How to find the best treatment fit for you abroad (part 1)
In this article, we discuss a methodology on how to find, evaluate and obtain the treatment providers and locations that may work best for you.
Your condition and its treatment
Depending on the medical condition you have or the treatment that you are seeking, it is obvious that different doctors and different locations may offer the best fit in terms of treatment, cost and services offered. The first pitfall to avoid is to consider only cost (and the lowest bidder) as the main driver for making a decision. As in everything in life, if something sounds too good to be true, in all likelihood it is.
In evaluating whether to go abroad for treatment, the first thing you need to do is determine what exact surgery and combination of services you are looking for. It is important to remember that different doctors, hospitals and service providers will provide different service packages and that not all of them will be adapted to you. So you need to consider your needs and weigh them against what you will be getting from each provider. For example: you may find a clinic in Mexico that offers a great price for a particular surgery you want to get. However, this clinic also discloses that all additional costs (recovery, transportation, initial rehab) are not included. This may be a bummer, but it is something to consider. On the other hand, you may find a clinic in Thailand that offers the treatment that you want, but they will only bundle it with other services that you may not be interested in and there is no way for you to unbundle or reduce their price.
In addition to the offers that you may get from different clinics, it is important you consider whether your condition merits (or is even worth the risk of) traveling a long distance. You have to bear in mind that traveling is not always pleasant and especially if you’re likely to not be feeling well or you are recovering from a major procedure. Getting medical procedures always involves a risk of complications and understanding the risks and difficulties you may face is essential in your making an adequate choice. It is important to remember that traveling will add a layer of risk to your medical travel.
Throughout your search, you may find that medical tourism and getting surgery and treatment in another country does fit your needs. It may be that the quality of care, risk profile and cost is acceptable for you and that it fits your needs. If this is the case, it’s great! However, it is also important to be open to the idea that the solutions you’ve been looking at should be improved.
