By Jessica Yarbrough, Marketing & Communications Manager, Satori World Medical

Recently, the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions released the 2009 Medical Tourism Report, “Update and Implications” exploring the state of the medical tourism market since last year’s study. According to Deloitte, there are several emerging U.S. healthcare trends that will fuel the demand for medical tourism. Below, highlighted are a few of the key drivers:

• Increased demand for outpatient surgery – The number of outpatient surgical procedures performed in the U.S. tripled from 1996 to 2006. Approximately 35 million patients had outpatient surgery in 2006 alone. Growth is attributed to enhanced technology which allows patients to return home post-op, decreasing lengthy stays in hospital. Patient demand for surgeries has also increased the number of outpatient surgical centers. Outpatient surgeries represent 75% of medical tourism procedures and typically require high out-of-pocket expenses for the patient. As more consumers are faced with paying thousands of their own dollars for surgical care, medical tourism will become a more attractive alternative.

• Increased sophistication of medical tourism operations – The medical tourism industry is adapting to meet the quality needs of the U.S. payor market. Facilitators, who emphasize quality in their patient care model, including coordination of post-op care, safety, outcome data and transparency, will be most attractive to health insurers and employers which are considering adding a medical travel benefit.

• Increased globalization of the U.S. workforce – In the next 25 years, more than half of the U.S. workforce will be of second-third generation descent. As more employees express a desire to return to their ancestral home for care, more insurance plans and employers will incorporate medical travel programs to meet the needs of their culturally diverse workforce.

Other growth drivers outlined in Deloitte’s report include increased coverage and demand for dental and cosmetic surgery, increased access to low-cost global transportation, and increased acceptance by employers and health plans. As the industry continues to mature, it is evident that medical tourism will become a widely accepted option for individuals to receive high quality, cost effective care.