About 432,000 Canadians, faced with rising treatment costs at home, are expected to seek medical care abroad this year, according to the Medical Tourism Association.FreshSplash/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
When you picture yourself on summer vacation, are you on a beach? Or an operating table? For some travellers, the answer is a bit of both.
Call it a medical vacation. About 432,000 Canadians, faced with rising treatment costs at home, are expected to seek medical care abroad this year, 44 per cent more than two years earlier, according to the Medical Tourism Association. They travel for dental work, cosmetic surgeries, and fertility treatments, as well as more serious procedures like knee and hip replacements.
Treatments that are considered elective are generally not covered by provincial health-care or company insurance, making price a key selling point.
Medical tourism is booming despite the risks that come with varying health-care standards and practices around the world. Citing the possibility of increased risk of complications from medical procedures abroad, Health Canada generally advises Canadians to seek treatments at home. According to a spokesperson, those who choose medical tourism should buy insurance covering anything that goes wrong.
Canadians can save between 30 per cent and 90 per cent, compared with what they would pay back home, depending on the destination and procedure, said Jonathan Edelheit, who co-founded the MTA in 2006.
Clinics abroad are scaling up to meet the demand for low-cost treatments: building sophisticated facilities, employing English-speaking staff, and offering all-inclusive packages targeted at North Americans that cost as little as $3,000.
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It’s “night and day” compared with 20 years ago, Mr. Edelheit said of the options available. “If you’re a patient, it’s truly overwhelming. You don’t know where to look.”
He said the global industry today is worth between US$100-and US$120-billion, and is growing between 10 and 15 per cent a year.
“This isn’t a new concept,” Mr. Edelheit said. “Why not go to Costa Rica and see the country’s best dentist versus an average dentist here?”
Ken Hagan, 76, spent $14,000 on three trips to Costa Rica within a year to fix some long-standing dental problems. The cost included four implants, crowns, and travel. He chose a dental practice in San Jose after a word-of-mouth recommendation from a client. After an in-person consultation, he was impressed by the doctors’ professionalism, modern facilities, and friendliness of the staff. Everyone spoke English.
Mr. Hagan believes the procedure would have cost roughly 40 per cent more in Canada, based on quotes he got here. “My only regret is that I didn’t go back to get my top teeth done,” he said.
Patients at the practice are offered preferred rates for nearby hotels and on-the-ground transportation between the airport and clinic. Most use the opportunity to explore the country, though the clinic advises sightseeing only in the days leading up to a procedure, so that they can rest after. Such trips, whether a tour of the Arenal Volcano or a stay in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, can be organized with a local travel company upon request.
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Bernal Soto, one of Mr. Hagan’s doctors, serves many local patients, but said medical tourism makes up to 70 per cent of his clientele during busy months.
Before committing to a treatment, Dr. Soto recommends scheduling a video call with the doctor who will be performing the procedure and asking about their process, equipment, and materials: “It’s a situation when you don’t know the country, the language, or the person you’re putting your health in the hands of,” he said. “You have to compare apples to apples. You can’t just look at the price.”
He also advises independently verifying the accuracy of credentials and to search for reviews online using the name of the clinic and the name of the medical professional.
In Costa Rica, the government assesses health-care providers that service international patients under a program called PROMED. But every country is different, and patients can overestimate the financial benefits of medical tourism if they don’t consider the time it takes to find a reputable health-care provider. Other unexpected costs can include travel for accompanying family members and potential emergency medical care.
While medical tourism can be a positive experience for some people, Valorie Crooks, a researcher with Simon Fraser University, said the industry hurts more than it helps.
On the international market “you’re going to find people who will take risks,” she said, especially if there are no consequences for a negative outcome. Some patients might also shorten recovery times to save on overall costs, while others might undergo surgeries they are not considered candidates for back home. In both cases, they may struggle to access follow-up care in Canada.
“You’re never going to be able to properly account for all of the unknowns around accessing health care,” said Ms. Crooks, “Whether it’s domestically or abroad.”
