More and more countries are becoming medical tourism destinations. Medical tourism statistics revealed an anticipated growth of the industry from about $40 billion in 2004 to $100 billion by the year 2012. The estimate was made by the Confederation of India and the McKinsey Company.
Another report disclosed that an estimated 750,000 Americans seek treatment abroad in 2007. It was also estimated that a million and a half Americans sought healthcare outside the US in 2008.
While other countries have benefitted from this, the US health care providers stand to lose billions of dollars in revenue should this trend continue.
On the other hand, medical tourism will definitely have a positive impact on the economies of favorite destinations like Cuba, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, Malaysia and other countries in North America and Europe.
Take the case of Malaysia. Malaysia's medical tourism industry has seen a significant growth over recent years. Reports from the Association of Private Hospitals in Malaysia revealed that the number of medical tourists in the country has grown from 75,210 patients in 2001 to 296,687 patients in 2006 The large volume of patients in 2006 brought approximately $59 million in revenue.
In Costa Rica, an estimated 150,000 foreigners traveled to the country in 2006, usually for dental procedures and plastic surgery.
India, on the other hand, reported that about 500,000 foreign patients traveled to India for medical care in 2005 from an estimated 150,000 patients in 2002. It is estimated that the rapid growth of the medical tourism industry in India could bring in as much as $2.2 billion per year by 2012.
Cosmetic surgery is one of the most popular procedures in medical tourism today which was not the case ten years ago. In Singapore, it was reported that more than 250,000 patients visit the country per year for plastic surgery. Majority of these patients reportedly come from the Middle East.
Aside from Singapore, among the popular cosmetic surgery tourism destinations are Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Lithuania, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Poland, and South Africa. These destinations offer attractive packages like excellent cosmetic surgery services at affordable costs plus a refreshing vacation in a scenic spot in the country.
The most popular cosmetic procedures for women include rhinoplasty or nose reshaping, weight reduction surgery like liposuction and tummy tuck, breast augmentation, facelift, and eyelid surgery.
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