The new trend of medical tourism is not a surprise for the citizens of developed nations like UK & USA. This trend evolved because population growing older and health care cost keeps rising. Now more people want cheaper ways to fulfill their medical and health care requirements. You can imagine the cost difference in USA and other medical tourism countries by following example.
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The cost of bypass heart surgery is $11,000/- in Thailand where as the cost for bypass heart surgery in USA is $1,30,000/-
2.
Spinal fusion cost in India is $5500/- where as the cost for spinal fusion in USA is around $62000/-
This huge cost difference is getting attention of everyone. Many traveling agents are now increasingly busy in booking medical tours along with honeymoon and winter holiday. These medical tours are range from critical life saving medical procedures like heart surgery to general dental and other elective cosmetic surgeries.
Financial consulting firms for companies in developed nations are now insisting companies to send their employees abroad for elective medical surgeries. Following facilities are provided to employee if they ready to go abroad for medical procedure.
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First-class flights
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Full expenses for one companion
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Stay at 5 star hotels
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Plus other incentives like bonus, sick leave etc.
It’s amazing! After providing all the above said facilities still company saves thousands of bucks. Insurance companies like BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina began covering surgeries at Bumrungrad, while United Group Programs in Boca Raton, Fla., has targeted self-insured employers by promoting overseas surgeries to 40 corporations. UGP claims its plan saves employers 50 percent in health care costs and cuts employee contributions to zero.
Now question is how investors can make money from this on going boom of medical tourism? This can be achieved by buying stocks in countries medical infrastructure, like hospitals, airports and medical record management companies or companies those providing medical tourism.