:: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ::
1. Is medical tourism safe?
Traveling to a foreign county to receive medical treatment can appear daunting, but when the travel is arranged through a respected, company, with established relationships with some of the most best medical facilities in the world, its can be as safe as seeking treatment in the United States.
AMFIHP’s Management has years of experience in managed health delivery. Through our network of dedicated Health Advisors, Host Country Managers, and top medical staff, we do our best to assure that all of our clients understand and are as comfortable as possible, with the process before, their receipt of medical care abroad. All International procedures are performed by highly qualified surgeons at some of the most advanced medical centers in the world. Prior to incorporating each hospital and hotel into our network we have personally visited and inspected each location in order to ensure that it meets our high standards.
2. Is this program really affordable?
It may seem that once you factor in the cost of airfare, accommodations, meals and other travel etc, that cost savings might be negligible. This is a misconception. In many cases, patients can fly halfway around the world, stay at top hotels, and their employers health plans can still realize substantial savings over domestically received care.
Medical cave abroad is more affordable for many reasons: Costs may be lower due simply to a lower standard of living in a foreign country. Medical providers can also offer healthcare without all of the unnecessary costs that have become a sad reality of the U.S. healthcare system. Medical malpractice insurance in the US can cost a physician practice more that $100,000 per year. Comparable coverage in many countries can be as low as $4,000 per year. In low cost parts of the world physicians and hospitals do not have to charge excessive fees to have a good standard of living. “Add on” charges that are typically practiced by US hospitals and physicians are virtually eliminated abroad due to a negotiated fixed price per procedure.
3. Why choose AMFIHP?
Our knowledge and experience enables us to provide our clients with an accommodating solution for all of their medical- travel- related components.
AMFIHP is committed to making sure that each medical experience abroad runs safely and smoothly from start to finish. Our Health Advocates and Host Country Managers are committed to making each medical package successful. We offer unparalleled access to an elite network of accredited hospitals, physicians and hotels, all coupled with superb, personalized medical treatment that each patient deserves
4. Can I expect high quality of care?
AMFIHP is not just about savings. Low prices do not always affect the quality of care. Many of the most state- of- the- art medical facilities outside the United States have designed customized programs for medical travel. Every hospital in our network stands out as a leader in its field, and we work closely with them to ensure that from arrival to departure, each patient's expectations are met or exceeded.
5. What if my local doctor is against medical tourism?
The U.S. isn’t the only country in the world that offers high- quality health care. Even though your doctor would rather see medical procedures performed domestically, you should encourage him/her to do the research. He or she will likely discover that hospitals utilized by AMFIHP are among the best in the world and are often better equipped and better staffed than many US hospitals. Many of our network doctors have actually received their training in the U.S. How different is this from having an operation in the US performed by a doctor of foreign birth?
6. What kind of accommodations does AMFIHP offer?
As an individual, it would be difficult to investigate not only the medical facilities in a foreign country, but also to find suitable accommodations. AMFIHP has already completed this task. We have personally visited and approved each recovery center in our network to assure that it meets our high standards. The result is a cluster of facilities that are amongst the finest.
7. Is medical travel right for me?
The choice to take advantage of a benefits plan that includes medical travel is a truly personal one. We encourage plan participants to feel free to contact us at any time. AMFIHP can assist in creating a medical experience that will be positive, relaxing, beneficial and restorative.
8. What services are included?
There are a host of services incorporated in our program. Health Advocates will walk you through, and be monitoring progress, throughout the entire process. You need not be aware of anything about the medical travel process other than your wish to receive a medical procedure.
9. Why should I consider medical or surgical procedures outside the U.S.?
The cost of medical procedures, in the countries that we participate in, is generally 50 to 75 percent less expensive than the same procedures in the U.S. This cost differential enables your employer to keep health care affordable. These lower costs are reflected in your employers group health program, which can lower your contribution towards coverage.
10. What is the typical cost difference of medical procedures abroad?
The difference in price depends upon the medical procedure you choose. In reviewing the cost of many procedures in the U.S., versus the same ones performed in our selected destinations, costs are typically 50 – 75% lower abroad. A particular surgical procedure performed in the U.S. for $30,000 could be expected to cost about $10,000 to $15,000 abroad. This significant cost reduction enables your plan to purchase a round trip air ticket, provide a quality hotel, and still save money.
11. How can I trust the quality of the foreign doctors?
One of our key services is to make available, all the information we can, about the doctors in our network. Many are U.S. board certified in their specialty. This should assist you, in your selection process, to assure the best possible outcome. Additionally, many of the doctors in our network have been educated in the U.S. Some have even practiced in the U.S. for years before returning to their country.
12. How can I correspond with a doctor in a foreign country? What about Hospital selection?
As part of our service, we will help facilitate the initial and ongoing consultation between you and your doctor. Our Health Advocates are bilingual and will be available to you throughout the process.
We will also do all that we can to insure that you are comfortable with the hospitals that you review. A large part of our value to you is that we have visited these facilities personally and can attest to their standards of hygiene, modernity and use of technology. We will also be your advocate to assist in obtaining necessary statistics for your chosen facility. However, even though the hospitals in our network have accreditation from government and/or non- government entities, we will continue to work with the executive management teams of these hospitals to seek accreditation from JCAHO or Joint Commission International.
13. Can you select or advise which doctors and/or hospital to visit?
Our intent is to provide you with the necessary tools and information for you to make an informed and educated choice about a medical travel package. From a legal standpoint, we cannot encourage, advise, advocate, or underwrite any of the doctors or healthcare facilities in our network. We may, however, be able to provide answers to many of the questions you may have.
14. What if my family doctor advises against a medical procedure abroad?
Such advice is certainly to be expected. The US is not the only country that has
vigorous healthcare standards and strong patient rights. Many hospitals throughout
the world are accredited by JCAHO or Joint Commission International, a
US based hospital accreditation organization. Check to see if your hospital is
accredited by the JCAHO.
15. How can it be safe to travel so far after a surgical procedure?
Your travel plans will be largely dictated by the surgical procedure being performed. Procedures that are non-invasive may enable you to fly home the same day. You should, however, follow the advice of your physician in this regard.
Once you select a procedure and destination, we can provide you with the anticipated recuperation time required before return travel.
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