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Medical Tourism Tips

Confirm your treatment options: Make sure you understand your medical situation, diagnosis, and required treatment.

Always use a second and even third opinion before making a decision on what treatment you will choose and where the best destination for it is.

Request copies in writing of all local consultations and physicians’ recommendations, along with cost of treatment.

Establish a file for all research information you have gathered to help you making your destination decision

Be patient during your research process, other countries business aren’t likely to be as fast as the US, especially when it comes to communication turnaround time. You may want to give the hospital/clinic or doctor three or four days before you hear back or send a follow up message, if you don’t hear back in a week, try somewhere else. The point though is to be persistent and patient.

Limit your destinations: how far can I travel? How much can I afford? Will I be spending leisure time? When will my companion be able to travel with me?

Match with appropriate clinics and physicians
Schedule and arrange appointments
Purchase visas
Travel documents arrangement
Communication with hospitals/physicians abroad
Hotel and air booking
Expedite transfer of medical information
Help with post treatment procedures
Arrange and facilitate financial transactions such as currency exchange, payments to healthcare providers, etc…

Choose the right companion
- Someone you trust
- Fun person
- Physically and mentally capable of helping you (language communicator, walking, etc…)
- Organized: you need someone who can help you plan and execute your journey successfully to make sure you’re getting the most out of your trip while you’re wise on money & time spending

Once you’ve established a relationship or a scheduled consultation they will probably ask for assistive medical information
- Your doctors’ reports and recommendations
- X-Ray
- Lab Test results
- It is required by law that any health provider in the US should provide all copies of medical information compiled about you.

Post procedure recuperation planning
- You should give yourself sometime to recover, usually to be on the safe side, 4 days more that what the doctor recommended, just in case a complication happens
- Try to stay in a place that is close to the medical facility if you need to, internet access to communicate with friends, family, travel agent, doctor, Gym for exercise and physical therapy if needed, on-site medical staff if needed, room service for meals and laundry

Once you’ve scheduled your appointments, book your travel (air and hotel)
- Try to book at least 30 days in advance to make sure you get a good fair and you don’t get put on the waiting list and go through the risk of not being able to make it on time