Medical tourism agencies

Medical tourism or health tourism is defined as travel beyond a home country in search of healthcare that is either less expensive or more accessible. Medical tourism has become a common form of vacationing and covers a broad spectrum of medical services. It mixes leisure, fun and relaxation together with wellness and healthcare.

Medical tourism agencies:

Medical tourism agencies are an important part of the medical tourism industry providing a straight forward facility for potential patients to engage in medical tourism.

The process of deciding where to go for medical treatments abroad can be a challenging task, particularly for first time medical travelers. Because of the complexity of this decision-making process, medical tourists seek help from medical tourism travel agents to coordinate their medical travel programs. These agencies act as your intermediaries with foreign-based hospitals, surgeons, clinics, airlines, hotels and recovery facilities.

Medical tourism travel agents can be divided into four groups:

1. Medical Travel Planners:

These organizations serve as the patient's representative in finding a medical provider abroad. These are businesses set up solely to provide all healthcare tourism services you need-from pre to post-procedure care, care management, travel, and health services. Medical travel planners are a patient's representative to their overseas medical practitioner.

2. Travel Agencies:

These agencies offer travel tour plans for medical travelers based on their experience in organizing travel logistics.

3. Provider Groups:

These foreign medical providers have tie-ups with international and US-based medical facilities and are dedicated to medical travelers.

4. Hotel Groups:

These are hotels that have expanded to include liaison services between medical travelers and foreign medical providers.

Advantages of Using a Medical Tourism Travel Agent:

Medical tourism travel agents can act as guides for medical tourists. Many medical tourists find it convenient to seek help from these agencies. Some of the advantages of opting for these agencies are as follows:

1. General Information:

Medical tourism agencies have adequate experience in the healthcare tourism process and can address all concerns and questions that many medical tourists may have, including: safety, accommodation, insurance etc.

2. Familiarity with the Medical Centers:

Medical tourism facilitators are familiar with the medical facilities and providers they are working with. They are well informed about the medical provider's certifications, type of facilities and other factors that are critical when deciding on a medical center.

3.Logistics:

Medical agencies can provide assistance with logistics, documentations, permits and other travel arrangements required for medical tourism. These include arrangements for hotel, transportation and accommodation and if necessary could also include aftercare facilities.

5. Packages:

Some medical agencies offer all-in-one medical tourism packages where patients can benefit from lower rates as compared to getting the services on their own.

6. Finance:

Medical Tourism agencies also provide assistance to medical travelers in obtaining finance for medical tourism.

There are a large number of medical tourism travel agencies offering services for medical tourists. Some are based in the United States or Europe, while others reside in the destination country. The Medical traveler should weigh the pros and cons of obtaining the services of these travel agencies, as opposed to choosing a medical tourism provider on their own.