The millennial generation, those born between 1981 and 1996, is well known to put off going to the doctor due to the cost. Many young people in this generation either have no health insurance, inadequate health insurance, or their debt is too substantial to allow them to feel comfortable with paying large medical bills. However, research has shown that millennials travel more than any other generation. When you combine these two characteristics, a love of travel and unwillingness to spend lots of money on healthcare, millennials become the perfect candidate for medical tourism.
What Is Medical Tourism?
Medical tourism is the act of traveling to a foreign country specifically to receive medical care or procedures. Top benefits of becoming a medical tourist include lower costs for healthcare, state-of-the-art treatment facilities, and getting to vacation in an exciting location. Here are # reasons medical tourism is a great fit for millennials.
Medical Tourism Saves Patients Money
As mentioned prior, many young adults face the burden of student loan and credit card debt. Couple this with the rising cost of housing, and you get a generation that prefers to be thrifty when it comes to healthcare. When a patient engages in medical tourism, they can see savings of up to 90% on medical procedures depending on the country they visit and the procedure performed. Even after the cost of travel and accommodations, patients will spend less overall than they would have getting medical care at home.
Cosmetic Surgery is Popular in Medical Tourism
The millennial generation is the second highest age group, behind Gen X, for receiving cosmetic surgeries and procedures, reports the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. According to the society, breast augmentation was the most popular cosmetic surgery for patients under the age of 35. However, due to the influence of social media and celebrities like Kylie Jenner, millennials are coming in droves to get non-surgical cosmetic procedures done. This includes Botox, dermal filler, lip augmentation, microneedling, and others. Cosmetic surgery and procedures, including cosmetic dentistry, have long been among the most popular medical work for medical tourists. This is mainly due to the fact that cosmetic procedures are typically not covered by health insurance. By crossing international borders to get cosmetic work done, patients can wait out the often unsightly recovery period in a place where no one knows them — and they get to experience a new culture as well.
Medical Tourism Offers the International Travel Experience
Although millennials love to travel, according to DepositAccounts, 55% of millennials did not take a vacation in 2018. Perhaps they believe that they should not be spending money on impractical things like vacations when they need to put it towards rent, student loans, saving for a house, or even healthcare. However, medical tourism should appeal to millennials since it transforms a vacation from something wasteful into something with a practical purpose. With the added cost savings, a medical tourism trip can truly be guilt-free.
Medical Tourism Insurance
Millennials looking to engage in medical tourism should be aware that, like any surgery or medical procedure, it is not without risk. Medical tourism insurance can help cover financial burden in the event of medical complications. Reach out today to get a quote.
