Medical travel mistakes to avoid when traveling for private surgery

Many Canadians are facing medical delays this year due to various problems in public healthcare that were compounded by COVID-19 challenges. Instead of waiting indefinitely for surgery, some choose to go the private route and pay for their treatment of surgery out of pocket. Traveling for medical reasons can be complicated and requires thorough preparation to ensure its success. Hiring a reputable medical facilitator will take this off your hand and let you focus on your health. Below are the three most common mistakes to avoid if you are planning your private medical travel by yourself.

Not checking medical facility and doctor’s certifications and reputation

Certifications issued by credible accreditation bodies in the US or Canada confirm that your surgeon is a skilled medical professional and that the facility is up to the highest industry standards. All US surgeons must be certified by the state board they practice in and many hold accreditations from their specialty boards. Board certifications assure patients that their doctor is up to date on all current treatment options. Reputation is usually checked by talking directly with past patients or through online reviews. A reputable medical facilitator will be able to connect you to past patients in most cases.

Getting incomplete costs

When it comes to surgery costs you need to make sure that the price you get will be the price you end up paying. In many US hospitals, this is challenging to achieve due to their inability to provide their patients with complete final costs prior to surgery. The US billing system at major hospitals will only provide a rough estimate of what may be involved. Smaller day surgery centers are usually better equipped to provide a final price with everything included.

Not preparing to deal with recovery

Every surgery, even a minimally invasive one, will require some recovery time and a rehab plan in most cases. Realistic expectations about the time needed are very important. This can be achieved by talking to your doctor and to people who had the same procedure done before. Even though everyone is different when it comes to recovery, you will get an idea of what it might take. A lot depends on your overall health and age as well. The healthier you are prior to surgery the faster your recovery may be. Preparing your home and your loved ones for when you come back home is also very important.

When it comes to traveling for medical reasons a lot has to go into planning beforehand. If you are a busy individual or simply do not want to deal with all the details hiring a reputable medical facilitator will save you time and money in the end. Contact Health Vantis to find out more details about our full medical concierge service, toll-free 877 344 35 44 or info@healthvantis.com