Although everyone can get basic healthcare appointments in their own country, sometimes, situations demand that you look further afield for the treatment you need. Whether this is because of the cost, cultural reasons, or because the treatment you want is not available in your home country, whatever reason you have for making the most of medical tourism, you need a guide with helpful advice on moving forward with your plans. Here is the ultimate guide to traveling for healthcare needs.
Step 1: Do Thorough Research
Begin your medical tourism journey by researching the best clinics worldwide for the treatment you need. You might uncover that London is the best place for hair transplants, Turkey or Croatia are great for getting veneers, or Germany is considered the leading country in hip replacements. When you’ve narrowed down a few possible countries, investigate which clinics offer the treatment you need. Look into reviews on their website and third-party sites, if they provide consultations, and at before and after photos if applicable. Stories from real patients can serve as a great testament, too.
Step 2: Get A Consultation
Once you’ve finished researching and think you have found the right clinic, don’t immediately book an appointment. Instead, seek out their consultation services; some offer them for free! The reason you need a consultation is that upon speaking to the experts about your unique case, they may suggest another form of treatment you hadn’t considered or known about. Take the example of hair loss.
You can get a consultation in person for hair loss treatments on Harley Street, London, or book an online appointment, in which both discuss your hair loss history and what results you could realistically expect to see after getting treatment. You may discover you are not a great candidate for hair Advanced Tricho Pigmentation but are for a FUE hair transplant. It is at this point that you will get an estimated cost.
Step 3: Budget Honestly For Your Trip
Now you know which clinic and country you are traveling to and the rough cost of your appointment, you can start budgeting for the trip. If you traveled in person for a consultation, ensure you factor this money into your budget. If your treatment costs a little more than expected, see if you can make cutbacks on other aspects of the trip, such as flight costs and hotel accommodation. If you can’t afford it right now, take some time to save up – you don’t want to financially burden yourself because of the treatment.
Step 4: Start Booking
With your clinic chosen, treatment decided, and budget formed, you can book your treatment, flights, accommodation, and time off work. You will want to organize all of this as soon as you know you are ready to proceed with this treatment, as slots can easily be booked. Plus, the last thing you want to do is spend a fortune on last-minute plane tickets or have to take unpaid time off work!
Step 5: Get Appropriate Insurance
Standard insurance generally won’t provide medical cover for any procedure you get done overseas. Furthermore, if you take out standard insurance for a trip specifically organized for medical treatment and you lose your bags, the insurance might not even cover this. This is why you need to seek the right insurance. You may find that some clinics offer this insurance service, but if they don’t, you will want to research the best possible policies for third-party companies.
