Health Tourism: I Had It Done In ______!

Have you ever thought about what you would do if you needed an operation that would cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars? What if you needed a transplant and the waiting list was months long? What do you do? Well, health tourism has provided an answer to these questions for many people.

Health tourism is when people cross international borders to obtain medical treatment outside their home country. It can also be used to define people traveling abroad to provide care for local people in a foreign country, but this is not the definition we will be discussing.

Health tourism has been going on for centuries. As a matter of fact, thousands of years ago Greeks travelled from all around the Mediterranean to visit a small town where the god of health resided. Since then, people have made similar pilgrimages, sometimes for religious purposes, but increasingly more often simply to get medical treatment at a lower cost, faster pace or of a better quality.

Another type of health tourism in history has been visiting spa towns and sanitariums. For many centuries people have traveled to cities with particular climates and often with natural spas and other features that help to contribute to a healthy lifestyle and to alleviate some ailments. People still do this today around the world.

The more modern type of health tourism has developed especially from people seeking superior treatment or specialized treatment from another country. It is often easy to find a country that can provide you with the medical treatment you need sooner than at home or at a significantly lower cost.

One problem with medical tourism of this sort is that too often those providing the care are not experienced or practice procedures outside of their area or expertise. Of course another problem is the possible difference in standards of care. You may pay less for a procedure but it may be done to a low standard, causing you to need follow up treatment which will end up costing you much more in the end.

People travel abroad for medical procedures and treatment of all sorts. Joint replacements, dental procedures, heart surgery and cosmetic surgery are just a few of the many different things people seek abroad. Even psychiatric treatment, alternative medicine and burial services are often sought abroad.

Health tourism will continue to be popular until problems are solved in medical practice, although likely it will never stop completely. Until procedures are made more affordable or can be done in a more timely fashion, especially in the case of terminal issues, people will continue to seek medical help from other countries where the services can be provided more readily, cheaply or to a more specialized standard.

 


 

Health Tourism News:

 

Global Health Voyager Announces Development of Medical Tourism Smartphone App
BEVERLY HILLS, CA-- - Global Health Voyager, Inc. , a publicly-traded, full-service, international medical tourism company , today announced that it has begun development of a Medical Tourism related smart ...


Republican Candidates Become New Hampshire Tourist Traps - Huffington Post

Republican Candidates Become New Hampshire Tourist Traps
Huffington Post
Though political tourism might seem a step away from hot button issues, the trend is many a candidate's dirty little secret. Rick Santorum unwisely demonstrated this truth last week. "How many political tourists are there in the room?

..


Visit the film location: Goa - gulfnews.com

gulfnews.com
Visit the film location: Goa
gulfnews.com
By Nyree McFarlane, Deputy Editor, Scene magazine Goa has developed many tourist traps over the years, but what many forget is that the area is so large and diverse that you can visit the state and lounge by the sea without a package tourist as far as .

and more »
..


Proposed ordinance will force gas stations to post prices - WFTV Orlando

Proposed ordinance will force gas stations to post prices
WFTV Orlando
Orange County leaders could force gas stations that many people have labeled "tourist traps" to advertise their sky-high prices, WFTV learned on Monday. County officials said nearly 1000 people have complained to the Better Business Bureau about .

..


Jasper glacier walk doesn't deserve cold shoulder - Montreal Gazette

Jasper glacier walk doesn't deserve cold shoulder
Montreal Gazette
Little did I realize then, that there are two types of visitors to our national parks: tourists and outdoor enthusiasts. I was clearly a tourist, and unwittingly fell into all of the typical tourist traps I now try to avoid. If our parks are to survive .

and more »
..


Review: Host - Prague Post

Prague Post
Review: Host
Prague Post
With the exception of the high-end U Zlatà Hrušky, most restaurants in this tourist-trodden district are rip-offs, where the day-old goulash is slopped out at extortionate prices by grumbling staff. There are fine beers and pub snacks at the beloved U .

..

IHT World Medical Tourism Services Agency Introduces Low Cost American Quality Surgery Overseas
IHT World medical tourism services specialize in helping Americans slash their health care costs by offering non-emergency surgery, health treatment and even expensive dental treatment overseas for far less cost compared to the price of treatment in the United States.LeClaire, IA (PRWEB) February 01, 2012 An estimated 50 million Americans do not have health insurance because they cant afford ...


Research and Markets: Emerging Opportunities and Growth Prospects of Health and Wellness Tourism in India
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Emerging Opportunities and Growth Prospects of Health..


LCQ3: Tackling odour problem of waterfront tourist attractions - 7thSpace Interactive (press release)

LCQ3: Tackling odour problem of waterfront tourist attractions
7thSpace Interactive (press release)
There are many restaurants at the tourist attractions (eg Lei Yue Mun and Cheung Chau, etc.) which are famous for seafood in Hong Kong, and foul odour can be smelled from time to time at the seashore near these restaurants.

..


 



Secrets of Budget Travel - Click Here


Many, if not all of the links on this website are affiliate links which means that we will be compensated if you choose to buy at some point in the near future. Please accept our sincere thanks for your support.