There is a globe movement towards medical tourism, as entrepreneurs and organizations are expanding medical tourism. The Obama’s Affordable Care Act Supreme Court ruling in is now seen as escalating this industry shift. Costa Rica’s rising medical tourism industry is a good working model as providers prepare to benefit from the new regulations in the United States.
Costa Rica’s proximity, advanced technologies, costs, and modern facilities make it an ideal choice for the medical traveler. Just ask Rush Limbaugh who said in 2010, he would be visiting Costa Rica as a medical tourist in the future if the Affordable Care Act legislation passed in the United States.
Interestingly, the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act moves the USA towards a government-socialized healthcare system but Costa Rica has made great strides to move towards a privatized health care system.
Medical tourism in Costa Rica and globally is struggling with growing pains, as more and more small businesses repackage service offerings from the providers, and compete online for a market share that is not yet that significant. The medical tourism sector is struggling at the upper levels, with insurance providers trying to find a way to make medical travel models work, but ultimately they are finding that there are too many downside, especially on the liability issue.
The 2012 Medical Tourism Facts and Figures study, released recently by the International Medical Travel Journal (IMTJ), stated that medical travel will remain “a self-pay industry” – because health insurers are not interested.
Many see medical tourism as an alternative to Obmamcare especially with self-insured groups or fulfilling or augmenting insured groups who can’t afford the extras, like dental coverage.
