Medical tourism in Israel
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Medical tourism in Israel is a subset of the medical tourism industry, in which patients travel to other countries to have procedures performed at a lower cost. Israel has emerged as a medical tourism destination due to the many advantages it offers, including first rate quality of care. Israel’s facilities are recognized throughout the world, with regular contacts maintained on a reciprocal basis with major medical and scientific research centers abroad. Israel is frequently the host venue for international conferences on a wide variety of medical topics.
In recent years, thousands of visitors have come to Israel to undergo medical procedures. In 2006, 15,000 foreigners traveled to Israel for procedures, bringing in $40 million in revenue for the country. This includes money spent on the procedures themselves, as well as on accommodations, sightseeing and shopping.
Patients from all over the world are going to Israel for procedures, from countries such as France and Germany in Europe, and Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq.
American patients also are flocking to Israel, taking advantage of the country’s quality healthcare, at a fraction of the cost. For example, a patient with no health insurance who needs bypass surgery would spend approximately $120,000 in the United States. The same procedure performed in Israel would cost approximately, $30,000.
But it is not only prices that draw patients. For those in need of bone marrow transplants in Cyprus (where the procedure is unavailable), Israel has become their main destination. Israel's high standards of health services, top-quality medical resources and research, modern hospital facilities and an impressive ratio of physicians and specialists to population are reflected in the country's low infant mortality rate (4 per 1,000 live births) and long life expectancy (81.8 years for women, 77.6 for men).
Patients come to Israel for procedures such as bone marrow transplants, heart surgery and catheterization, oncological and neurological treatments, car accident rehabilitation and more.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is another reason why medical tourists flock to Israel, known for its high success rates and considerably lower costs. IVF costs $3,000-$3,500 in Israel, compared to $16,000-$20,000 in the U.S.
Psoriasis patients also flock to Israel for the Dead Sea, known as one of the most therapeutic resorts in the world.
