The flourishing medical travel industry has seen the sudden rise of agencies offering to become the one-stop post for people who are considering travelling abroad to receive their dental, surgical, or cosmetic treatments there. A medical tourism company is often the first face-to-face encounter a person has with medical tourism. Undoubtedly, these fairly new enterprises are the reason for the boom in tourists flocking from one country to another to get treated. However, with so many operations popping up, which one do you pick? Here are some tips:
1. Ask questions about the medical providers they are associated with.
In this business, the quality of service received is the primary concern, with cost of services only coming in second. Therefore, the company you are considering should have established relationships with internationally-accredited hospitals and highly-qualified doctors who can provide the best foreign medical service you require. You should also conduct your own research about these providers to gain a more objective view of them.
2. Look into the services the company provides.
There are several classes of medical tourism agents or facilitators. Some are hotel groups who offer travel services to medical tourists. There are also foreign hospitals having tie-ups with U.S.-based hospitals. These companies are not necessarily fraudulent, but they do not offer the full package that medical tourism agencies do provide. For good measure, ask if they offer the following services: pre and post-care video-conferencing with your foreign practitioner, 24/7 care management, aid in looking for financial assistance, concierge services such as documents processing and local and international transportation, and vacation services like tour organizing.
3. Always go for a duly-accredited medical company.
The Medical Tourism Association is a non-profit organization composed of top international hospitals, insurance companies, and medical travel facilitators dedicated to promoting a high quality of international medical care. Check that your chosen company if it is affiliated with the MTA. The MTA is also currently developing a medical tourism company certification program and will soon be the first body to set the official standards for becoming a qualified medical tourism agent.
4.Look for transparency.
Most fraudulent businesses have complaints lodged against them with the Better Business Bureau. If you agent will not answer your questions regarding unresolved issues, the BBB can easily answer them for you. Anyone can easily come up with a website and throw in a couple of lines to convince you that they are authentic agents. We should, by now, know better.