Crossing Borders for the Best Care
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Thirty-five countries currently have medical tourism programs, and studies predict the industry will grow by close to 35 percent a year, according to Renee-Marie Stephano, speaking at the University of Miami Global Business Forum, held Jan. 12–14, 2011. Stephano, president of the Medical Tourism Association, moderated a panel session titled “Medical Tourism: Global Challenges and Opportunities.”
The panelists painted a mixed picture of the future of medical tourism, weighing the possibility of huge economic gains against a plethora of legal issues. One of the biggest is that there is little to no legal precedent for any type of litigation related to medical tourism, said attorney Scott Edelstein, a partner with Squire Sanders & Dempsey.
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Panelists (L-R) Scott Edelstein, Partner, Squire
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“There’s a certain amount of uncertainty when developing medical tourism programs to ensure that you actually are going to be able to minimize your liability exposure,” Edelstein said. He also expressed concern about multiple jurisdictions (with providers, facilitators and patients potentially coming from different countries), varying laws and foreign fears of “litigious Americans.” And while many people are now opting for personal medical insurance to cover their treatments or procedures, Edelstein made it clear that if a problem should arise, any party — from facilitator to referring physician — could end up facing litigation. However, he said, “None of these are legal issues that cannot be overcome.”
To be sure, medical tourists are economically attractive to many countries, including the United States. Inbound patients — those seeking treatment in the U.S. — bring higher-than-average revenues for the health care industry. That has inspired many major health systems to market their services around the globe.
What do patients look for when contemplating medical care abroad? Quality of medicine, patient safety, access to treatment and privacy, said Michael A. Stein, corporate vice president in Baptist Health South Florida’s International Division.
“However, the patient’s overall experience is paramount to the sustainability of expanding inbound medical travel,” Stein said. Both he and physician William Ruschhaupt, chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Global Patient Services division, stressed that it’s an ongoing priority to train staff to recognize the cultural diversity among their patients.
Though a leader in worldwide health care right now, the U.S. faces increasing competition as other countries — notably China and India — invest more in research and development, Stein noted. New non-invasive methods are making it easier for physicians in other nations to offer procedures that previously required invasive surgery. In addition, U.S. medical centers must work to earn inbound patients, and as the cost of care increases, this country becomes less attractive to medical tourists.
That may not be a problem for all medical centers seeking to attract patients from outside their local areas. At the Cleveland Clinic, Ruschhaupt noted, 15 to 18 percent of business comes from patients who travel from elsewhere in the U.S.
By Andrea Carneiro
