Over the last few years, medical tourism has emerged as one of the most rapidly growing industries. Medical tourism provides patients from the developed world the opportunity to obtain significantly less expensive, quality healthcare in developing nations in Asia and South America.
The Medical Tourism Association (MTA) is a non-profit association started with the aim of making sure that world-class healthcare is provided to American patients who travel abroad. The MTA was founded in May 2007 by a group of industry leaders with its international headquarters in West Palm Beach Florida, USA. MTA offices and workshops were later started in Costa Rica, Argentina, and Germany over the next several months. The MTA advisory board was subsequently set up in October 2007 followed by the issue of the first medical tourism association magazine in December 2007.
This international medical tourism association consists of insurance companies, top international hospitals, medical travel facilitators, and individuals. It makes sure that the interests of medical tourism providers and facilitators are promoted to the maximum extent. Several insurance companies like Swiss Re, Aetna, WellPoint, and Blue Cross Blue Shield have developed pilot programs for medical tourism.
The medical tourism association (MTA) adopts international accreditation standards that enhance the reputation of the concept of medical tourism as well as the reputation of the hospitals and facilities that provide it. The MTA has created a web portal, which helps people from all over the world in getting authentic information about medical tourism and the hospitals certified by it.
The three tenets of the MTA are communication, transparency, and education. According to the MTA, the success of medical tourism mainly depends on effective communication, which would ensure that patients have a positive healthcare experience outside their countries. The MTA has got exclusive committees to monitor crucial aspects like patient financing, insurance, media support, and legal/economic issues.
Transparency is very crucial for patients who travel abroad. It is made sure that patients don’t have to come across any hidden costs or unexpected expenses. This helps in preventing any negative perceptions about the healthcare processes in developing nations. In this regard, MTA believes that patient education is key to tackling any unexpected problems. This helps patients select the best hospitals according to the treatment or surgery they require. The media, in the form of magazines and online resources, provides the latest updates on healthcare worldwide.
The MTA released a Medical Tourism Magazine, which is medical tourism’s first trade magazine. This magazine has useful information from doctors and professionals in the field who discuss legal issues, quality of care, and tips in choosing the right hospital and doctor. The magazine also advises healthcare providers and insurance companies that are interested in entering the medical tourism arena. This magazine is available free both through subscription and online.
MTA also holds official medical tourism association conferences in the form of the Global Health Congress and World Medical Tourism. These conferences are attended by government representatives, healthcare providers, and insurance providers.
Similar organizations like the European Medical Tourism Alliance (EUMTA), International Medical Travel Association (IMTA), and Council on the Global Integration of Healthcare (CGIH) were formed. These organizations also have similar goals of promoting medical tourism on a global basis and promoting the interests of healthcare and insurance providers.