Comparing the costs of medical tourism (accidental)

Whereas much of the attention in the sector of medical travel is focused on medical tourism (i.e. where the main reason for travel is some form of treatment or surgery), a more mature market sector and established is providing healthcare for the tourist or business traveler who falls ill abroad.

The structure and the maturity of this sector means that it is much easier to collect comparative data, such as the cost of treating healthcare and real in different countries. Cost management is in the hands of international insurance companies, insurance companies and travel assistance companies that negotiate prices with the hospital providers worldwide. the recent analysis of travel insurance claims, published by travel insurer based on the United Kingdom, Sainsbury 's, Travel Insurance provides an insight on the variation of hospital costs around the world and the increasing tendency in hospital costs.

According to his analysis:

In 2009, a record number of people needed medical treatment while abroad. The most expensive country for inpatient hospital treatment was the United States, with the average hospital visit cost £ 6000. The average cost of hospital treatment abroad rose to £ 2.040 during the past 12 months, an increase of 6.25% on year. The most significant increase of costs of treatment were seen in Turkey (+ 10%), the United States (+ 10%) and Spain (Companion). During the summer months (May to September), the most common reason for hospitalization was gastroenteritis with the average bill for inpatient treatment worth £ 1200. The most expensive hospital bills were for those who suffered a heart attack on the outside, resulting in medical expenses that on average £ 12500.

It is interesting that international assistance companies that deal with these tourists doctors "accidental" have shown little or no interest in entering the business of medical tourism. They have everything in place to become the world's number one facilitator and blow everyone market:

They have a network of "approved" hospitals around the world. They facilitate the treatment to thousands of international patients in foreign countries every day. They have call centres to handle requests for information of patients. They have broad technology and systems to manage the process of patients. They have people on the ground in key destinations that can provide local support. They have comparative data on treatment outcomes and comparative costs in hospitals worldwide.

So why don't companies like Europ Assistance, Mondial Assistance and AXA Assistance entered the market of medical tourism and use their knowledge to achieve a dominant position in the market?

The answer is probably very simple. The medical tourism market just isn't big enough to be appealing to them, not worth the hassle. That is good news for existing operators ... but puts the market opportunity of medical tourism in perspective in the long-term relationship established market of international assistance.