Insurance and Taxes

Insurance and Taxes 

When medical tourism first took off a few years back, insurance usually wasn’t a major issue.  That’s because the vast majority of treatments were for elective procedures that aren’t normally covered under standard policies.  These include face lifts, breast augmentations, and other types of plastic surgery.  But thanks to major advances in medical technology, tourists now go abroad for lifesaving procedures such as kidney transplants, arterial bypasses, and colonoscopies.  Quite naturally, insurance is becoming a major concern in the medical tourism world, and it’s important that you understand what options are available to you.  Keep in mind that most of this discussion focuses on American medical tourists, but many of these points have universal applications, regardless of where you are from.

Do I Even Have Insurance?

First, you must determine whether or not you have health insurance.  Believe it or not, you might actually be partially covered and not even know it.  Your employer, for example, might have a policy for you and your family members of which you aren’t aware.  Check your records, check with your manager and human resources representative, and check your partner’s policy.  If you don’t have any insurance, you might consider jumping ahead to our expat and travelers insurance section.  If you do have insurance, please proceed to next section to see if your insurance will cover you for medical tourism treatments.

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