By Naimeh Tanha, VP Network Development & International Operations, Satori World Medical

A recent Gallup Poll on medical tourism, “Americans Consider Crossing Borders for Medical Care,” further demonstrates Americans’ continued, growing interest in traveling internationally to receive high-quality medical care at a fraction of the cost than in the U.S.

The poll, which surveyed a cross-section of 5,050 U.S. adults, found that up to 29 percent of Americans would consider traveling abroad for medical procedures, such as heart bypass surgery, hip or knee replacement, plastic surgery, cancer diagnosis and treatment, or alternative medical care.

Interestingly, the poll also revealed three key growth factors that will specifically fuel medical tourism’s widespread adoption throughout the U.S. which include: 1) Strides in insurance reimbursements, 2) Continuous improvements in international medical quality and 3) Affordability.

Satori is leading the way in providing a high-quality global health care network that can be seamlessly integrated into any existing employer-funded health plan and at zero cost to the employer or payor. What’s more, it’s the only program of its kind to actually share the financial savings with the employee through a Health Reimbursement Account, offering a real and valuable incentive for employees to participate in medical tourism.

It’s certainly very encouraging to hear that more consumers will continue to choose medical tourism as it becomes an increasingly available benefit option through their existing health insurance plans.

I’d also like to comment on the high-quality care that is now available at hundreds of international hospitals. I am continuously impressed by the superior quality in patient care, state-0f-the-art technology, physician training, etc. now available at many JCI-accredited hospitals around the world. In fact, all of the hospitals that we have contracted with through the Satori Global Network™ are JCI-accredited, staffed by doctors that are U.S./U.K. or equivalently trained and Board Certified, and overall offer some of the best medical care and technology available anywhere in the world.

Finally, the poll reveals that affordability will continue to drive more U.S. consumers outside the U.S. for their medical care. For instance, the average cost of undergoing a heart-valve replacement surgery through any of the participating international hospitals in the Satori Global Network™ is an average of 40-80 percent less than in the U.S., which includes the costs of travel and accommodations for the patient and a companion.

Clearly there are a number of real and compelling reasons to choose medical tourism, and this recent Gallup Poll is another major indication of how and why the medical travel industry is poised for tremendous growth over the next several years.