It’s no secret that medical care in the United States can be quite expensive if you aren’t covered by insurance. One solution that is gaining popularity is medical tourism, which involves  going overseas for treatment.

Since the cost of advanced medical care is often much lower in other countries,  medical tourism can offer tremendous savings for certain procedures, even when you factor in the cost of airfare and lodging .

India is one of the fastest-growing centers of medical tourism. Wikipedia outlines the advantages:

Most estimates claim treatment costs in India start at around a tenth of the price of comparable treatment in America or Britain.[7][76] The most popular treatments sought in India by medical tourists are alternative medicine, bone-marrow transplant, cardiac bypass surgery, eye surgery and orthopedic surgery. India is known in particular for heart surgery, hip resurfacing and other areas of advanced medicine.

Due to these advantages, the medical tourism market in India is projected to grow at a rate of approximately 30% per year.

What are the cons of medical tourism?  First of all, international flights are long and international travel can be stressful, which may be detrimental to patients who have certain conditions. Also, patients traveling to other countries may be afflicted with illnesses, particularly intestinal illnesses, that the have no immunity to.

Finally, quality of care can vary.  India has some excellent doctors and hospitals, but it’s important to research the facility and the doctors before you go. Also, understand what your options are if something goes wrong with the treatment-patients traveling overseas for care tend to have fewer legal remedies at their disposal if something goes awry.

One way to help decrease the chances of problems is to look for a facility that has been certified by one of the following organizations:

• Accreditation Canada
• Joint Commission International (JCI)
• Trent International Accreditation Scheme

If you are planning to travel to India specifically for the purpose of getting medical care, you need a medical visa.  Indian visa requirements for patients seeking care are different than the standard Indian visa requirements for tourists.  Here’s what you will need: (more…)