With the costs of health care skyrocketing in the U.S., many people are looking for lower-cost solutions. It is no secret that medical procedures are significantly less expensive in other countries. This has given rise to an entirely new industry called medical tourism. Medical tourism is where individuals go on vacation to a certain destination specifically to have medical procedures performed. Cosmetic procedures are the most popular since they are generally not covered by health insurance. Before you book your next vacation and your next procedure, however, here are five things you need to know about medical tourism.
1. Lower licensing requirements
One of the reasons medical care is so expensive in America is because of the extensive training and licensing requirements of American health practitioners. Not only is medical care more expensive in the US, but medical training is as well. In fact, when doctors from other countries want to become licensed to practice in the U.S., they often have to undergo further extensive training to ensure they can meet the high expectations of U.S. medical boards. Sadly, botched cosmetic surgery procedures are all-too-common, leaving the patient far worse off than when they started. In some cases, the botched procedures can be corrected at a significantly higher price than it would have cost to do it right the first time but in other cases, patients are simply left scarred for a lifetime.
2. You lose your legal rights
In most states, doctors are required to carry malpractice insurance. A plastic surgeon Tampa must either carry malpractice insurance or show a certain amount of secured assets to cover any claims against them. If you travel out of the country or overseas to have any type of medical procedure performed, you will have no legal recourse against the surgeon if anything goes wrong. Fixing botched procedures can be prohibitively expensive, so it might be best to stay where you have some legal recourse if things go wrong.
3. Lack of oversight
In the U.S., all of the equipment and supplies used for even cosmetic procedures must undergo rigorous testing and be from reputable, licensed suppliers. In many cases, the reason procedures in other countries are so cheap is because they use substandard or even black market supplies and equipment. Sometimes these supplies are not only substandard but can actually contain toxic substances. Saline or silicone breast implants, for instance, that are made from substandard materials can be more prone to rupture, which can cause significant health issues if they weren’t actually filled with silicone or saline.
4. Lack of proper follow-up care
The human body is amazingly complex. No matter how skilled a surgeon is, various things can happen in the recovery process that may necessitate a second procedure. In addition, even cosmetic procedures carry a great number of risks, some of which can even potentially be life-threatening. While it may be far cheaper to get a cosmetic procedure in a foreign country, if you have any health issues as a result of the procedure, you may not be able to get the same quality of care you would in the U.S.
While it may seem like traveling to a foreign country to obtain a medical procedure might be more cost-effective, the truth is, it can actually cost you your life. Even when there are no life-threatening complications, however, the risk of botched procedures is much higher and you will have no legal recourse to help pay for getting the damaged reversed. A plastic surgeon Tampa can help you get the look you want the first time around, with the best follow-up care possible