The broken state of health insurance in the US has left its people with no choice but to pay out of their own pockets for various medical treatments.
Despite the US Healthcare system being one of the best in the world, cash crunches have invariably led Americans to seek healthcare treatments in South Asian countries such as Indian, Bangkok and Philippines which have proven to be a popular choice as medical tourism destinations in the world.
India, especially, has seen a sporadic development of health centers offering orthopedic surgeries at subsidized rates.
Most orthopedic centers in India are well equipped to perform surgical operations for knee replacement, joint replacement and hip replacement.
India already accounts for a sizable chunk of doctor's populace all over the world and is slowly developing the infrastructure to provide world leading medical facilities.
Prospects of India as a Medical Superpower With multinational healthcare chains such as Max and Fortis complemented by indigenous medical corporate, the prospects of India turning into a hub for medical tourism are really bright.
The requisite infrastructure is there for running world class, yet relatively inexpensive, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, clinics.
Optimization of the resources at hand is what will determine the success or failure of medical tourism in Indian.
What will be interesting t o see is the government's role in rightful allocation of land resources in strategic locations.
Areas of Improvement There are lots, actually.
Countries like India and Thailand, in spite of their medical prowess, do not inspire much confidence in patients from western countries.
There are a lot of reasons, none of which is bigger than the issue of "red-tapism", especially in India.
However, much has been done with regard such as softening of immigration rules and easy visa extension in case the treatment has been prolonged.
Yet another major area of improvement is the language barrier.
Although not a concern when dealing with doctors and other medicine heads, entry level staff is still not well versed with the English language and that is a major concern for most patients from the western hemisphere.
To put this problem into check, most hospitals organize language classes where it is compulsory of lower staff to pass a minimum criteria test within a given span of time.
The idea is to encourage plain but correct, accent free English speaking and understanding skills among entry level employees as well.
According to a verified statistic, Americans save up to 40% on overall treatment costs at most hospitals offering orthopedic surgery in India.
Knee and Hip replacement surgeries are, statistically, a favorite and can cost anywhere between $10-14,000 in India.
Hospitals in India have taken the initiative of marketing healthcare and there is a spate of medical tourism consultants for India.
However, a detailed reference check is a must when seeking the services of such consultants.
Researching online for websites for medical tourism in India bearing certified affiliations with major healthcare chains may really help those looking for orthopedic surgery in India.