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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Medical Tourism?
What kind of procedures do medical tourists usually seek?
Is medical tourism safe?
What are the cost savings for medical tourists?
Why should I choose Germany over other destinations?
How come Germany is so cheap?
What are the hospitals like in Germany?
Will I be able to speak to the doctor in Germany before going on my trip?
Can a family member or a spouse travel with me? I would hate to go alone?
What about the language barrier?
I have special dietary requirements; can they be observed in Germany?
I have special religious requirements; will these be respected?
I want to take a vacation in Germany and Europe.
How realistic is the tourism part of medical tourism?
Will my health insurance cover the costs of the trip?
Do I need a Passport and Visa to travel to Germany?
When will I be able to travel after my procedure?
What about complications, particularly when I am back at home?
Do hospitals in Germany have accreditation and a quality management system?
Did we miss a question?
What is Medical Tourism?
Medical tourism is simply obtaining medical or surgical services while traveling or vacationing in another country or purposely planning a trip to another country in order to receive medical treatment. There are various reasons why people travel to other countries to seek medical treatment, including: • The need for saving costs
• A long waiting list for surgery in the home country
• A certain procedure is not offered in the home country
• The desire to have access to more modern facilities or technology
• The need for increased privacy
What kind of procedures do medical tourists usually seek?
There are a lot of different medical/surgical options for medical tourists. Primarily, medical tourists seek elective procedures such as cosmetic surgery, hip and knee replacements, dental procedures, infertility treatments; any procedure that is usually not covered by insurance or has a long waiting time in their home country. In addition patients who do not have sufficient health care coverage in their home countries may travel abroad in order to safe costs.
Is medical tourism safe?
This is perhaps the most difficult question to answer. A fair response would be: it depends. The factors that influence the safety, however, are usually not the medical treatment provider. A recent study has shown that over 90% of medical tourists are satisfied to very satisfy with the treatment they have received abroad. It is the surrounding factors of the country that may have influence on safety. Questions to ask yourself are:
• What is the sanitation like in the country?
• Do people speak my language, or at least English?
• Are there any travel diseases? Do I need any special vaccination?
• How taxing is the climate of the destination country if my health is already not the best?
• Can I eat local foods or are there concerns with sanitation?
• Are there any dangerous animals or insects that I need be aware of?
• How high is the crime rate? Is it safe to walk the streets alone or at night?
• Is the country known for terrorist activities?
• How dangerous is moving traffic?
• Is the country known for political unrest?
• Are there any repeating natural catastrophes such as earthquakes, hurricanes or tornados?
• How receptive is the local culture to your own culture? All of the above concerns are neglectable when traveling to Germany. Germany is one of the safest travel destinations in the world.
What are the cost savings for medical tourists?
Many people do not consider Germany to be a country where cost savings in medical care can be realized. Quite the contrary is the case however. For example, a keen prosthesis may cost well over $30.000 in the USA in Germany the same procedure can be obtained for 30-60% less, while being operated in modern hospitals by well trained surgeons, even receiving an implant from a USA or German prosthesis manufacturer. The price/value ratio is extremely favorable. At the same time, cost of living is relatively low in Germany compared to other European countries. The reduced treatment costs result from the fact that Germany has too many hospitals for the amount of people actually living in the country (Germany has twice as many hospitals per 1000 people as e.g. the USA). Since the reunification of the two German nations, prices were further diluted. Hospitals therefore are in competition to fill their beds resulting in favorable prices for the patient overall.
Why should I choose Germany over other destinations?
Germany has some of the most highly qualified and experienced physicians in the world. With a cultural emphasis on education and perfection, most of these surgeons have super-specialized in their respective fields. At the same time prices for treatment remain at a good value ratio compared to the USA, other European countries and even some underdeveloped countries that have become medical tourism destinations.
There are other reasons, such as safety, lack of travel diseases, moderate climate, the fact that it is easy to reach with every major airline, that it is a hub to other European destination and that the overall infrastructure is well developed. When you travel to Germany, you can be sure that you receiving treatment will not make it more difficult for the locals to obtain medical care.
How come Germany is so cheap?
Germany is well in the middle of all OECD countries expenditure of medical costs. That makes it 2.5 -3.6 times cheaper than the USA. The question should not be why is it so cheap, but why are other countries so expensive? The cost in the USA are highly influenced by high mal practice insurance, complex documentation and high cost of medical devices and pharmaceuticals amongst other factors. In Germany, hospitals are often Government subsidized which international patients may use for their advantage.
What are the hospitals like in Germany?
With growing competition, hospitals in Germany have become more like hotels with medical personnel. One may find ultramodern buildings, or very old and historical buildings that are renovated at the inside. All hospital own new and well maintained equipment that represents the current standard of technology. Each hospital needs to prove to the authorities that the equipment meets established safety standards.
Will I be able to speak to the doctor in Germany before going on my trip?
Yes, you will be able to speak to your selected surgeon before you travel. Your confidence in our mutual selection in hospital and surgeon is important to us.
Can a family member or a spouse travel with me? I would hate to go alone?
We even encourage that a family member comes along. Despite the service Premier Healthcare Germany offers, you will still feel less alone. While you receive your treatment, we will assist your companion to either explore the surroundings or with other activities.
If no one can travel with you, you can still rest assured that every eventuality is taken care of. After all, that is the expertise of Premier Healthcare Germany.
If children are treated, we expect that at least one parent of legal guardian is present, for both legal but also psychological reasons.
What about the language barrier?
Most people in Germany speak good to very good English. You will find that the German population has become truly multi cultural and in most hospitals a large variety of languages are present due to the diversity of staff. If all fails, Premier Healthcare Germany will work with interpreters and translators. Language should not be a barrier.
I have special dietary requirements; can they be observed in Germany?
Yes, you can be sure, that whatever your dietary requirements are, there is or has been a person in the hospital or hotel where you are staying who has the same requirement or had it during a former visit. Let us know what your requirements are and we will assure your requirements are met.
I have special religious requirements; will these be respected?
Yes, if you are traveling to Germany, you can be assured that your religion is respected. The German constitution promotes and enforces the free choice of religion. However, since most Germany are Roman Catholic or Protestants, please let us know your requirements, as some hospitals may not know what they are. Premier Healthcare will assure that your requirements are met and respected.
I want to take a vacation in Germany and Europe. How realistic is the tourism part of medical tourism?
This question has more relevance that may be obvious at first glance. What is your objective when traveling to another country? The treatment or the vacation/holidays. Depending on your primary condition and severity of the treatment, it may be a good idea to do the traveling before and not after surgery. It also depends how much time you have available and how comfortable you are combining medical treatment and leisure travel. Premier Healthcare encourages their patients to focus on the treatment and recovery first, and on vacationing second, even if the procedure is only small. We advise to stay away from flashy offers that proclaim a relaxing time on the beach after your total body makeover. After extensive plastic surgery for example you will look like a football quarterback run over by the entire competitive team and you will most likely not feel like sunbathing and rolling in the sand. These offers either ignore or are unaware of the real world of medical travel. However, in case you feel fit to travel, (and provided your surgeon agrees) we will be there to help you with anything from booking just a short city sightseeing tour to the complete round trip to Europe.
Will my health insurance cover the costs of the trip?
There is no general answer for this question. It depends on what country you are traveling from and where you have health insurance. If you are a citizen of a European Union Member State new European regulations clearly state that you can receive treatment in Germany, and that the cost are covered up to the cost that the same procedure would have cost you in your home country. E.G. if you are a citizen of the UK and have been told that you need to wait for 3-6 months for your hip procedure, Germany is a very valid option. Pre-testing and surgery can be booked within a week, costs are covered by your health insurance. The only thing you may have to pay out of pocket is the flight and accommodation, a small sacrifice for immediate treatment. Similar conditions may apply for other countries with long waiting lists, such as Canada.
If you are a US citizen, it will most likely require pre-approval of your health insurance. We are more than happy to take a lead in the communication with your health insurance. They should be interested in saving costs at the same or even better quality of care. However, you may be expected to pay for the trip yourself. Speak to us, in order to assess your individual situation.
Do I need a Passport and Visa to travel to Germany?
You will need a passport, but many countries do not require a visa. If you do not have a passport and are uncertain how to get one, please contact us so we can be of assistance in this matter.
The following link provides a list of countries whose citizens require a visa. Please visit the relevant section on webpage of the department of foreign affairs by clicking here Premier Healthcare Germany is happy to assist you in obtaining your visa, if you are uncertain how to go about it.
When will I be able to travel after my procedure?
There is no general answer to this question. Your physician in Germany will make an assessment of your recovery and make a decision as to when it may be possible for you to travel. In addition, it depends highly on the type of medical treatment your have received. A double sided hip or knee patient will need more recovery than e.g. a hand surgery patient.
What about complications, particularly when I am back at home?
Another very relevant question and one that Premier Healthcare feels very strongly about. Putting things into perspective, no doctor or hospital will give you a guarantee that there will be no complication after a procedure. They can’t because complications occur as a result of a variety of interconnected and unpredictable events. No matter where you are in the world and no matter how skilled the surgeon or well equipped the hospital, there is always a risk for complications. Any surgeon, hospital, or medical tourism company that tells you otherwise is either lying or does not know what they are talking about. The only way to avoid complications is by not having the procedure done.
The good news is, that most complications occur in the first few days after surgery. (Just to be clear, not just in Germany, but everywhere). This is why your physician or surgeon will recommend that you stay in the country for at least a few days after your surgery (depending on your treatment). He or she would like to make sure that healing occurs without problems, that any medication is showing the desired effect and that you are getting along well with any potential physical therapy program. At this point the chances of any complication will already be statistically reduced.
However, Premier Healthcare does not stop there. We have a two arms approach to managing complications when you are back at home: 1. You will be going home not only with your complete medical records on a data carrier (CD-ROM, DVD, or USB memory stick) but also with a set of instructions what to do and what to avoid. Due to Premier Healthcare’s excellent connections in the medical industry, you will also receive a name of a surgeon or physician in your area that you can visit if there are any complications, in case you would prefer not to go to your physician. He or she will already be informed beforehand about your treatment if you wish this to be done. 2. If there are complications, that are evidently related to the procedure, contact us immediately. We will work with you and our physician here to determine what is better for you and your health: Getting a correction done back at home or here in Germany. In any event, Premier Healthcare will cover the costs of the corrective procedure if the complication is evidently related to the procedure that you have received here in Germany.
Do hospitals in Germany have accreditation and a quality management system?
Yes. German criminal and civil law clearly states that a hospital has to continuously maintain and improve established standards. The body supervising this is the Federal Department of Quality Assurance (BQS). Despite the name it is not part of the government but a service provider to the Government.
All our hospitals are at minimum use the ISO quality system standards and many have other types of accreditation such as the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO); Cooperation for Hospital Transparency in Quality (KTQ) which is a system based on the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation and the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards. The KTQ is made up of Members of the biggest German health insurances, the German State Chamber of Pyhsicians (Bundesärztekammer), the German Council for Nursing (Bundespflegerat), the German Association of Hospitals (Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft) as well as the other institutions in Healthcare. Cooperation for Hospital Transparency in Quality (KTQ) is an improved version of the Joint Commission Accreditation. However, accreditation is not everything. Actual medical results need to measured and controlled and the quality system supervised. Germany as a country is a leading force in implementing this in Europe.
Do you have the need for more detail?
Do not hesitate to contact us using our contact form or call back service.
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