International medical travel rebounds to pre-pandemic levels
As many as one million Americans travel abroad for medical services each year, and some experts say the annual rate of growth is as much as 20%.
As states and businesses closed down during the onset of the pandemic, consumers also canceled their health care plans–both elective procedures and routine care. Not surprisingly, this correlated to a significant drop in international medical travel. What may be a surprise, however, is how quickly the market for medical tourism has rebounded.
“U.S. traffic of patients at this point is roughly the same as it was before the pandemic,” said Jacob Pope, chief operating officer of Medical Departures. “And in dollar terms, it’s actually up by 20% to 50%, depending on whom you ask. It’s people who’ve deferred larger treatments.”
According to Health Care Insider, as many as one million Americans travel abroad for medical services each year, and some experts say the annual rate of growth is as much as 15% to 20%. Many Americans have come to rely on foreign nations’ health care systems for in vitro fertilization, orthopedic surgery or even cancer treatment. But for a growing number of Americans, medical travel means heading south of the border to Mexico for dental treatment.
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“Most U.S. outbound traffic today is border travel by car,” said Josef Woodman, author of “Patients Beyond Borders.” “People feel safer, and there are many repeat customers. Many have been going for years, all the way from Texas to California.”
Major medical treatments sought by Americans overseas tend to be pricey procedures, such as in vitro fertilization and orthopedic surgery.
“When it comes to major medical treatments, IVF is popular, because it’s extraordinarily expensive in the United States, and it’s relatively safe,” Pope said. “Orthopedics is a similar concept. Even if you’re covered in the United States, it can still be more expensive than doing it out of pocket in Mexico.”
There also are specific markets for certain procedures that Americans pursue because of their connections with a given country. “For example, India is a destination for heart surgery, but mostly among people with a South Asian connection,” he said.
Whether people travel for dentistry, cosmetic surgery or major medical procedures, they should keep in mind that most U.S. health insurance will not cover procedures outside the country. “Patients should balance their U.S. costs against the total cost of overseas procedures and travel, and keep safety as their first priority,” said Jeff Smedsrud, cofounder of HealthCare.com. “Medical travelers should also remember that many countries require U.S. citizens to have travel insurance in order to visit.”
The pandemic may ultimately provide a shot in the arm to medical travel by sparking a surge in telehealth.
“Telehealth could make people more comfortable with medical travel,” said Tricia Johnson, a professor of health care finance and medical travel expert at Rush University. “For a person who has no sense of where they’re traveling to, it gives them a sense of connection with their caregiver.”
Experts agree that as long as medical treatments remain less expensive abroad than in the United States and the quality is good, the medical travel market will continue to grow. But in the near future, medical travel’s prospects depend on the pandemic.
“If vaccinations continue to increase and case counts go down, I expect continued growth,” Pope said. “But if a new variant spreads and vaccines aren’t effective, then all bets are off.”
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