FOR THE MEDIA

“ 'Thailand and Turkey are among the most popular destinations for U.S. women seeking treatments abroad, but the proximity of Mexico is now drawing more U.S. clients too,' said Josef Woodman, CEO and founder of Patients Beyond Borders, a medical tourism consulting group that advises providers and governments. 'Consumers can save up to 80 percent of what they’d pay at home, according to Patients Beyond Borders...For many, these savings constitute a lifeline.' " <Read more>

“Consumers can save up to 80 percent of what they’d pay at home, according to Patients Beyond Borders...For many, these savings constitute a lifeline." <Read more>

“Once the domain of the rich and famous, heading to exotic destinations for cosmetic treatment is now accessible to a wider range of patients seeking quality, affordable care,” says Patients Beyond Borders CEO Josef Woodman, " <Read more>

According to Patients Beyond Borders, health care travel is believed to be growing at a rate of roughly 15% to 25% a year and is led by cosmetic surgery, while the International Society of Plastic Surgeons (ISAPS) reported that plastic surgery procedures grew by 11.2% overall, representing more than 14.9 million procedures performed worldwide in 2022. <Read more>

"Whatever kind of treatment they are getting, patients need to do their homework. The good, high-quality clinics are out there, but there are also unscrupulous clinics that will grab patients with low prices," says Josef Woodman, CEO of Patients Beyond Borders. <Read more>

Josef Woodman, founder of Patients Beyond Borders, a North Carolina-based consulting firm for the medical tourism industry, told The New York Times that since the kidnappings were so prominent in the news and on social media platforms, he has been inundated with calls and emails from people interested in seeking medical care across the border. None expressed concern about the violence, he said. <Read more>

Woodman dijo que la violencia contra los turistas que van en busca de atención médico era extremadamente inusual, pero añadió que "buscar mejores precios" o buscar el lugar más barato para un procedimiento es un "presagio de problemas", es decir, una atención médica deficiente. <Read more>

In early 2020, Americans could on average save 40% to 60% by having major surgery done in Mexico, according to a report from the consumer watchdog Patients Beyond Borders. Those figures have only increased amid US inflation and spiralling insurance companies’ deductibles, co-pays and exclusions. <Read more>

"People in the United States need access to cost-effective medical care," Woodman said. '"The U.S. has priced itself out of the market." <Read more>

According to data from Patients Beyond Borders, in 2019, between 1.4 million and 3 million foreigners traveled to Mexico for medical purposes, which positions the country as the second in the world for health tourism, only below Thailand. <Read more>

Stick with accredited facilities, says Josef Woodman, CEO of Patients Beyond Borders, a medical tourism consulting agency. Where you find reputable, affordable facilities, you’ll also find even cheaper clinics that set up shop next door looking to entice clients with less-expensive, inferior care, he says. <Read more>

[Medical tourism] remains a gigantic industry. According to Patients Beyond Borders, the global medical tourism market was worth $74bn-$92bn (£59bn-£73bn) in 2019. <Read more>

"We expect to see nothing but growth figures for medical tourism [post-pandemic], especially with the growth of telehealth. People have become a lot more comfortable with remote health," said Woodman. <Read more>

When many Americans think of medical travel, they might imagine pricey cosmetic surgery in an "exotic" destination like Bangkok. But for a growing number, medical travel means heading south of the border to Mexico for dental treatment. <Read more>

Since winter, Medical Departures has enjoyed a large-scale recovery. “U.S. traffic of patients at this point is roughly the same as it was before the pandemic,” says Pope. “And in dollar terms it’s actually up by 20% to 50%, depending on who you ask. It’s people who’ve deferred larger treatments.” <Read more>>>

“Most U.S. outbound traffic today is border travel by car,” said Josef Woodman, author of 'Patients Beyond Borders.' “People feel safer, and there are many repeat customers. Many have been going for years, all the way from Texas to California.” <Read more>>>

Global medical tourism guide Patients Beyond Borders reported that Mexico and Costa Rica are the most popular destinations for dental care, cosmetic surgery and prescription medicines while Thailand, India and South Korea take the lead for more complicated procedures such as orthopedics, cardiovascular, cancer and fertility treatment. <Read more>>>

“Our market has always been what I call the ‘working poor’ and they just keep getting poorer,” said Josef Woodman, the chief executive of Patients Beyond Borders. “The pandemic has gutted low-income and middle-class people around the world and for many of them the reality is that they have to travel to access affordable health care.” Read more>>>

“It’s devastating” to local economies, Woodman said. “It’s not just the dentists and the clinics. It’s the transportation people, it’s the restaurant people. Their livelihood is 100% all about medical and dental tourism or pharma tourism."”

Medical tourism to Mexican border cities has been common for years, since treatment in the U.S. can cost more than twice than it does in Mexico and medicines can be up to 10 times more expensive in the U.S.  Read more>>>

La organización Patients Beyond Borders estima que en los centros médicos de México es posible ahorrar desde el 40% hasta el 65% de lo que costaría un tratamiento del lado estadounidense.  Read more>>>

“That’s what worked in the United States: a ‘me’ culture and the rugged individualist heading West in their wagon trains. All that is still part of the iconic image of Americans,” Woodman says. “And it’s not working so well for us right now.” Read more>>>

Americans are now traveling to Mexico mainly for complex care, like implants, to treat problems that have become impossible to ignore. "People put it off, then five months later it turns into an emergency situation,” Woodman said. “The ones that were in trouble in December are desperate.”  Read more>>>

 “It’s safe to say that at least 100,000 patients cancelled their medical or dental trips in March, with some 500,000 cancellations on the horizon through [to the end of September] 2020 going to see some interesting changes along this front," Woodman said.  Read more>>>

 "I think we're going to see some interesting changes along this front," he said. "Tele-health has instantly become baked into the system overnight. They have to use it, whether it's tele-diagnostics or physician consultations, tele-therapy." Read more>>>

“Remote physician-to-physician consultation enables in-country diagnosis and treatment planning,” wrote Patients Beyond Borders founder and CEO Josef Woodman “This remote partnership builds in-country medical capacity and helps patients that do need to travel for a procedure better prepare for treatment and access greater support upon their return home.” Read more>>>

"...insurance companies dictate what kind of treatment you need to receive, and that’s what the doctor follows. But in Mexico, it’s not like that.”  Read more>>>

According to PBB, Americans traveling to Mexico could save as much as 40 to 60 percent on treatments.However, Woodman warned: "You don't want to just jump in a car and get stopped and realize you should have bought insurance."  Read more>>>

Dentists may encounter patients who are interested in dental tourism. While they should not immediately discourage the idea, all dentists should insist on one central point: Do your research.  Read more>>>

“Around 15 years ago, India established itself as a destination for orthopaedics and cardiology. But today, it is becoming well-known for reliable high-quality care in almost every specialty and super specialty.” Read more>>>

"American patients can save 30-65 percent by crossing borders for fertility treatment, at clinics, such as Barbados Fertility Center (Barbados); BNH Hospital (Thailand); Centro Fecundar (Costa Rica); LIV Fertility Center (Mexico)," says Woodman. Read More>>>

Nobody wants to travel for care to a far-flung land and be in pain without relatives and loved ones around,” he [Woodman] said. “They’re being forced into it financially and by the shortcomings of the system.  Read More>>>

More people are traveling out of the country for dental treatment but dentists are warning of the risks...Mexico is a top destination and dental work is a top reason. The trips are often called "medical vacations" or "dental tourism." Read More>>>

Josef Woodman, CEO of the medical travel resource Patients Beyond Borders, acknowledges that though there are highly distinguished medical schools in popular medical tourism locales such as Thailand, India, Korea and Mexico, properly vetting doctors without certification in those regions is just too complicated for the average consumer.  Read More >>>

According to Patients Beyond Borders, a group that promotes medical tourism, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common procedures that Americans seek overseas are cosmetic, dental, cardiac, and bariatric.  Read More >>>

The United States itself receives health tourists -- its highly advanced health care system appeals to patients with massive purchasing power from Arab and Asian countries. But that is a luxury Merrill cannot afford. Read More >>>

 "Many countries are known for a particular category of treatment," Woodman says. "If you're seeking cosmetic surgery, Mexico, Costa Rica and Thailand rank among the most popular destinations. Dentistry will have you exploring Mexico, Costa Rica or Hungary."  Read More>>

По данным Patients Beyond Borders, около 8 миллионов пациентов со всего мира каждый год обращаются за зарубежным лечением, внося свой вклад в глобальную индустрию. При этом многие страны стремятся предложить высококачественную медицинскую помощь по хорошей цене.  читати більше>>>

Willy’s experience has been labeled medical tourism, and Patients Beyond Borders estimates that 1.9 million Americans will travel out of the country for medical care in 2019.....Willy didn’t any more travel to India for the temple tours and curry than families travel to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for Graceland and barbecue.  Read More>>

 “Por lo general, está más cerca del 70 por ciento”, explicó Josef Woodman, CEO de Patients Beyond Borders. “Especialmente cuando vas por un tratamiento complejo”.  Leer mas>>

"Data by Patients Beyond Borders shows that foreigners seeking treatment in Malaysia can enjoy average savings of between 60% and 80% on procedures such as CABG, valve replacement with bypass, total hip replacement, total knee replacement, gastric bypass, implant-supported dentures, full facelift, rhinoplasty and others. In comparison, Singapore offers cost savings of 25% to 40% and Mexico, 40% to 60%." Read More >>

“In most of the world, what the doctor says still goes. ‘Doctors are more deified in other countries; patients follow orders,’ says Josef Woodman, the CEO of Patients Beyond Borders, a consulting firm that researches international health care. He contrasts this with the attitude of his grown children in the U.S.: ‘They don’t trust doctors as far as they can throw them.’” Read More >>

“Medical tourism is one of Mexico’s multi-billion-dollar industries and one of the main lures of border cities like Juarez, Tijuana and Laredo for American visitors. According to the web page of Patients Beyond Borders, a medical travel organization, in 2016 medical tourism contributed $4.6 billion to Mexico’s economy. The reason? Cheaper prices.” Read More >>

“A treatment plan he estimated would cost $15,900 in the U.S. ended up costing Woodman $4,010 in Mexico. “So, I saved about $10,000,” he said. “And that is not unusual. You can save a lot of money.” Read More >>

“Patients Beyond Borders, a publisher of guidebooks for ‘medical tourists’ estimates that more than 20 million people will travel to another country for medical treatment this year, up 25% from 16 million last year. Meanwhile, a 2016 report by payments giant Visa estimated that the medical tourism industry was worth $50bn a year, and continuing to grow.”   

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“Famous for specialised treatments and anti-ageing programmes, Thailand ranks among the top 10 medical tourism destinations, along with Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Mexico, Israel, Costa Rica, India and Turkey, according to Patients Beyond Borders. It’s home to 64 hospitals accredited by Joint Commission International, which assures visitors safety and high-quality standards—the highest number in Asean and the fourth in the world.”   Read More>>

“According to Patients Beyond Borders, a medical tourism guidebook, 1.7 million Americans traveled to other countries in 2017 for medical care, and that number is expected to increase. Many, such as Capone, travel to save money. Mexico is among the top 10 destinations.”   Read More>>

"Now, many medical tourists are going the other way—from the United States to other countries to receive health care. In 2007, it is estimated that 750,000 Americans traveled to other countries for health care. In 2017, more than 1.4 million Americans sought health care in a variety of countries around the world" Read More>>