F.A.Q.'s

What is medical Tourism?

The act of traveling outside one`s own area of residence, both inbound or outbound, to receive some form of medical care or treatment. The popularity of this concept has been increasing because it helps to reduce costs for people who don´t have insurance or whose insurance don't cover certain procedures.

What is a medical tourism facilitator?

A medical tourism facilitator is the mediating agency that will assist the patient with all the aspects necessary to arrange and receive treatment outside of their area of residence.

What are the strengths of a medical tourism facilitator?

The facilitators become a crucial element in the in a patient's decision on whether to recur or not, to medical tourism.

All in one solution: Making the decision of having medical treatment outside one's country of residence represents a challenge, especially if it is to an unknown country. Through a facilitator, the patient can obtain the answers to all of his or her questions from a same source. Besides, the facilitator will help the patient coordinate their trip, taking into consideration the medical point of view, as well as the patient's needs and requests.
Knowledge: The facilitators can orientate the patient regarding the procedure they want. Besides, the facilitators know the physicians and surgeons within their network and know what facilities and surgeons to recommend for a particular procedure.
Negotiation: Facilitators have better negotiating skills towards the providers, helping the patient obtain a better price, instead of necessarily increasing the cost.
Travel and Logistics Assistance: Facilitators have the experience and the contacts necessary to know how to put together an efficient logistic, thus reducing time and costs.
Representation: Facilitators become the patient's representatives. They help to make sure that the patient's needs are met by the providers and to solve any problems that might arise. Facilitators also help to eliminate language barriers because they will act as intermediaries and provide translation when necessary.

Legal Procedure

Once that our proposed quote has been approved and before the procedure takes place, our patients must sign a release contract that establishes the rights and obligations for both parties, (Surgery Host and the Patient), regarding our services as facilitators. Also, each hospital has its own claims department to oversee any situation that may arise.

What happens if I decide not to go through with the Surgery, will I get my Money back?

In case of a cancelation, a reimbursement may apply according to our refund policies. (Download our PDF file here) .

What procedures apply to Medical Tourism:

Medical Tourism is divided in several areas

Medical Tourism for mayor surgeries.
Plastic surgery or cosmetologic procedures
Dental Procedures
Alternative treatments

Why to turn to medical tourism?

Due to the constant increments in health services and the global medical industry growth, it is possible to reduce costs receiving medical treatment outside of the place of residency and yet maintain the level of quality.

Why medical tourism is a solution for people in the U.S., Canada and UK?

For the United States, the crisis has represented a big problem in the health industry, affecting millions of people. A large number of American citizens are self insured or have insufficient insurance coverage.

Canada, in spite of having a renowned health system, has problems of its own for it is very common that their demand in health services exceeds their supply. Those who are insured have to endure long waiting periods in before receiving medical treatment.

Such as Canada, United Kingdom also has a supply exceeding demand. Thousands of citizens have to wait in order to become part of the health system, and thousands of surgeries are canceled.

The reduced costs in other aspects such as these make it possible to diminish the cost of procedures.

Traveling to another place to receive medical treatment can represent savings of up to 80% for certain procedures; especially when compared to those in the United States. Medical tourism helps to reduce costs due to a variety of factors. The low cost of treatment in Mexico, (in comparison to other countries), is not due to an inferior level of quality in the service and installations, but because of a lower cost in areas such as land, cheaper construction, administrative expenses, medical fees, etc. The reduced costs in other aspects such as these make it possible to diminish the cost of procedures.

Is Medical Tourism safe?

Medical tourism is as safe as receiving treatment in one's place of residence when it is provided by qualified specialists at proper facilities. Surgery Host has agreements with all the mayor hospitals in the state of Jalisco, providing the patient the safety and confidence of working only with highly recognized institutions and professionals.

Important questions to ask your international doctor:

Do you speak English?
What are your credentials and previous experience?
Have you had any experience abroad? If so, where?
What is the organism in charge of granting the corresponding credentials?
Who are the members in your surgical team? What are their credentials?
Do you specialize in any procedure in particular?
What is your experience in this type of procedure? How many do you perform daily?
What happens in case of a medical emergency? (In case something goes unexpectedly wrong)
What is the recuperation process that I can expect?
How much time must I remain in the country?
What discomforts are normal to experience after my procedure?
What kind of care will I require during my stay and after returning to my place of residence?
How much time after returning to my place of residence can I resume my activities?
What happens if I suffer complications once I have returned to my place of residence?

Do the hospitals or clinics have experience in the treatments offered?

Each one of the hospitals in our provider network is well known for its experience in a particular area. Surgery Host will provide all the information necessary so that the patient can choose the best option for themselves.

Do the packages have accessible prices? What do they include?

Unless the patient requires a more complete package, the quote that is sent to the patient is that of a basic package, we will quote only the cost of the procedure* as well as the bilingual transportation to all medical appointments.

Nonetheless, to those patients that require a more complete package, we can include anything from lodging to touristic attractions and entertainment. The purpose of providing 100% personalized packages is being able to offer our patients a package put together according to their needs and that best suits their budget.

*When talking about the cost of procedures we consider as part of the procedure all of the following: The medical team’s fees (Surgeon, anesthesiologist, medical assistant), hospital fees (hospital stay for specified number of nights, medication during hospital stay, operating room or ambulatory room), instrumentation (appliances and medical equipment), implants (when it applies), Doctor’s consultations (both pre and post-operative).

What is the assistance process for foreign patients?

The process can vary a little because each case is unique and we try to adapt ourselves to the needs of our patients. However, the following guidelines are a general overview as to what the patient assistance process is.

Initial Contact:

The patient contacts us directly through our webpage or through a medical tourism search engine, requesting information regarding a particular procedure. At this moment, one of our executives will get in touch with the patient and explain a little more about the company and the services we offer.

Information Request prior to quote:

For more complex cases in which an evaluation is needed prior to the quote, our case manager will send the patient a medical inquiry form prior to a quote. For more standard procedures it is possible to provide an estimate cost based on previous cases. Once the questionnaire has been answered it will be sent to different specialists for their evaluation. Now, with a better understanding of the patient’s particular case the doctors will provide us with their quotes. These quotes will be sent to the patient.

Quote:

All available quotes for the procedure selected will be sent to the patient along with the name of the hospitals in which they would take place and the name of the doctors responsible for each. It is of utmost importance to remember that the quotes provided are NOT DEFINITE and they are subject to change during the patient’s consultation with the doctor. For plastic surgery procedures photographs help to provide a more accurate quote from the start. The patient’s medical appointment is very important because it is the doctor’s opportunity to evaluate if the procedure sought by the patient is what he really needs or otherwise suggest an alternative based on that patient’s particular case. .

Follow Up:

The case manager assigned to such patient will follow up to know if the patient requires more information or to clarify any doubts he might have. The patient will be provided with information regarding the hospital and surgeon corresponding to each of the quotes.

Approval

Once the patient has selected the option they like, the case manager will organize with the patient the payment details, as well as dates, itinerary and any other detail concerning their trip. In case of the patient requiring a complete package, the executive will help offering him several options that better suit his needs. Once the quote has been accepted, the legal contract is sent, so that the patient can read it carefully and has plenty opportunity to clear any doubts that may arise.

Information request after quote:

Once that the patient has decided to have the surgery, the account manager will send him the medical inquiry form that will help the doctor to have a better understanding of the patient’s overall health and medical history and define a better pre-operatory preparation.

Preparation:

The patient will be informed about the necessary preparation for his or her procedure, whether it concerns pre-operatory analysis the patient needs to have before the surgery, (in case the patient wants to have them done before coming) or any diet that must be started before the procedure, etc.

Scheduling:

The executive will take care of scheduling and organizing the necessary logistics according to what was decided with the patient. When the patient arrives to Jalisco for his procedure, Surgery Host will receive the patient, guide him and accompany him to all of his medical appointments, as established in the itinerary.

Return and Post-op Follow up:

After the patient has been discharged by his doctor here, and he has returned home, his executive will monitor his recuperation and remain at his service for any doubt that may arise.

Are the international hospitals or clinics sophisticated enough like those in my country of residence?

Jalisco has world class hospitals with state of the art technology. The fact that the costs are lower does not represent an inferior quality, but other factors that make it possible to build first class facilities, at a lower cost.

Can I find additional information regarding the international hospitals that you work with?

In our webpage, on the provider network section we include the main contact information for the hospitals and clinics, as well as their web page. Each of the hospitals has additional information found in their website. Besides, our executives will gladly provide any requested information regarding the hospitals we work with.

Nonetheless, we encourage our patients to obtain the most information possible about the hospital responsible for each quote so that they can make an informed decision that they feel confident and safe with.

What is the risk associated to medical tourism?

Transportation after Surgery
- Surgery Host provides the patient with bilingual company and transportation that will make sure that the patient is comfortably transferred and settled in.
Legal Resources in case that something doesn’t go as planned.
- When the patient decides to come to us for a procedure, once the quote has been accepted, a contract with between Surgery Host and the patient is signed, so that he can be protected in case the agreed terms are not complied with.
Post Surgical Follow up
- Surgery Host offers a continuous service that makes sure that even after the patient has returned to his place of residence, he knows that he will not be unattended, but that we will be ready of any need that might arise and monitor his progress side by side with his surgeon.

What is the medical tourism accreditation?

The accreditation for health services is the JCT (Joint Commission International), as to where the MTA (Medical Tourism Association) certifies the non-clinical aspects of health tourism, such as: language editions, business practice and the prevention of false or misleading publicity. The group provides accreditation for all the mayor providers involved in the medical tourism industry including hotels, recuperation facilities and medical agencies.

Does it really matter that the hospital I choose is accredited or not?

Accreditation provides a sense of trust and tranquility; knowing that specific standards of safety and quality are followed..

How do I know that the hospital being recommended to me is accredited?

All of the hospitals that we work with are certified with the corresponding national organisms and comply with the highest safety and quality standards. Many of them even have additional international certifications.

Are the hospitals certified and who certifies them?

The hospitals that Surgery Host Works with are all certified by national organisms such as the “Consejo de Salubridad General”, (General Health Council), in charge of verifying that hospitals comply with the safety and medical standards, established by the national health policies.

Some of our Hospitals even have international certification granted by the Joint Commission international (JCI) or are in the process of getting it. The JCI is an institution that is recognized worldwide as the leader in the quality of the health service and patient safety. Since 1994 it has worked with health organizations, ministries of health and world organizations in over 80 countries.

Their main objective is to improve the safety and patient service, by providing accreditation and certification services; aside from orientation and education services, they strive to help the organizations in the implementation of practical, sustainable solutions.

The Hospital México Americano is the first hospital in Jalisco that counts with the JCI certification. However, the Hospital Country 2000, Ángeles del Carmen, Centro Médico Puerta de Hierro, Real San José and San Javier are in currently in the process of obtaining their JCI certification.

If the hospital is accredited then is the doctor accredited as well?

Doctor's accreditations and Hospital's accreditations are different. However, Surgery Host makes sure that they both have their corresponding necessary accreditations before becoming working with them. All the required information will be sent to the patient so they can make an informed decision.

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