Medical Tourism Could Save Quebec Taxpayers Millions

VANCOUVER (PRWEB) February 22, 2006

Sending patients overseas for surgeries could not only drastically cut wait times, but also save the Quebec government millions of dollars, a Vancouver-based medical tourism company says.

“Premier Charest and Health Minister Couillard has announced a plan which could help thousands of Quebeckers escape their suffering,” said Karin Basaraba, spokesperson for MedSolution.com. “We feel medical tourism has a big part to play in this plan.”

MedSolution.com arranges for patients to obtain surgeries, such as hip and knee replacements, in their partner hospitals in India and France where prices are 30 to 90 per cent less than in the US. MedSolution.com is the only medical tourism company in North America who is partnered with hospitals in France which was ranked by the World Health Organization as the number one health care system in the world.

“Premier Charest has stated that he wants to build one of the best health systems in the world,” Basaraba said. “Sending patients to the USA is not necessarily the best answer for patients or taxpayers. We can connect patients with the worlds best health system and save taxpayers millions in the process.”

The new plan states that after being on a wait list for six months, the province would first look to an outpatient clinic to deliver the service. But after nine months, the province would pay for surgeries elsewhere in Canada or even outside the country. He estimates this would cost the Quebec government an additional $ 20 million a year.

But with prices in France and India dramatically cheaper than in Canada and the US, it would be more prudent to send patients overseas, said Basaraba. A sample MedSolution.com price comparison shows the savings that could be achieved (in USD):

Hip Replacement:

Medical Tourism Could Save Quebec Taxpayers Millions