- Why do Americans choose treatment abroad?
- Top medical destinations among Americans
- What diseases do Americans treat abroad?
The material shows medical tourism trends and describes the leading expert-opinion-based specialties in the country. This information relies on the Bookimed statistics, patient reviews, analysis of the health tourism characteristics in 28 countries, data compiled from multiple variable sources: IMTJ, the Ministry of Health, NCBI.
The report aims to specify health care peculiarities for international patients in a particular country, patients' preferences and factors that affect their choice. It is not a call to action — use it for informational purposes only.
Every year, more and more people over the globe prefer treatment abroad. Medical tourism is developing very fast — about by 25% annually according to IMTJ (International Medical Tourism Journal). The tendency is explained by:
- more affordable health care in other countries
- innovative technologies and treatment options unavailable in a native country.
Americans are among those nations which form a significant part of medical tourists. American medical tourism statistics show that 1,500,000 US citizens have crossed the borders to receive treatment abroad for the last year according to Patients Beyond Borders.
Bookimed, the providers of medical tourism services, arranged the treatment worldwide for record number of Americans in 2018. So, we determined American patients’ preferences and trends conforming to requests on bookimed.com. In keeping with the collected statistics, Bookimed managers describe the most popular countries for treatment among Americans and what diseases they have cured in 2018.
Why do Americans choose treatment abroad?
American healthcare is considered one of the most advanced but expensive in the world. It leads to 3 primary reasons why Americans look for the treatment options outside the USA:
1. Lower prices for medical procedures
Countries of Eastern Europe (Poland, the Czech Republic), Thailand, India, Turkey offer a world-class service for 2-5 times cheaper than in the USA. The potential saving of money can reach 90% even if including the charges for tickets and accommodation during the treatment.
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Bumrungrad International Hospital is a global medical facility in Bangkok, Thailand that specializes in oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, neurosciences, heart surgery, check-ups, etc. Over 1 million patients choose Bumrungrad annually. 50% of them are international ones from over 190 countries.
The hospital is one of the largest private centers in Southeast Asia and one of the most significant world’s outpatient clinics. Bumrungrad International is recognized as TOP-10 best hospitals and TOP-30 most technologically advanced clinics in the world.
| Septoplasty | $6370 - $7300 |
| Coronary artery bypass grafting | $22830 - $39420 |
| In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) | $9755 - $12260 |
| Heart Valve Replacement | $33800 - $40000 |
| Bone marrow transplantation | $137000 - $170000 |
For instance, the IVF (in vitro fertilization) cost in the USA is $25,000-35,000 on average. While in Spain, Poland, Thailand, Turkey, the price ranges between $2,500-5,000 according to bookimed.com data. Such a difference in the cost is explained by the price policy in these countries and the average income of local citizens.
Hair transplant in Turkey will cost about $1,800, but in the USA — $7,000 on average. American patient can save about 60-65% of money even with ticket charges.
Below you can see how much money an American patient saves for treatment in a particular country:
| Country for treatment | Amount of your savings |
|---|---|
Thailand | 50-75% |
Turkey | 50-65% |
India | 65-90% |
South Korea | 30-45% |
Germany | 20-30% |
Czech Republic | 50-60% |
Malaysia | 65-80% |
2. Access to therapies unavailable in the USA
Despite the state-of-the-art therapeutic technologies applied in the USA, some of the unique treatment options are not available here. For instance, therapy with stem cells. It is a new treatment option with fetal, fat, umbilical cord or bone marrow immature cells that can transform into any other cell of the body. This therapy restores organs, improves body functions and stops aging. The therapy is available in Poland, Malaysia, Ukraine, Turkey, the Czech Republic. So, searching for alternative treatment is one one more reason for American medical tourism.
Submit a request to receive the treatment you are interested in:
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Anadolu Medical Center is a multidisciplinary facility providing American treatment standards at affordable prices in Istanbul (Turkey). Anadolu affiliates with the Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the best medical facilities in the USA.
Oncology, hematology oncology, urology, neurosurgery, women's health, IVF, and check-up are the leading specialties in Anadolu Hospital.
The medical center is among the Top 10 hospitals in the world according to the Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQUA), an international organization that promotes excellent standards of health services for medical tourists.
Patients from the United States, the United Kingdom, Romania, Bulgaria, and Azerbaijan choose Anadolu Medical Center.
Summary about Anadolu from patients' reviews:
The Anadolu Clinic is a highly-regarded medical facility located on the coast of the marble sea. It is renowned for its professionalism, cleanliness, and attention to detail. The staff is polite, attentive, and responsive to patients' needs. Highly-trained and skilled doctors are available for comprehensive examinations and treatments, and the recovery room is bright and comfortable with a beautiful view. Patients have benefited from the services of an excellent translator, Elmira, and the support of coordinators Zakhida, Bakhtygul, and Amina, Gayana. The clinic also offers a transfer service from the airport to the hotel and back, as well as booking a hotel conveniently located 10-15 minutes away. Anadolu is the perfect choice for a successful treatment and recovery.
Top 5 Anadolu Advantages:
- Highly skilled and experienced medical staff
- Advanced equipment
- Personal coordinators and interpreters
- Pleasant atmosphere
- Wide range of medical services and treatments
| Immunotherapy | $3420 - $9000 |
| CyberKnife | $8500 - $14000 |
| Bone marrow transplantation | $35000 - $75000 |
| Physiotherapy | $2500 - $4500 |
| Targeted therapy | $3000 - $5000 |
3. Long waiting time
This issue mostly concerns organ transplant procedures. Often, Americans wait for years to receive a donor organ for transplantation. For instance, it takes 4 years to get a donor kidney on average. That’s why, patients are forced to travel outside the USA to have an organ transplant in the shortest term. Their primary choices are Indian and Turkish hospitals according to bookimed.com data.
Bookimed is an international platform to search for the best treatment worldwide. We cooperate directly with over 300 hospitals in 27 countries to provide the best option for you. Our services are free. You pay all charges to the official account of the chosen hospital. With Bookimed you avoid queues and start treatment immediately.
Top medical destinations among Americans
Currently, Bookimed cooperates with 301 hospitals in 27 countries. In 2018, patients from the USA have chosen Germany, Turkey, Israel, Thailand, Austria, etc.
The diagram below shows the preferences of American patients in 2018:
Top countries for medical tourism among the US patients in 2018 according to Bookimed data
Germany and Israel are the most popular among American patients because of the advanced medicine that is confirmed by numerous accreditations, high success rates, and conducted clinical trials. The level of medicine in these countries reaches the American one, but the price for treatment is 2-3 times lower.
Some Turkish and Thai hospitals (for instance Anadolu, Bumrungrad medical centers) work according to strict American treatment protocols applying the latest technologies. Despite such a high quality of medical services, the cost here is 3-5 times cheaper than in the US medical facilities due to the price policy in these countries.
Read also on Top 10 medical tourism destinations worldwide
What diseases do Americans treat abroad?
According to Bookimed statistics, medical tourists from the USA go to other countries with medical problems of any complexity — from treating a toothache to cancer.
Patients, who want to have plastic surgery or dental care, go to Thailand, Turkey, Malaysia, South Korea or the Czech Republic. Neurological, gynecological, gastroenterological, orthopedic pathologies can be successfully treated within Europe and Asia. Cancer patients go to Germany, Israel, Austria, and Korea. The primary destination for organ transplant is Turkey and India.
Read on about the best liver transplant specialist in the world
Below you can see which medical specialties are popular among American patients who requested to Bookimed for help in 2018:
- Oncology 11%
- Neurosurgery 9.5%
- Plastic surgery 9%
- Neurology 8.4%
- Gastroenterology 7%
- Gynecology 5.5%
- Transplantation 5%
- Oncology-Hematology 4.5%
- Orthopedics 4%.
If you want you want to receive the best treatment overseas, submit a request
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Bokanova Dental Center is a modern medical facility located in Riviera Maya, coastal Mexican resort. It’s specialized in dental implants, oral and maxillofacial surgery, veneers, crowns, and Smile Design. Bokanova dentists have over 30 years of experience. Their skills allow providing patients with the 5-year warranty for implants. Bokanova Riviera Maya is popular with international patients, in particular, from the USA and Canada.
| Composite Veneer | $250 |
| Lumineer | $520 |
| All-on-4 Dental Implants | $11000 - $14000 |
| All-on-6 Dental Implants | $11700 - $16300 |
The number of patients from the US and other countries looking for treatment outside their place of residence, is getting higher each year by 10-25%. The medical boarders are erasing, and this is a great news. Everyone gets access to a world medicine and can find the most effective treatment option for a reasonable price.