Medical Tourism – the practice of comfortably traveling abroad to have your medical procedure performed by highly qualified surgeons at some of the most advanced medical centers in the world…at a small fraction of the cost of care in the Europe, USA or Australia and Japan. More and more people are traveling abroad as an affordable, enjoyable, and safe alternative to having medical, dental, and cosmetic surgical procedures done in their home countries.
Why do people want to travel half way around the world to undergo medical procedures? The answer is simple. Affordable healthcare. Not to mention a little bit of leisure and peaceful recuperation in complete anonymity. Great exchange rates, tax free procedures, lower labor costs and lower running costs means the costs of medical procedures abroad are significantly lower and this equates to Incredible Savings.
Many of the most advanced medical facilities in the world exist outside of the United States, with specific programs carefully designed to attract international travelers such as yourself. In fact, these hospitals have spent the last decade preparing for the explosive growth of medical tourism, specifically adhering to the same high standards that we in the United States have come to trust.
We will guide you, step-by-step, through the entire process. Within a short period of time, you will receive valuable assistance from us on how to help facilitate the planning of your medical holiday.
Once you have arrived in your destination, you are greeted at the airport by our Representative (bilingual host) who understands your language and wants to make certain that you are comfortable. Not long after your arrival and discovery of the finest accommodations you may have ever experienced, you are escorted to a world class medical facility, where you meet English-speaking, western-educated professionals who provide an initial examination and answer questions.
You will return at a predetermined date to receive your medical procedure as per your initial reservation and afterwards, recuperate in peace and quite and return home spending less money on your entire trip than you would have in your home country for the procedure alone.
Medical Tourism Vietnam is the first Vietnam based Company to offer comprehensive “door to door” services for those who wish to take advantage of this rapidly growing trend.
We offer a low-risk guarantee to take a leap of faith in moving forward with your medical retreat. We personally know the high level of quality that exists in our overseas destinations, the all Doctors and Surgeons used by us are trained either in the USA or other similar regulated Institutions in Europe or Australia and at this point, you may not. So, we would like you to feel completely comfortable in moving forward and knowing that if you decide not go through with your plans to travel abroad to receive your procedures, you will not be charged for our services.
Medical tourism is a fascinating concept, gaining quick recognition internationally and the United States. Traveling abroad to receive medical procedures is decades old in Europe, and has been practiced for hundreds of years in Asia, but it is still quite new to Americans. So, in an effort to help explain the benefits and pitfalls of this relatively new industry for Americans, please allow us to share some of our first hand experiences with you, a potential medical tourist.
Statistics show that in North America alone there are four (4) groups who are most interested in medical tourism and the cost savings it provides:
- 45 Million Uninsured Americans
- 250 Million Insured Americans with restricted coverage due to pre-existing conditions, resulting in out-of-pocket expenses
- 32 Million Canadians receiving socialized medicine and enduring long wait lists for many popular surgeries
- Potentially, 332 Million North Americans seeking elective cosmetic and/or dental surgery
Market potential is huge, so, unless a well organized, comprehensive, individualized program facilitating the healthcare needs and travel desires of North American consumers such as ours is structured, medical tourism will only remain a vision and not a reality.
International Healthcare Safety and Quality
There is much to consider before experiencing a successful medical retreat. One of the first issues to investigate would be the quality and safety of healthcare abroad. Marketing rhetoric and posh photos can be very deceiving. I can personally vouch for this type of misconception you need for a bona fide, professional, with you the customer consumers make these difficult choices. By utilizing the knowledge and expertise of an unbiased medical tourism specialist, you will better guarantee your safety and comfort while traveling in one of our destination countries for your surgery.
To date, we are the only Vietnamese owned company that offers a complete and thorough service to guide patients through the intricacies of this complex course of action. Medical Tourism Vietnam has inspected and verified the efficacy of their hospital affiliates. And, many of the doctors are board certified by the U.S, U.K. or Australia.
Our personal advice – don’t go through the process alone. Utilize the experience of a company like Medical Tourism Vietnam who has performed their due-diligence on your behalf. Traveling abroad for surgery, without the necessary knowledge, is much too important to take the chance of making any mistakes.
Cost Saving Benefits
Cost saving benefits in Vietnam can be as low as 1/10th of the price in Japan, Australia or the USA.
Once you feel comfortable about our healthcare professionals who are trained in the USA or a similar recognized establishment then it’s time to research another important factor in considering medical tourism as and option for your surgical procedure. Our research has come up with the following astounding information.
A Medical tourist in another country, you eliminate these paperwork shufflers, you can save as much as 80% straight off the bat. Your dollars are actually going to the surgeons, anesthesiologists and other hospital workers who are attending to you during your surgical procedure. In the United States for instance, your money is going to the insurance company and then the insurance company money is going to and so the line goes on.
Liability, this is another reason why surgical procedures are so much more affordable in Vietnam or other region of the world is because of this issue. In the United States alone, doctors and hospitals must carry extremely expensive medical malpractice insurance policies. And patients seem to love to sue in the United States. In contrast, when you undergo a surgical procedure as a medical tourist in an offshore hospital, you sign paperwork that says you agree not to sue under certain conditions. Thus, you save a fortune by essentially not funding the legal fees, settlements and malpractice insurance costs normally found in a U.S.-based healthcare practice.”
The Travel Experience
We have covered the two most important aspects of medical tourism quality and price, let’s talk about the Travel experience itself.
Choosing your destination is a important feature of your medical care objective, you should ultimately be pleased with your selection. After all, you’ll be spending anywhere between 2-4 weeks in this country while you enjoy your recuperation process. There are many alternatives, but, you should definitely choose a destination that specializes in your required procedure. Of the many locations available, I’ve found that Colombia, Venezuela,Vietnam, Panama, Peru and Bolivia very popular.
Researching and planning your recuperation period can be an exciting and adventurous process. It helps to relieve your thoughts about your surgical procedure and focus on the enjoyment segment of your medical vacation. Please be advised, depending on your surgery, you may not be able to enjoy certain activities, like bungy jumping, para sailing and the likes so look into physically inactive forms of enjoyment that stimulate the mind and rest the body.
Your Personal Management
We personally Manage all your local affairs while in our care and good keeping, we are your family or friend away from home. We take care of all your personal needs while with us in your destination country.
• Meet and greet arriving customer at the airport
• Private transportation to the hotel
• Pre-arrange hotel check-in
• Private transportation to-and-from doctor consultation
• Private transportation to-and-from medical procedure
• Interpretation assistance at hospital or clinic if needed
• Provide communication assistance, such as cell phone or 24 hour contact number
• Check on recuperating patient daily once procedure is performed
• Provide emotional support if necessary during visit
• Assist with local tour and excursion arrangements
• Provide information about local dining, shopping, and pampering facilities
• Provide information about local culture and customs of destination
• Assure that customer is comfortable and content at all times
• Deliver customer to airport for departure
• Assist customer with baggage check-in upon departure
• Arrange for Airport medical assistance upon departure if necessary
Don’t waste time trying to reinvent the wheel. It would be very time consuming and cumbersome to piece together all the available information about medical tourism on the internet. It can also be very confusing and overwhelming.
The Process
A comprehensive process that requires your understanding and cooperation. This process will normally takes between 20-25 days before your are able to depart your home country we need to accomplish all the necessary criteria before you depart.
The process will flow smoothly without continual changes so by following the guidelines you will increase the chances of a very safe and pleasurable medical vacation. We look forward working with you in an effort to provide you with the very best available in medical tourism services in Central and South America.
Medical procedure Review
An extensive conversation will take place with you to understand your medical needs. We begin from here to design the process of available treatment options for your specific needs. It is important that you identify exactly what you are seeking at this time. Changes to your desired treatment plan could potentially complicate matters. We must do our best to identify your exact needs and move forward accordingly.
Doctors and Hospitals Release Form
You need to sign and date with Identification details (ie Passport) which will give us your consent to receive and disseminate your personal information. This document will be emailed or Faxed to you, just open the document, complete the info, save and return it to us via email. We will send a copy to your chosen hospital for their records.
MRI, X-Rays, Photos…
Many of the medical procedures, the doctor will need to see some or all of the following of your transcripts, MRI’s, x-rays, photos, etc. These can be scanned and sent to us Via International Courier if you do not have this information do not worry, we have a solution for you. The cost of acquiring this information locally in your destination country of choice is simple and in-expensive.
Medical Questionnaire
You will be required to complete a medical questionnaire to best inform your surgeon of your medical history. This will advise your physician of any potential risks or conditions that may be necessary to know in conjunction with your procedures(s).
Procedures end Results and indication of Travel Dates
We will ask you by email of your expectations of the procedure and the end result in receiving your procedure(s). Please provide this information so that the surgeon can determine if the end result can be achieved. We want to make certain that your expectations are in line with what can be achieved. At the bottom of the form will be a request for possible travel dates. Please list two options for travel dates.
Choosing a Hotel
You will receive an email that provides information about choosing a hotel while overseas. We ask for this information very early in the process so we can include the costs in your quotation. Once reviewed, please make a decision and email or call with your choice. Please consider your options thoroughly. We do not want to make changes further along in the process which could result in confusion.
Visa Requirements . Valid Passport
You will require a valid Passport for Travel outside your home country. Visas are required by US Nationals for the following countries. Brazil, Venezuela and Argentina. We will assist you in acquiring those documents.
Price quotation for Procedure and Accommodation
We will provide a price quotation for the procedure(s) and accommodations. Also, you’ll be provided with a host of information about the procedure(s), hospital, doctors, etc.
Tentative Travel dates
At this point, we will discuss your procedure(s) and accommodations preferences, we’ll talk about the dates you wish to plan your medical vacation Think about this very carefully. When you choose a date, we will check with our hospital affiliate to see if these dates are available. If the pricing is acceptable to you, we can then move on to the next steps in planning your medical vacation.
Questions for your chosen surgeon
You will be allowed to pose questions or concerns you have for your chosen surgeon. We will coordinate the communication process via email. Emails are always the best mode of communication as some Doctors are not available due to time zone difference. Please note: Depending on the surgeon’s hours of operation, it may be difficult to schedule a direct Telephone conversation.
Tentatively Book your Travel dates
You will need to contact your travel agent and book an itinerary that best suits your needs and proposed travel dates. You will need them to furnish us with a copy of your itinerary. You will have at least 7 days to peruse your itinerary before having to book the tickets.
Tentatively Reserve Hotel Room
We will tentatively book your hotel room. You will need to provide your credit card information at this time. Your card will not be charged in advance, but, only used as a method of reserving your room. Your Hotel room cost will be part of your entire package.
Book Your Procedure(s)
We will request your preferred doctor’s consultation and surgery date(s). Once we receive notice that these dates are available, we can move to confirm your air travel and hotel accommodations.
Book Your Air Travel Tickets
Once we have tentatively booked the above tasks, you will then be instructed to book your air travel tickets.
Deposit funds into Medical Tourism Vietnam USD$ holding account
You will need to lodge a 20% deposit into our US$ bank account to secure your bookings. The balance is required 14 days prior to departure. to make up the balance of 100% upfront cost. This way, if for any reason you decide not to move forward with your procedure, you will only pay for the services you’ve used (airfare & hotel) and receive a refund from us.
Confirm Task 1 & 2
Once we receive your deposit, we will confirm your doctor’s appointment and hotel room reservations.
Itinerary to confirm procedure(s), flight, hospital, doctor and hotel
We will confirm all your reservations and submit an itinerary for your review. Please check this document carefully to understand the time line of your trip. We will also send you information very specific to your travel destination so you can be prepared to make the most of your travel experience.
Country Representative
When you select your destination for your medical treatment, you will be offered the services of our Country Represnative Co-ordinator this is the person who will greet you upon your arrival at your chosen destination, and, be your personal assistant throughout your stay. In some countries.
Destination Arrival. Met by Countries Represantive Co-Ordinator and Driver
Our programme includes the personal meet and greet at destination of our CRO, he or she will be your personal assistant throughout your stay. The CRO is fluent in English and will be there for you every step of the way. This person will accompany you to all your doctor’s appointments and medical treatments. In some cases, you will be given a cell phone upon your arrival so that you can contact your CRO at any time. It is important for you to know that we have carefully selected the CRO for every country.
At the airport our professional driver will take you either to your hotel or hospital, by private car.
Pre-Surgery consultation with medical team
Within 24 hours of your arrival, you will visit your physician’s office for the pre-surgery consultation. Here, the doctor will review your medical transcripts and conduct additional tests to ensure that you are ready for your procedure.
Surgical procedure
Your procedure will be performed by the best available surgeon, at a world-class medical facility, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment.
Post treatment recuperation
When the doctor is satisfied with your condition, you will be released from the hospital and driven back to your hotel to begin the recuperation process. During this time your main focus will be on recuperation. If you have not hired a DPM, please feel free to request any assistance from your hospital or hotel staff.
Post treatment enjoyment
Your post surgery recuperation and leisure has all been taken care as part of your all inclusive pre-paid package. Once the surgeon is satisfied with your progress, you will be given authorization to enjoy the interesting attractions your destination offers.
Return home
Upon your arrival home we will be available to assist you with any future requirements.
Conclusion
We hope this information has been helpful in explaining the process of medical tourism. Please note, that this is a brief outline of the necessary steps to a successful medical vacation. Remember you should allow at least 20-25 days from the time you begin the process until you leave for your chosen destination. Remember we speak your language and can help you to bridge time and cultural differences. We have the facility to provide you with First class service to answer all inquires generated through your own Toll Free Number in either USA, UK, Australia, US, Canada, New Zealand and Spain. We have years of experience arranging overseas medical procedures and understand how things work abroad. We can ensure you are and family are accommodated according to your travel desires and budget. We can offer you the whole complete service for a third of the cost in USA or Europe we answer your inquires in both languages.
There are Psychological issues associated with medical Tourism so for further information contact: infocenter@medicaltourismvietnam.com or sales@health-effects.net we address both the physical and psychological issues.