Medical Tourism Blog

I just did an email interview with Josef Woodman, author of the book on medical tourism, "Patients Beyond Borders". Before you read the Q & A session, allow me to throw in a little background. Mr. Woodman was kind enough to answer my questions, and while I'm a lowly blogger, Mr. Woodman is a real professional. He's actually visited countries and studied their healthcare infrastructure. He is also launching a special edition of Patients Beyond Borders for Singapore next month. More on that in the next post. Here's the full interview :-

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Question - Do you see Medical Tourism going mainstream, as in commonly availed of by Americans?
Woodman - Yes. Contemporary international medical travel is less than 15 years old, and forces are now converging to bring it into the mainstream. The principal driving force is millions of baby boomers aging into expensive, financially challenging medical procedures, and seeking affordable options. Another driver is the rise of American-accredited hospitals and hospital networks overseas--now numbering more than 100--that offer equal or better medical care than found on our shores, for 30-80% discounts.

Question - Is insurance for treatment abroad going to become a reality, or is it just a pipedream?
Woodman - Several medical travel insurance plans are now in the pilot stages (e.g. BCBS South Carolina, HealthNet's "Salud con Healthnet,"). If and when success is demonstrated with these programs, there's no doubt employers and providers will jump at the overwhelming cost savings. Employers and carriers are under huge pressure to ease the burdens of expensive treatments (e.g. orthopedic, cardiovascular, cancer), and the savings of medical travel are huge, even at carrier wholesale rates.

Question - Should JCI accreditation be made compulsory for all hospitals offering medical tourism?
Woodman - Such a scenario would be governed by international law, and likely not enforceable. In addition, JCI is only one of several international and regional health accreditation agencies. Patients who do their homework will quickly find the best hospitals, with the appropriate accreditation, often affiliated with leading US hospitals such as Harvard Medical, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, et al. Natural selection will prevail--unaccredited hospitals simply won't get the international business.

Question - If so, how would it be implemented? How can you force hospitals in other countries to comply?
Woodman - See above.

Question - What are you currently busy with? Are you writing another book?
Woodman - We're currently putting the wraps on the Singapore Edition of "Patients Beyond Borders," (see attached release) the flagship in our country-specific "Patients Beyond Borders" series. Over the next three years, Healthy Travel Media plans several books and online projects related to international medical travel.

Question - What do you think about Sen. John Edwards? ( Note: I know this is sligtly off-topic, but I happened to notice that your address is quite close to the Edwards' residence )
Woodman - Sorry, I don't publicly discuss politics.

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My personal impressions about Mr. Woodman. Like I said, he's a real professional. But he's also the highly acclaimed and successful author of a best seller. In adition, he's also a very savvy businessman, and knows how to translate his current fame into even more success. Instead of resting on his laurels, as most authors would, he's using it to market and brand his company, Healthy Travel Media. I predict a very bright future for Mr. Woodman and, based on his answers, for medical tourism.