- ISBN: 978-0-9791079-2-4
- Now Available!
- Paperback, 410 Pages,
5-1/2" x 8-1/2" - Suggested Retail: $22.95
A Guidebook for the Global Patient
With healthcare costs on the rise and a growing number of uninsured and under-insured citizens, more Americans are going abroad to save money on medical procedures at world-class American accredited hospitals and medical centers. For a fraction of the cost, patients can have access to U.S. trained doctors and surgeons in state-of-the-art facilities without extended waiting periods, health insurance denials or exorbitant fees.
Medical Tourism, as it has become known, is a fast growing U.S. phenomenon. More than 150,000 Americans journeyed abroad last year for medical procedures — and that number is expected to double by 2008. Internationally acclaimed medical institutions and countries around the world now cater to the American patient, and a growing industry of brokers, recovery facilities, and health travel agencies have been established to facilitate the process. Dental work, orthopedics, neurosurgery, LASIK eye repair, in-vitro fertilization, cosmetic surgery, cancer diagnosis and treatment and even heart surgery are common procedures for today’s medical traveler.
But how do Americans considering health travel navigate their varied choices? What can patients expect from their international medical team? What precautions should patients consider when deciding if health travel is right for them? A new book sets out to answer those questions and more. Patients Beyond Borders: Everybody’s Guide to Affordable, World-Class Medical Tourism is the first comprehensive resource for the medical traveler.
Author Josef Woodman spent three years researching the book after his father journeyed abroad for healthcare in 2002. Woodman, with a pioneering background in health technology on the Web, began to investigate contemporary medical tourism, interviewing patients, practitioners, administrators, government officials and specialists in the field. He conducted an extensive analysis of safety records, accreditations, and cost comparisons and consumer trends and eventually became a health traveler himself.
Armed with years of research, his own medical travel experiences, and piles of case studies from patients, Woodman began to compile a complete guide for the American health consumer. “Americans should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare options at home and abroad” says Woodman. “Patients Beyond Borders is an impartial and straightforward guide for Americans faced with difficult decisions about their medical and financial wellbeing. Medical travel is a viable option for Americans who are simply priced out of the U.S. health market, those forced to choose between debt and severe pain, or those facing long-term financial insecurity due to challenging medical conditions.”
Anne & Doug Stoda from Tahoma, Wisconsin might be considered unlikely candidates for medical tourism. Neither of them had ever been on a commercial flight, much less traveled overseas, but when Doug’s debilitating pain from a logging injury at work began to worsen, they knew they had to take action.
In chronic pain for thirteen years, Doug was nearing the point where he could no longer walk. Fifty-two and uninsured, Stoda was told he needed a hip replacement. But at $75,000, the procedure was completely out of reach. His chiropractor told him about a 60 Minutes special she had seen on medical tourism and a treatment called hip resurfacing. Unavailable at that time in the U.S., the procedure had been used for patients in Europe and Asia for 18 years. When Ann and Doug began investigating they were amazed by what they learned. Doug was an ideal candidate for the procedure and, if they were willing to travel, they could take advantage of tremendous savings.
After careful research and planning Doug and Ann took a twenty-three hour flight to Chennai, India. Their experience was a positive one with successful treatment, excellent quality care, a beautiful recovery resort and welcome relief from pain and disability. Medical expenses came to $6,500 and the total cost of the trip, from their front door and back was $11,500. “We felt it was such a blessing,” said Ann, “we were a bit jittery about the trip but we did our research and we knew that it was a good hospital. We were treated so well and we made friends we hope to go back and visit.”
Today Doug has no physical limitations and no pain. Hip resurfacing has recently been approved in the U.S. but the cost remains about the same as a hip replacement. “The cost kept me from having the procedure.” said Doug. “For us, medical travel was a much better solution.”
Not all hospitals and medical facilities are equal. Woodman points out that the industry is still young and while many countries around the world see the benefit of the American patient in terms of tourist dollars it is critical that potential health travelers follow careful guidelines, take precautions and do their research to make sure they are getting premiere care. “Good planning is essential to the success of any medical procedure and that goes double for the global patient” says Woodman.
Patients Beyond Borders includes “must-ask” screening questions for your physician candidate, personal checklists, scheduling advice, timelines, detailed research resources and contact information for the top 22 destinations, a treatment and country finder as well as planning and budget guidelines.
Woodman says that he has been overwhelmed by the response to the book. “I have received calls and emails from around the country from people considering health travel. I tell them that with diligence, perseverance and good information traveling abroad for treatment is a legitimate, affordable and safe choice.”