MEDICAL TOURISM
Medical tourism is now not only a buzzword but a serious
business. Travel to foreign countries for the purpose of health
care and plastic surgery is now a booming industry. Some of
the most popular reasons for travelling our dental and cosmetic
surgery. Combining surgery with a holiday can not only make
for cheaper medical care but also provides recuperation in
a pleasant environment and also removes the individual from
their normal social circle.
The following is an extract from treatment abroad on a medical
tourism survey from 2007:
The survey reveals that over 50,000 people travelled abroad
for treatment last year, and spent £161 million on medical
tourism. The number of medical tourists increased by 25% over
the 12 months and, predicts the survey, will continue to grow
over the next 6-12 months.
• The Medical Tourism Survey 2007 reveals that India,
Hungary and Turkey are amongst the most popular medical tourism
destinations for UK patients.
• Dentistry is the most popular service with dental
treatments such as crowns, dental implants, bridges and veneers
leading the way. Over 20,000 Brits travel abroad for their
teeth, spending around £2,500 each, with an estimated
market value of over £50 million per annum.
• Cosmetic surgery is a close second with around 14,500
patients travelling outside the UK. Breast augmentation, tummy
tuck, liposuction and facelift are popular choices; patients
spend around £3,500 each, creating an estimated market
size of £50 million.
• The most common types of elective surgery for patients
travelling abroad are hip replacement, knee replacement, laser
eye surgery and cataract removal, with some 10,000 patients
spending £37 million in 2007.
The national health service provides for treatment within
Europe under certain conditions. There are European union
regulations (article 49). These guidelines indicate a patient
will receive treatment in an EU country provided it is the
same as they would have received in the UK. Treatment can
be a private or state funded hospitals, if private payment
will be expected prior to treatment and may seek reimbursement
later although this may not cover the entire costs.
See
this link for more information
E112 Form
This route allows you to have treatment in another state
funded sector hospital within Europe (EEA) and Switzerland.
You will need to make payments in the same way that a local
person seeking treatment would – this usually involves
a percentage of the costs up front. Payment for the remainder
of the treatment is made via the NHS and if there is a difference
based on your up front costs you can seek reimbursement. For
each of these routes permission must be sought from your local
Primary Care Trust or GP first. The Department of Health website
gives a full list of conditions and guidelines.
See
more travel health related articles
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