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Employers, Insurance Companies and Medical Tourism
For US Employers and Insurance Companies
Medical tourism is one of the fastest growing industries within healthcare. Medical tourism offers a unique opportunity for employers to receive significant savings on major healthcare expenses, such as major surgeries, while providing their employees and dependents a high level of quality of care. Several insurance companies have implemented medical tourism or “pilot” programs in medical tourism such as Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, WellPoint, Swiss Re and others. Several self funded employers have implemented medical tourism such as Hannaford Brothers and others.
Many employers are offering medical tourism because the cost savings is up to 90% of the cost in the U.S. while the quality can be equal to or in some cases better than the patients would receive in their home countries. American patients who have received medical care overseas “rave” about personalized treatment and being treated like “royalty" while there.
Many employers are surprised to learn that many Americans are familiar with medical tourism and a large portion of Americans are open to the concept. In a 2009 Gallup Poll, 29% of Americans said they would consider traveling abroad for medical procedures such as Heart Bypass Surgery, Hip or Knee Replacement, and Cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Medical Tourism Documentary
If you would like to watch Angels Overseas, Costa Rica edition, the MTA’s medical tourism documentary showcasing the patient experience as an American travels to Costa Rica for a double knee replacement and saves 80% on his healthcare costs, please click here .
Medical Tourism Patients are currently traveling for Procedures such as:
Orthopedics ~ Hip, Knees, Back or Spine
Heart Procedures ~ Angioplasty, Bypasses, Valve Replacements,
Ophthalmology ~ Cataract, Retina, Lasix Surgeries
Bariatric Surgery ~ Lap Band, Gastric Bypass, Gastric Sleeve
Cosmetic Surgery ~ Face Lifts, Breast Implants, Corrective
Dental Treatment ~ Implants, Whitening, Orthodontics
Cancer Treatment ~ Diagnostics, Cyberknife, Stem Cell
IVF Fertility Treatments
Transplants ~ Liver, Kidney, Lung
Alternative Treatment/Wellness ~ Spa treatments
Diagnostics ~ Executive Wellness Exams, Screenings
How hard is it to implement Medical Tourism?
It is very easy to implement medical tourism into a health insurance plan. All that is needed to make an amendment to the insurance contract or a plan amendment allowing for the medical tourism coverage. The next step is partnering with a medical tourism facilitator who can coordinate the medical care for your employees and then rolling out the medical tourism program and educating and enrolling your employees in it.
Why Implement Medical Tourism into your health insurance plan?
Employers are implementing medical tourism for the following reason:
- Savings up to 90% off
- Providing alternative choices for their employees
- Providing options with better outcomes for certain procedures
- Allowing ethnic employees the option to receive medical care in their “home” country
Potential Savings
View Full Chart Here
Medical Tourism Sample Surgery Cost Chart
|
Surgery |
USA |
Colombia |
Costa Rica |
India |
Jordan |
Korea |
Mexico |
Israel |
Thailand |
Vietnam |
Africa |
Malaysia |
Nicaragua |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Heart Bypass |
$144,000 |
$14,802 |
$25,000 |
$5,200 |
$14,400 |
$28,900 |
$27,000 |
$27,500 |
$15,121 |
Not Provided |
$10,000 |
$11,430 |
Not Provided |
||||
|
Angioplasty |
$57,000 |
$4,500 |
$13,000 |
$3,300 |
$5,000 |
$15,200 |
$12,500 |
$8,000 |
$3,788 |
Not Provided |
$8,000 |
$5,430 |
Not Provided |
||||
|
Heart Valve Replacement |
$170,000 |
$18,000 |
$30,000 |
$5,500 |
$14,400 |
$43,500 |
$18,000 |
$29,712 |
$21,212 |
Not Provided |
$10,130 |
$10,580 |
Not Provided |
||||
|
Hip Replacement |
$50,000 |
$6,500 |
$12,500 |
$7,000 |
$8,000 |
$14,120 |
$13,000 |
$25,250 |
$7,879 |
$8,250 |
$10,840 |
$7,500 |
$8,700 |
||||
|
Hip Resurfacing |
$50,000 |
$10,500 |
$12,500 |
$7,000 |
$10,000 |
$15,600 |
$15,000 |
$20,000 |
$15,152 |
Not Provided |
$7,640 |
$12,350 |
Not Provided |
||||
|
Knee Replacement |
$50,000 |
$6,500 |
$11,500 |
$6,200 |
$8,000 |
$19,800 |
$12,000 |
$24,850 |
$12,297 |
$8,500 |
Not Provided |
$7,000 |
$8,200 |
||||
|
Spinal Fusion |
$100,000 |
Not Provided |
$11,500 |
$6,500 |
$10,000 |
$15,400 |
$12,000 |
$35,000 |
$9,091 |
$6,150 |
Not Provided |
$6,000 |
Not Provided |
||||
|
Dental Implant |
$2,800 |
$1,750 |
$900 |
$1,000 |
$1,000 |
$4,200 |
$1,800 |
$2,150 |
$3,636 |
Not Provided |
$5,340 |
$354 |
Not Provided |
||||
|
Gastric Sleeve |
$28,700 |
$7,200 |
$10,500 |
$5,000 |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
$9,995 |
$11,500 |
$13,636 |
Not Provided |
$8,770 |
Not Provided |
$8,000 |
||||
|
Gastric Bypass |
$32,927 |
$9,900 |
$12,500 |
$5,000 |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
$10,950 |
$11,500 |
$16,667 |
Not Provided |
$3,935 |
$9,540 |
$8,000 |
||||
|
Lap Band |
$30,000 |
$9,900 |
$8,500 |
$3,000 |
$7,000 |
Not Provided |
$6,500 |
$1,000 |
$11,515 |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
$8,000 |
||||
|
Liposuction |
$9,000 |
$2,500 |
$3,900 |
$2,800 |
$4,000 |
Not Provided |
$2,800 |
$7,242 |
$2,303 |
$2,850 |
$5060 |
$2,299 |
Not Provided |
||||
|
Tummy Tuck |
$9,750 |
$3,500 |
$5,300 |
$3,000 |
$4,000 |
Not Provided |
$4,025 |
$11,000 |
$5,000 |
$3,850 |
$2,530 |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
||||
|
Breast Implants |
$10,000 |
$2,500 |
$3,800 |
$3,500 |
$3,500 |
$12,500 |
$3,500 |
$21,000 |
$2,727 |
$3,850 |
$2,930 |
Not Provided |
$4,400 |
||||
|
Rhinoplasty |
$8,000 |
$2,500 |
$4,500 |
$4,000 |
$3,000 |
$5,000 |
$3,500 |
$9,500 |
$3,091 |
$2,100 |
$3,935 |
$1,293 |
$2,400 |
||||
|
Face Lift |
$15,000 |
$5,000 |
$6,000 |
$4,000 |
$4,400 |
$15,300 |
$4,900 |
$16,000 |
$3,697 |
$4,150 |
$4,620 |
$3,440 |
|
||||
|
Hysterectomy |
$15,000 |
Not Provided |
$5,700 |
$2,500 |
$6,000 |
$11,000 |
$5,800 |
$14,000 |
$2,727 |
|
$3,270 |
$5,250 |
$3,000 |
||||
|
Lasik (both eyes) |
$4,400 |
$2,000 |
$1,800 |
$500 |
$5,000 |
$6,000 |
$1,995 |
|
$1,818 |
$1,640 |
$4,200 |
$477 |
Not Provided |
||||
|
Cornea (both eyes) |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
$4,200 |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
$7,000 |
Not Provided |
$16,700 |
$1,800 |
Not Provided |
$6,460 |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
||||
|
Retina |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
$4,500 |
$850 |
Not Provided |
$10,200 |
$3,500 |
$13,000 |
$4,242 |
Not Provided |
$3,370 |
$3,000 |
Not Provided |
||||
|
IVF Treatments |
$14,500 |
Not Provided |
$2,800 |
$3,250 |
$2,700 |
$2,180 |
$3,950 |
$2,800 |
$9,091 |
Not Provided |
$5,620 |
$3,819 |
Not Provided |
||||
|
Transplants when Patients Bring Own Donor: |
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
India |
Jordan |
Korea |
Mexico |
Thailand |
Africa |
|
||||||||||
|
Bone Marrow Transplant |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
$135,000 |
$45,455 |
Not Provided |
|
||||||||||
|
Kidney Transplant |
$8,000 |
$25,000 |
$45,600 |
$45,000 |
$21,212 |
$15,450 |
|
||||||||||
|
Liver Transplant |
$13,000 |
$100,000 |
$170,000 |
$115,000 |
$36,364 |
Not Provided |
|
||||||||||
|
Heart Transplant |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
Not Provided |
$51,515 |
Not Provided |
|
||||||||||
Updated June 2010
Note: Prices do not reflect PPO discounts. Prices will vary based on zip code, region, provider, and other factors. Prices are an estimate and do not include airfare or hotel accommodation for the patient or a companion. Travel costs, including airfare and hotel will vary depending on country and also the length of stay for recovery. © Medical Tourism Association™Reproduction without permission of MTA is strictly prohibited
What are some sample incentives employers are offering employees in a Medical Tourism Program?
- Waiving Deductibles &/Or Coinsurance
- Paying for all travel expenses (travel, hotel, etc)
- Covering all Travel Expenses for a Companion/Loved One
- Cash incentives (up to $5,000 or $10,000 in cash).
- Providing the Insured with a % of the Savings
For More Information on how the MTA works with insurance companies, employers, insurance agents, and consultants, please us at: info@medicaltourismassociation.com
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