How do you obtain my medical records, and are they forwarded confidentially?

Medical records can be obtained through your medical doctor per your request and released to us or sent directly to the facility you choose. If they are released to us, we utilize a storage solution that is secure to guarantee the confidentiality of your information. It is HIPAA compliant with US laws and regulations regarding privacy. At no time will we share your information with anyone else before we receive your written permission.

Do you charge a fee for your application process?

We always offer free 1-hour needs evaluation. However, we do charge a non-refundable fee to start the initial process. This fee covers the cost of our time to collect your medical records in a secure way and submit them for a doctor’s review.

How do you get paid?

Health Vantis is a fee-for-service business. Our fee is determined by how much work is necessary to prepare for your medical travel journey, which is a 10-15% industry standard. Some medical tourism providers offer an initial low price for options, however, you will still be charged additional cost should you proceed. Others include their fee in the total price and you will never know your actual surgery cost and what the medical facilitator got paid.

We chose a transparent approach to money. We only charge for the work we have completed such as arranging your meeting, consultation, or surgical procedure. You pay the hospital directly for your procedure, so there are never any hidden costs on our behalf.

Many medical tourism health care providers similar to our business prefer to send their clients to other countries as the facilities in those countries offer incentives in the form of payment to them in exchange for referring their clients there. Health Vantis does not take any form of commission from ANY of the health facilities we work with.  To do so is unethical, not in your best interest and in fact, not allowed in the US because of those reasons.  This has never been a deterrent for us.  We send you to a facility we fully believe is the right place for your needs and not because we will receive a commission for referring you there.

What if I can’t afford the consultation or surgery?

Many people are in this situation. We have established a good working relationship with a company that specializes in financing medical tourism clients. Their rates are very competitive, and the interest rate varies based on your credit score, much like it would with any other type of loan.

Please view our Resources page for more information.

Who do I communicate with during the medical travel process?

Health Vantis! We personally handle all aspects of your journey and do not outsource anything. When you have questions or concerns, you call us, and we help you.  It is our goal to empower your decision by providing you with all of the necessary information to ensure we have answered every question you have.

Who do I speak with about medically-related questions?

We are not physicians and would never provide you with any form of medical advice.  There are many scenarios that only your treating physician or surgeon can answer because they have the whole picture and understanding of your diagnosis and treatment.  For medically related questions, we put you in touch with the doctor who is treating you to address any concerns you might have for this reason.

Can I talk to the doctor or surgeon prior to the procedure?

Absolutely! In fact, we encourage that you speak with our caring medical professionals and we will make the arrangements for you. We can also make the arrangements for a doctor of your choice where you live to speak with the doctor or surgeon in the US or Canada who will be taking your case.  These can be done via Skype, video conference or phone.

NOTE: We will NOT make such arrangements without your consent.

Where do you send your clients?

As medical tourism providers, we strive to offer our clients the best.  We send our clients to award-winning US facilities/hospitals that have leading health care professionals.  Our experience in working with the US health care and insurance industry for 14 years gave us the knowledge on how to find the right facilities that utilize innovative technology and techniques, competitive pricing and cutting edge research.  We believe you do not need to travel far to receive all of this.  Cross-border medical travel makes it convenient and safer for the client.  All of our facilities are accredited with appropriate certifications for health care organizations that meet or exceed nationally recognized standards for quality of care and patient safety.  See next question for additional reasons why and our How It Works page for examples on our pricing.

Why do you not offer practitioners and facilities from other countries?

Many companies offer more exotic locations at which you may undergo your surgery, but there are very good reasons why we choose not to include those locations and how our facilities can provide a great value that may have a profound impact on your overall journey.

1. We feel confident about the geographic locations and medical facilities we’ve chosen. We have both lived in the US and Canada, and understand both health care systems very well.
2. The flight time involved in travelling to other countries is a concern! There is risk involved anytime you have a medical procedure done, but your risk of developing a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis) increases once you experience air travel during which you are seated for longer than 4 hours. To eliminate this issue, we try our best to use facilities located within a 4-hour-window and prevent putting you at further risk for complication due to excessive air travel. Most complications occur AFTER your surgery and you are at risk for up to 3 months.  These risks go up even more if you have additional risk factors such as BMI over 30, your age, varicose veins, cancer, certain medications or family and/or personal history of blood clots.
3. We have secured pricing comparable or better than places such as Costa Rico or Mexico.
4. Our facilities and doctors provide publicly posted statistics available on your doctor’s experience, customer service ratings, have verifiable credentials, re-admit, infection and mortality rates.  This ensures that our customer has every piece of important information they need to make an informed decision on the treating doctor and facility.  Not all countries can provide this information and are clever at indicating information that cannot be verified.
5. Surgery is NO vacation regardless of where you travel to.  Should you need to get home quickly, it is in close proximity to Canada.

Have you been to the facilities and hospitals you offer?

Yes, every single one. We would not send you somewhere if we have not personally visited the facility, done an onsite inspection, and spoken with the doctors and administrative staff with which you will be dealing. We feel that doing any less would be irresponsible.

Can’t I just contact the hospital directly to schedule surgery myself?

Yes, you can. But it’s a lot more detailed and challenging than you might imagine. There are important aspects that need to be considered when travelling abroad for medical care.  A very important one is finding the right facility for your needs and budget.  Our service handles all of those details for you (as outlined on our How it Works page) to eliminate your stress and ensure nothing has been overlooked.

Because we have visited all of the facilities we have available to you, we understand their processes. Our working relationships with these facilities enable them to offer you better pricing for procedures or consultations through us than if you were to contact them on your own.

What happens if I have a complication?  Do you provide complication insurance coverage?

We offer a medical tourism complication insurance that we can help you with obtaining.  The majority of complications occur after a surgery or procedure.  A couple of things we make sure of to minimize the risk of a post-surgical complication are 1) That the client and their travel companion fully understand the post-operative instructions and 2) Stress to our clients that they follow the doctor’s orders.  Statistics show this is a large reason contributing to a postoperative complication. The body needs time to heal and some procedures require more downtime than others so we ask that our clients make sure they take the time to allow for this.  *As a side note: The medical tourism complication insurance is different than a standard travel insurance policy and specifically purchased for your surgery or procedure.  The typical travel insurance policies you are most likely familiar with will not cover you to travel outbound to have a medical procedure or complications you may have from your surgery.

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