Requirements for planning your treatment
Medical tourism today is not a bleeding-edge invention. This is already well-established and mainstream practice of improving health globally. Among the most popular services provided to medical tourists one can find the following:
Those people looking for medical treatment may be discouraged by high prices or extremely long waiting lists in their own countries and may decide to improve their health in a country where medical procedures can be performed immediately and at a
reasonable cost. If you are one of those people below are some recommendations on planning your trip.
Keep focused on your own health
What you need to understand clearly is that you are going abroad to get a properly-priced medical treatment. And for that, you need to focus on what is better for your health. Key things to concentrate on are:
●The medical institution of your choice
●Psychological preparation for treatment
●Post-treatment recovery
Such a journey abroad should not be perceived as a vacation, and although it needs some concentration and effort on your side better health really is worth it.
Do not chase exotic stuff
Medical tourism is quite different from safari or jungle tour. Thus you need to be aware that medical tourism in Europe is way safer than in any other part of the world.
Of course, you might get offers from quite good medical institutions in places like Thailand, India, Malaysia, Cuba, or Costa Rica. But the problem is that during your recovery period you are quite vulnerable to all kinds of viruses. Infectious diseases and viruses in these countries are quite different from those commonly encountered in the US and Europe. This creates additional risks for medical tourists who never encountered these kinds of viruses and diseases.
We advise you to consult your doctor before choosing some really exotic location.
Choose the right institution
Finding the right doctor may be quite a challenge in your own country. So, finding the right clinic for yourself abroad would be even harder. Checking the professional level of doctors, anesthesiologists and other medical staff are even harder when it comes to privately-owned and operated clinics abroad.
Checking the competency of cosmetic surgeons who almost always run their own clinics is quite a time-consuming task requiring specialized knowledge.
But people want more than a good doctor. Along with their medical treatment schedule, they want to be sure that they will be treated not just by professionals but also in a friendly and respectful manner. And it is hard to learn if your doctor just like that by rummaging through the internet and finding answers on forums. That is the reason why you need to work with a team of professionals who constantly check and monitor the clinics they are working with.
Calculate your budget
Medical travel abroad requires you to carefully consider and plan the costs related to going abroad and getting treatment. Besides the actual costs of your medical procedure you may have to cover the following expenses:
●Food
●Communications (phone and Skype costs, internet access)
●Medical supplies that you’ll need during medical treatment and recovery time
Make sure you set up a clear and transparent deal with your provider or agency about means of payment and amounts of payments in advance. Try to explore different payment plans and variants of payments including payments by installments.
Plan your time ahead
For your own convenience give yourself enough time in advance before starting your trip. In most cases taking two or three months of time is a good idea. When negotiating with your agency or medical provider give them several options for your travel.
When planning your travel abroad you also need to take the following things into account:
●The difference in prices of airline tickets or other types of transportation as well as accommodation costs can vary dramatically depending on peak travel dates to and from your destination country
●You need to take weather and climate condition into account when planning your post-op recovery
●The time needed both for treatment and recovery
It is important to understand that flying in and out to a foreign city for a routine dental treatment on the same day is OK, But at the same time, patients should think twice before considering travel after some surgeries. Actually traveling after major surgeries can result in complications and all kinds of health problems.
And that is why you need to take enough time both to prepare for your treatment and to recover from it. Couple more days to rest and relax will be a great contribution to your overall health.
Talk with your companion in advance
Medical treatment may cause you to feel anxious, And, actually, it is a natural process. A good way to deal with this feeling is to take your companion with you. And actually it is really important and even essential if you are about to have some major surgery.
Having a companion with you abroad also means you’ll recover quicker and easier and you’ll be able to enjoy local tourist attractions together. Moreover planning together can help you a lot.
Talk to your companion about the trip well in advance to give him/her enough time for necessary arrangements
Do the necessary medical paperwork
Though it may seem trivial planning the paperwork related to your medical treatment is an important aspect that really needs to be handled in the right way. You need to think primarily about the following:
●Planning how to bring your existing health record to your medical provider abroad
●Planning how to get your records from treatment back home
With the latter, you’ll need to choose whether you want to keep the paper copies of the records or have them scanned and sent you in a digital form.
Arrange your recovery after the procedure
There are some things about post-procedure recovery and assistance you need to plan ahead. To do that, ask yourself the following questions:
●How much recovery time is needed after your treatment?
●Are you going to be hospitalized? If yes – for how long?
●When you`ll be able to travel after your procedure and recovery period?
●If some complications happen during procedure or recovery, what options will you have?
●Who is your contact person in case of emergencies? Does he/she have access to information on where you are and the schedule of your treatment and your medical provider contacts?
●Does your provider representatives know
These questions need to be answered both in case if you are dealing with a provider or working through an agency. Make sure you have found answers to all these questions and got realistic data on your procedure schedule and costs.
Take some memorable stuff from home
When you are living abroad in a hotel room some small stuff from home can help you feel more comfortable. Such things as your favorite book or a picture of your family or loved ones may provide you some warm feeling which you’ll surely need abroad.
Organize communications with friends and family
Support from family and friends will be really important for you during preparation for medical treatment and post-treatment periods. Just drop your friends a line over e-mail about your trip abroad, inform them of how long you will be out of the country.
Use your favorite means of communication to keep connected with your friends – Skype, Facebook, Gmail, or any other which is convenient for you. Make sure you’ve notified your friends about time differences due to different timezones.
People are unique and various, and some of us may need more communication with friends and family before medical treatment, while others prefer to concentrate and have some calm and peaceful time.
Give yourself a good break
In fact, recovering after your procedure is an important part of any successful medical treatment. Sure, you may think about playing soccer with your friends or going out to a disco the next day after your treatment, but if you want your treatment to be really efficient and your health improving – just give yourself considerable time for rest.
Rest is about listening to what your body really needs, not doing stuff you ought to do. So, give yourself enough of slow walks, early and daytime sleep along with your favorite books, music, or movies.
Since we offer an itemized, comprehensive quote for your entire trip, from treatment to flight, accommodation, and even to insurance coverage for both flight and treatment, we need your help here.
We promise to get back to you QUICKLY with all the information you need to make an informed decision and take the first steps. While our prices are among the most competitive on the market, our primary responsibility will always be your health and safety.
Before planning your trip to a hospital or to a doctor in order to have the best solution for your treatment we would need to review your medical records to build a medical plan by our specialists. Please, submit your available medical records to [email protected] or po@medicare-4u.com, confidentiality guaranteed.
Second Opinion Program
An Informed Decision
You’ve just been diagnosed with a medical condition. Even if you believe that your local doctor is knowledgeable and well trained, perhaps you’d like a second opinion from an independent and objective international expert to confirm the diagnosis before you begin treatment. Maybe you’re interested in exploring the treatment options available outside your country.
A 2006 study of all autopsies conducted in the United States found a 40 percent misdiagnosis rate. The study found that approximately 10 to 12% of those cases the patient could have been discharged alive if an accurate diagnosis had been received.
Medicare4U proudly introduces its medical second opinion program which allows you to consult with leading international medical specialists – without getting on a plane – to confirm your diagnosis, review your current treatment plan and explore possible treatments in your home country or at medical centers of excellence around the world.
With a remote medical second opinion, you can plan the best course of treatment with the confidence that your decision was well informed. In addition, you’ll gain a valuable resource for staying up to date on the latest research and therapeutic advances for your condition.
How We Can Help
When you request a medical second opinion with Medicare4U, one of our medical specialists will assist you through the entire process:
· Preliminary assessment of your medical records by our medical director and international medical advisory board
· Identification of the best available doctor at a world-renowned medical institution – we will help you find the most suitable doctor who can issue an opinion regarding your particular medical condition
· Coordination of communication between your local doctor and the international specialist to obtain a second opinion in writing, including by telephone or video conference whenever possible.
· Review and translation of your medical files and diagnosis to English as well as translation of the second opinion back to your native language
Medicare4U works with the top hospitals in the US and Europe to obtain second opinions, including Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Hirslanden in Zurich, and Montsourri in Paris.