Medical tourism facilitators make it easier to navigate the process of medical care in a foreign country. Learn everything you need to know about medical tourism facilitators, when you might need their services, and how to maximize the benefits while minimizing risk.
What are Medical Tourism Facilitators?
Medical tourism facilitators are individuals or agencies who help patients navigate health care in a foreign country.
The best medical tourism facilitators are trained professionals with a deep understanding of medical treatments and procedures as well as the medical providers and health systems in their home country or region. They help foreign and sometime domestic patients select healthcare providers, and assist in every step of medical travel planning, from booking appointments to post-procedure care.
With a medical tourism facilitator on your side, affordable, high quality care is possible, and can be arranged with minimal headache and hassle.
What Does a Medical Tourism Facilitator Do?
Traveling to a foreign country can be a daunting task even in the best of circumstances. A medical tourism facilitator helps reduce stress and puts patients at ease by acting as an intermediary between the patient and provider. A medical travel facilitator can typically assist with the following tasks.
1. Provider Selection
A skilled medical tourism facilitator can help you choose the best destination for the care you seek, and the best facilities and providers at that destination. They will help you create an itinerary that allows for the time you need at your destination before, during and after your treatment or procedure.
2. Travel Planning
Once you’ve selected a destination, your facilitator will help you book flights and arrange accommodations, transportation, meals and pre or post-treatment care. Travel planning may also include non-medical tours.
3. System Navigation
Healthcare in a foreign country often differs vastly from the culture and systems you’re used to at home. A medical tourism facilitator can help you negotiate pricing, draft agreements, and translate appointments and documents. In brief, they act as a communications bridge between you, the medical providers, and hospital facilities.
Do I Need a Facilitator?
When deciding if a facilitator is something you need, the following questions can be helpful.
- Are you traveling to a destination you’re unfamiliar with?
- Will you need any special travel documents such as visas?
- Do you speak the language at your destination?
- Do you need assistance choosing a facility or doctor?
- Do you understand how to guarantee the cost of your procedure, or how to negotiate a price?
- Do you expect to pay using insurance, and do you know how to arrange that?
- Will you need assistance with meals, transportation or lodging either before, during or after your treatment or procedure?
- Will you need personal assistance while you recover from your treatment or procedure?
- Who will you turn to for help if something unexpected occurs regarding travel, your medical care or your personal health and wellbeing?
If you answered yes to the above questions, you may not need a medical facilitator. If you’re unsure about any of the above, a medical facilitator can help calm your fears. Most importantly, a facilitator minimizes stress by giving you someone to lean on in case of the unexpected.
View Original Source: https://americanmedicalcare.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-medical-tourism-facilitators
