Patients Beyond Borders Everybody?s Guide to Affordable, World-Class Medical Travel

by Woodman, Josef

• ISBN13: 9780979107924
• ISBN10: 097910792X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-08-01
• Publisher: Healthy Travel Media

Summary

This work lists the 30 top medical travel destinations, w here patients can save 30 to 80 percent on medical procedures. This second edition features updated contact and accreditation information for all listed hospitals, a guide to planning and budgeting, and a handy treatment index.

Author Biography

Author Josef Woodman has spent more than three years touring 100 medical facilities in 14 countries, researching contemporary medical tourism. As co-founder of MyDailyHealth and Ventana Communications, Woodman’s pioneering background in health, wellness, and Web technology has allowed him to compile a wealth of information about global health travel, telemedicine, and new developments in consumer and institutional medical care. Woodman has lectured at the UCLA School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School and has conducted seminars and workshops in a dozen countries. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Global Healthcare Summit and as Program Co-Chairman of the Global Healthcare Congress. Woodman has emerged as an outspoken advocate of global consumer healthcare and medical travel.

Table of Contents

Foreword to the Second Edition	p. xv
Introduction	p. 1
Beginnings	p. 4
You Deserve an Impartial Perspective	p. 6
What Exactly Is Medical Tourism?	p. 7
Why Go Abroad for Medical Care?	p. 8
Big Surgeries: Comparative Costs	p. 10
Denistry: Comparative Cost in Popular Destinations	p. 11
Who Should Read Patients Beyond Borders?	p. 15
What Patients Beyond Borders Will (and Won't) Do for You	p. 16
How to Use This Book	p. 17
How to Become A Savvy, Informed Medical Traveler
What Am I Getting Into? Some Quick Answers for Health Travelers	p. 23
Is Healthcare Overseas Safe?	p. 23
If Healthcare in Other Countries Is So Good, How Can It Be So Cheap?	p. 24
Some Facts about Medical Costs and Medical Travel	p. 25
How Much Can I Save?	p. 26
Is It Safe to Travel Overseas?	p. 27
What Medical Treatments Are Available Abroad?	p. 28
How Do I Know Where to Travel for Treatment?	p. 28
Can Someone Go with Me? I Don't Like Traveling Alone	p. 29
What If They Don't Speak English?	p. 30
How Realistic Is the "Vacation" Part of the Trip?	p. 30
What If Complications Arise after I Return Home?	p. 31
Will My Health Insurance Cover My Overseas Medical Expenses?	p. 32
Can I Sue?	p. 33
Can I Finance My Treatment?	p. 34
Planning Your Health Travel Journey	p. 35
First Things First: Seek Guidance	p. 35
Trust Yourself	p. 36
Plan Ahead	p. 37
Set Your Mind to It	p. 39
Email and Internet Searching	p. 41
Chutzpah!	p. 43
Nixing the Nonresponders	p. 44
The Twelve-Fold Path to Enlightened Health Travel Planning	p. 45
The What and Why of JCI	p. 63
Alternatives to JCI	p. 64
Continuity of Care - Critical to Success	p. 68
Just Ask	p. 77
Pack Smart	p. 79
Budgeting Your Treatment and Trip	p. 81
First Things First: Consider Your Treatment and Travel Preferences	p. 81
The $6,000 Rule Revisited	p. 89
Patients Beyond Borders Budget Planner	p. 90
Is Your Medical Trip Tax Deductible?	p. 94
Choosing and Working with a Health Travel Planner	p. 99
The New Good Old Days of Hitting the Road	p. 99
What Is a Health Travel Planner?	p. 100
Why Use a Health Travel Planner?	p. 101
What a Health Travel Planner Does	p. 103
Fees, Packages, and Payment	p. 107
What to Look for in a Health Travel Planner	p. 110
Check, Please	p. 111
Domestic or Abroad?	p. 112
When Not to Use a Health Travel Planner	p. 113
For Best Results ...	p. 113
The Write Stuff	p. 114
While You're There	p. 117
First Things First: Arm Yourself with Information	p. 117
Getting the Information	p. 119
General Guidelines and Cautions	p. 121
Operator, Information: Staying in Touch While on the Road	p. 126
Communicating with Your In-Country Caregivers	p. 132
Going under the Knife? Pre- and Post-Surgery Tips and Cautions	p. 133
Get There Good to Go	p. 134
Before Leaving the Hospital: Get All the Paperwork	p. 139
Leisure Time: Before or after Treatment?	p. 141
Home Again, Home Again	p. 147
Beating Those Home-Again Blues	p. 147
Communicate Your Needs to Family Members	p. 148
Touch Base with Your Local Doctor	p. 149
Anticipate Longer Recovery Periods	p. 149
Hold on to Your Paperwork	p. 150
Stay with the Program	p. 151
Get Help or Farm Out the Work	p. 152
Stay Mentally and Socially Active	p. 153
If Complications Develop ...	p. 153
Post-Treatment: Normal Discomfort or Something More Complicated?	p. 154
The Straight Dope on Pharmaceuticals	p. 156
Medical Travel and Medical Malpractice	p. 158
Caution: Blood Clots in the Veins	p. 161
For Companions	p. 163
First Things First: Are You Up for the Job?	p. 163
Before the Trip	p. 164
While You're There	p. 168
Back Home	p. 172
A Note to Patients about Your Companion	p. 174
Dos and Don'ts for the Smart Health Traveler	p. 175
The Most-Traveled Health Destinations
Introduction	p. 189
A Note about Prices	p. 190
A Note about Immunizations	p. 193
Map of the Most-Traveled Health Destinations	p. 196
Treatment and Country Finder	p. 198
Antigua and Barbados	p. 201
Brazil (Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo)	p. 206
Costa Rica (San Jose and Escazu)	p. 214
Czech Republic	p. 225
Hungary	p. 231
India: Delhi	p. 238
India: Bangalore	p. 248
India: Chennai	p. 255
India: Mumbai	p. 261
Israel (Jerusalem, Haifa, and Tel Aviv)	p. 271
Jordan	p. 278
Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Penang)	p. 282
Mexico (California and Arizona Borders; Texas and New Mexico Borders; Coastal)	p. 292
New Zealand	p. 305
Panama	p. 308
Philippines (Manila and Quezon City)	p. 314
Singapore	p. 319
South Africa (Cape Town and Johannesburg)	p. 333
South Korea	p. 341
Taiwan (Taipei, Taoyuan City, Tainan City)	p. 346
Thailand (Bangkok and Phuket)	p. 355
Turkey (Istanbul, Kocaeli, and Izmir)	p. 370
United Arab Emirates (UAE)	p. 376
Resources and References
Additional Resources	p. 385
Medical Glossary	p. 389
Index	p. 395
About the Author	p. 408
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