Medical Travel: Bright Signs for Agents

Following is a guest column from the president of Companion Global Healthcare.

On a recent transatlantic air trip, I found myself reflecting on the state of medical travel today – where it’s come from and where it’s going.

In the early days of medical travel, a limited number of brave souls traveled outside the U.S. for surgery and other treatments and to visit traditional spas.

Today, there are more consumers traveling for medical, surgical, and wellness reasons than ever before – and to more destinations. As worldwide travel becomes easier and more efficient, so too does cross-border healthcare.

Better information
At the same time, data about the quality of hospitals and physicians are becoming more readily available. Information is available to travel agents and their clients directly from providers, from third parties and on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google.

And price transparency has been achieved via international hospital websites and the websites of countless medical tourism facilitators.

A role for travel agents
The fact that most Americans still do not have passports, and many have not traveled beyond their contiguous states, demonstrates the significant opportunity for travel agents to provide essential assistance to health-conscious consumers.

Moreover, since most medical tourists have never traveled before to the country where they will be seeking medical care and have little real idea of what to expect once they arrive, the services of travel agents can be invaluable.

Top destinations for medical travelers include Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Thailand, India, Turkey, Malaysia, and – very soon, Grand Cayman. Travel agents who want to serve individuals traveling for medical reasons should become familiar with these countries so they can assist – and comfort – first-time visitors.
 
Your clients can protect themselves from mishaps by purchasing low-cost, no-fault medical malpractice and travel insurance policies like Global Protective Solutions (GPS), available from Custom Assurance Placements. This coverage really offers end-to-end protection for the medical tourist.

Growth market
Most Americans who seek surgery outside the country do so for reasons of safety, service and cost-savings.

Today more Americans also are traveling for health reasons because of an increase in the availability of quality wellness services in other countries. Plus, many aging baby boomers have both the time and money to travel for their health.

Because of the ever-increasing cost of medical care in the U.S., more and more employers are offering financial incentives for their employees to travel for care – especially since there is little hope in sight that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will actually make medical care more affordable.  

Travel agents should ask potential medical tourists about employer coverage for medical travel, as it is a financial resource that is sometimes untapped. Oftentimes, a simple phone call by the traveler to their employer’s human resource department answers the question.

For travel agents in the medical travel arena, or who are considering getting into medical travel, these are exciting times. The sky’s the limit!

David Boucher is president and chief operating officer of Companion Global Healthcare, a medical travel facilitation and HR benefits consultancy. Companion Global Healthcare is a partner to Well-Being Travel, a sister company to Travel Market Report.