By Steven Lash, President & CEO, Satori World Medical

America’s crippling healthcare costs, coupled with the availability of high-quality medical care in other parts of the world at a fraction of the cost than in the U.S., are just a couple of the key factors fueling an increased national interest in medical tourism.

As the industry continues to mature, more U.S. employers are beginning to offer medical travel programs to their employees as part of their health insurance.  As President & CEO of Satori World Medical, the leading global healthcare company, I am often asked to provide insight into why every employer isn’t offering a medical travel program in their benefit plan design.  It is evident that there is high quality, cost effective health care available outside the U.S, however, common concerns over medical quality, patient safety and a general lack of understanding about medical travel and the differences that exist among the various facilitators, seem to be challenges to widespread adoption. That of course then raises the question:  How are these challenges overcome? So, let’s explore each of these specific concerns, and their possible solutions.

Medical quality and the lack of universal quality standards in place for medical travel:  There are well-respected regulatory agencies around the world, such as Joint Commission International (JCI), established to ensure high-quality standards in medical care at international hospitals. However, medical travel companies and international hospitals are not actually required to meet any specific universal set of quality guidelines. So how does one ensure the quality of care for a patient undergoing surgery in a foreign hospital? Well the answer to that question is to be well informed about the specific quality assurance programs that different medical travel companies offer.  Only participate in a global healthcare program that SOLELY contracts with JCI-accredited hospitals, conducts regular on-site due diligence visits to every international hospital within its network, and has a full-time Chief Medical Officer on staff that is a Board Certified surgeon.

Lenient malpractice laws in some foreign countries and financial protection if something goes wrong: Another common concern among patients considering medical travel is built-in protection from an unforeseen health complication that might take place while they are traveling or receiving care in a foreign hospital. Patients should protect themselves from such risks by 1) participating in a program like Satori World Medical, which follows the same quality standards as today’s leading domestic health networks and 2) verifying that the company offers a comprehensive personal accident insurance policy in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.

The stresses and safety of international travel and long flights: Patients also commonly fear the stresses and health issues that can occur when traveling to foreign countries or taking long flights. Patients can avoid this problem by choosing a medical travel company or program that does all of the planning and legwork. A couple of important questions to ask include:

-   Does the company offer a comprehensive, preliminary medical screening of all patients to assess their overall health and determine whether they are eligible candidates for medical travel? If so, what does that process entail?

-   What are the types and levels of services provided to ensure a comfortable and safe medical travel experience? For instance, only work with a company that handles all details for patients and their travel companion, such as making flight reservations and hotel accommodations, arranging ground transfers to/from the airport, etc. Also, inquire about whether the program covers the cost of a travel companion. Travel companions are important to helping medical travel patients feel safe and comfortable.

When it comes to all matters of healthcare, knowledge is the key to success. While there are certainly understandable concerns surrounding medical travel, with the right information and decisions, medical tourism can be an extremely safe and viable cost-saving option for many U.S. companies.