2020 06 11
Treatment abroad helps saving money and time
Other
4 min. skaitymo
Treatment abroad helps in saving money and time
Long waiting lists or huge expenses – these are the two main options many patients living in the United Kingdom have to choose from to get the treatment they need. “Not necessarily,” – Arnis Krasovskis, director of Medrefund Ltd (the successful medical cost recovery company) says. According to him, there is another more convenient option – treatment abroad, saving time and money, as well as offering great doctors and health services.
Can’t wait? Then pay
According to Krasovskis, many patients living in the UK face a difficult situation when they need medical help. They often have to wait many months and sometimes up to several years to get tested and treated, especially when it comes to surgery, under the free NHS (National Health Service). Those who do not want to wait can choose a private clinic, however, this costs a lot of money.
“This is an issue for many people in the country. Some of them simply cannot afford to be treated in a private clinic, which can cost several thousand pounds and sometimes even much more. So, these people choose to wait for months and sometimes for much longer to have surgery or other procedure they need. And this is definitely not helping their health in general”, – Krasovskis says.
Treatment abroad – an option which can be refunded by the NHS
Many people already know, that they can choose to get treatment abroad, especially within the European Economic Area (EEA), and have their medical costs refunded. The European Union directive states that a patient living in the UK has the right to choose a service provider in the EEA and can lawfully get the NHS to refund treatment abroad.
“This is a great option for people who want to save time and money. In many countries such as Lithuania, there are a number of very high-quality clinics offering highly professional doctors, modern equipment, and high-level treatments for a reasonable price, which can be covered or refunded by the NHS. This includes treatment abroad in a private specialized hospital, a clinic, or a state hospital. It also includes dental treatment, cosmetic surgery, and orthopedic surgery, gynecological surgery, fertility treatment, or varicose vein treatment, as well as emergency or necessary medical help in case of acute health conditions”, – Mr. Krasovskis said.
How does it work?
According to Mr. Krasovskis, patients are entitled to claim a refund from the NHS for the following health care services abroad:
An emergency and necessary medical treatment, which means any urgent medical help and treatment due to an acute health condition while traveling or staying abroad.
Outpatient services or health care services, which do not require an overnight stay in the hospital. This means that patients are free to consult a doctor and get diagnostic tests done abroad.
Pre-planned inpatient hospital treatment, which means patients can choose to have their surgeries or other procedures are done abroad. However, it is important to know that in some cases, depending on the treatment and the region in which the patient lives in the UK, pre-arranged hospital treatment authorization is required from the NHS prior to treatment.
In such cases, it is often much more convenient to contact a medical cost recovery company, such as Medrefund. Specialists evaluate the documents required and apply for authorization on the patient’s behalf.
A popular destination for treatment abroad
One of the most popular destinations for treatment abroad in Lithuania and one of the country’s private medical leaders in the Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Center. According to the statistics, over 4,000 patients from abroad choose to come to this Center every year. Over 30% of them come from the UK.
Among the main reasons for choosing Lithuania and the Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Center, according to patients from the UK and other countries, are the highly professional doctors, innovative treatment solutions, and quality customer services.
Every patient planning to come to the Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Center from abroad is assigned a personal health care manager. The manager helps to schedule planned procedures, including consultations and diagnostic tests and helps to get the paperwork done and translated for medical costs refund.
Well known for modern surgery
The Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Vilnius is also well known for its surgery methods. Surgeons here use only minimally invasive surgery methods, operating laparoscopically and arthroscopically, which means no open cuts are made which leads to faster and less painful healing after surgery and lower risk of possible complications such as post-surgery bleeding or inflammation.
At the end of 2019, the Center acquired a new high-resolution laparoscopic-astroscopic system, which now lets the operating surgeons see the surgery field even better up-close, right down to the tiniest blood vessels. At the same time the electrosurgical-ultrasonic system, in other words, called an ultrasonic knife, allows surgeons to work even more precisely when cutting and closing off blood vessels at the same time, lowering the risk of possible bleeding and post-surgery complications to a minimum.
A golden standard
The Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Center is the only private medical clinic in the Baltic region accredited with a Joint Commission International (JCI) patient safety and quality standard, which is often called the gold standard of health care services.
It was one of the first private medical clinics in Lithuania. Now in its 25th year of operation, the center specializes in more than 50 different fields of medicine and offers more than 2,000 health care services from specialist consultations, laboratory and radiological examinations to complex surgeries and rehabilitation.
More information on claiming reimbursement for medical costs incurred:
„Medrefund LTD“
tel. +44 (0) 7729438051
info@medrefund.co.uk
www.medrefund.co.uk
If you have questions or would like to make an appointment, please call us on +370 524 763 63 or e-mail: medtour@medcentras.lt
You are invited to join the Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Centre client support group on Facebook. It provides useful information for customers coming for treatment from abroad: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mdtcgroup/