology, techniques and procedures increases.

Tags: Affordable Heart Surgery, affordable medical care, age management, age management procedures, anti aging, Argentina, baby boomers, best surgical procedures, boomers, Cancer Treatment Abroad, cardiac, central Europe, cosmetic, Cosmetic Surgery Abroad, dental, health and wellness tourism, Health Tourism, healthcare, healthcare options, hip replacements, his resurfacing, India, international medical care, knee surgeries, latin america, Medical Tourism, medical treatments, orthopedics, plastic surgery, rising health care costs, stem cell treatments, thailand, vision
Posted in Health Tourism, Medical Tourism | No Comments »