PATIENT INFORMATION

WHO ARE OUR G.M.T. PATIENTS?

These patients trust Guatemala Medical Travel to manage their high-quality, low-cost medical attention….

One thing that Guatemala Medical Travel clients have in common is that they are wise consumers. They understand how the United States medical system might not work in their best interest, so they actively research the opportunities that are available to them only a few hours away, in Central America. Successful medical travel patients seek out a consultant, advocate and coordinator with the skills and contacts to assure optimum results and ultimate satisfaction.

Many Guatemala Medical Travel clients are foreigners living in Guatemala, others come from neighboring countries, like Belize and Honduras, but most come from the United States to take advantage of our superior quality medical services and reasonable prices. Hiring a medical advocate and nurse-companion to anticipate preparation of a medical or dental procedure, working hand in hand with the doctors, is the sensible choice for first-time or foreign patients.

G.M.T. PERSONAL SERVICE

During preparation, and on the day of your operation or treatment, a bi-lingual escort from our office will accompany you to the hospital or clinic to oversee transportation, paperwork and payments, and to communicate with your providers most effectively to expedite your treatment and recovery. Your Guatemala Medical Travel agent will listen carefully to directions by the physicians and staff, write detailed notes of the doctor’s instructions, and help you follow them precisely for a quick, successful recovery.

What medical attention do you need?

  • Routine procedures to make you feel better, younger, stronger.
  • Required surgery that is out of reach in your home state.
  • Treatment of complex and far-reaching auto-immune disorders or infections.
  • Elegant, precision artistry in cosmetic or dental work
  • Annual checkups to be certain you are waking up every day the best you can be.

Please consult with your doctor, then with another one. Research your symptoms, options and alternatives with the huge number of on-line resources, and then call Guatemala Medical Travel. Our best patients are aware and informed and ready to take advantage of the health care choices offered in Guatemala.

RECOVERY AT CASA MURIEL

Patients and clients of Guatemala Medical Travel will spend their recuperative days in a luxurious, tranquil sanctuary that perfectly suits their needs: Casa Muriel in Antigua, Guatemala. Every detail is carefully planned by our nurses and managers to assure your comfort and peace-of-mind during recovery. The finest physical therapy and massage studios, fitness centers, and medical clinics are only minutes away.

Casa Muriel is a spacious private home in a secure and serene community only two miles south of Antigua’s central park. Handicap access, safe parking, garden and patio are right there by the front doors. Enjoy home theater, gourmet kitchen and easy mobility. Ask about short-term nursing care after surgery or long-term vacation homestay. Depending on your type of surgery, you may be able to continue your travels in anywhere from three days to three weeks. During that time, we will remain at your service and continue to provide follow up even after you have returned home.

MEDICAL EXPENSES & INSURANCE

Paying insurance premiums every month is not a guarantee that the patient will receive the most skilled and effective medical attention, nor that (s)he is immune from suffering astronomical expenses apart from what his insurance company decides to cover.

For those who are self-insured, traveling abroad for health care procedures becomes an affordable and attractive alternative that reduces out-of-pocket expenses. Many people find that high deductibles, co-payments, wait-lists and out-right denials make leaving the country for treatment, and paying cash (self-insured) for the services you require a far more sensible solution.

We need to make the move to being informed consumers, purchasing quality medical services and products at a fair and reasonable price, instead of policyholders asking permission to get a good value from our health care expenses.

PRICE COMPARISON

TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION IN GUATEMALA

The reason we travel to exotic destinations, like the Caribbean rainforest, Pacific fishing villages and historic colonial highlands of Guatemala, is for leisure and rejuvenation. This sort of retreat is exactly the atmosphere we crave surrounding a complicated or invasive medical procedure. Low-impact activities for patients include spa retreats, Spanish classes, escorted shopping trips, Mayan cultural exchange, and tours of Spanish colonial ruins or coffee plantations.

Remember the highlights of past vacations? Was it an airplane ride over magnificent ancient ruins, deep-sea sport fishing, or finding the most romantic and charming restaurant for that extra special occasion? You can do all that in Guatemala and return with more than just photos and memories. This time, arrive at home with a new set of dazzling teeth, a surgically sculpted body shape, or perfect 20/20 vision. Guatemala Medical Travel is the only medical travel company that can make it happen to suit both your budget and time frame.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Compare the Guatemalan and American doctors. Both studied at prestigious universities and earned advanced medical degrees. They perform the same procedure with the same care and skill, and work in modern world-class facilities.

Patients should know that the reason they can pay $7,000 instead of $35,000 for their surgery is because the Guatemalan surgeon does not have the burden of huge malpractice premiums, or the payroll expenses for a team of insurance processing clerks in his office. American doctors also pay staggering licensing and permitting fees, hospital privileges, inflated rent and union-approved wages. If their business expenses are five to ten times those of the Guatemalan doctors, then they will have to increase fees to the patient at the same rate.

From your arrival and first consultation to your 100% successful recovery and return home, we prepare, negotiate and confirm every aspect of your medical experience in Guatemala. It’s like having a friend take your hand, introduce you to all the best contacts, and stay by your side throughout every procedure.

The budget for your complete medical package is discussed and agreed in advance of your arrival. There are no added costs or bills, just sensible and fair pricing from start to finish.

Yes, most private hospitals and cancer treatment centers in Guatemala accept private or travelers’ insurance with a letter of pre-authorization. Check in advance with your insurance carrier for eligibility, or pay cash and submit receipts to them to request reimbursement.
Avoid the chance of having an adverse outcome by using a medical advocate. Medical mistakes happen because of lack of communication. If the patient has an outspoken “watchdog” confirming and scrutinizing every move from the initial consultation right through 100% recovery and voyage home, the chance of someone making a mistake is almost zero. Besides, the doctors are so exceedingly cautious because they know that the outcome of their work affects the impression of the entire country of Guatemala to the rest of the world. Foreign patients are absolute VIP’s, receiving extraordinary attention from the G.M.T. agents, surgeons, hospital administration and everyone else in between.
The concept of malpractice lawsuits is unique only to America and is not acceptable business practice in other countries. Even with the most common surgical procedures, there are certain risks that your doctor will discuss with you, and every possible precaution is taken to give you the highest rate of success. For patients concerned about not having legal recourse in a foreign country, they can buy “adverse outcome” insurance in America before they leave home.
The best way to start is to contact us by email with a few sentences about your medical history, and the sort of treatment you are seeking. Attach any relevant medical reports or photos so that we can introduce you most accurately to the Guatemalan physicians. In few days, the doctors will respond with their observations, recommendations, alternatives and price estimates. As a client of GMT, you will be personally guided throughout the experience, from arrival and consultations to recovery and airport transfer, all pre-paid as one “all-inclusive” package.
  • After a knee injury in Turkey in 1998, a local orthopedist made a “house call” to my room at the Istanbul Intercontinental, and provided excellent treatment and painkillers for about $50.
  • On two separate visits to Thailand, in 2000 and 2003, I had dental check-ups with x-rays and cleaning for about $17.
  • I wanted to get all my inoculations and malaria pills before my first trip to India, but I found only a few clinics in Washington and New York that offered the full series, and for $500. I waited to get to London, England and bought all the shots and pills for $5 at the local national health clinic.
  • My father was travelling to Mexico regularly for his annual chelation treatments in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Chelation therapy has been used in Germany since the 1930’s as a highly effective and low-cost blood filtering system. It is still not approved in the US because the patent on EDTA expired years ago, so the pharmaceutical companies can’t make a profit on it.
  • My husband David went to four local doctors in Florida trying to get treatment for his terrible stomach pains. After spending seven months and $16,000 in cash for tests and exams, the doctors prescribed him high doses morphine and oxycontin, and he was down to 110 lbs. They never diagnosed his cancer because we had no health insurance, and they would lose money treating him. At the end of our options in America, David flew to Eastern Europe where he received immediate surgery and excellent medical care. He died in Prague, nine months later, of pancreatic cancer at the age of 37.
That’s a very personal decision, but U.S. Homeland Security requirements make it exceedingly difficult for foreigners to live and work legally in America. And, in the Latin culture family ties are very important, so the doctors may prefer to remain closer to their extended family environment. Guatemalan doctors work very hard to earn their credentials out of a deep devotion to keeping people healthy by utilizing the latest technological advances. Perhaps many of them would rather continue their practice in a country where it is most appreciated, without the burden of government and legal interference, than to join America’s bureaucratic medical system.
Travelers to Guatemala should take the same precautions they would when visiting any large city. Your G.M.T. patient advocate will give you valuable insights regarding local customs and tourist information. If patients follow our recommendations throughout the journey, they will likely be as safe as they are in their home town.
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