Medical Traveler’s Bill’s Of Rights

As a medical traveler, you are entitled to certain rights. Specific rights applicable to medical tourists are emphasized below.

 Right to Choose Medical Treatment

1. You have the right to travel to another country to seek and receive responsible and responsive medical care and treatment, as well as to obtain continuous or follow-up care upon returning home.
2. You are entitled to receive a comprehensive evaluation from knowledgeable providers utilizing high-standard screening tools that aid in disease detection.
3. You have the right to receive medical care and treatment of a quality comparable to that provided to any other patient treated by the same physician in the same facility, at the same cost, and to receive skilled emergency care if needed.
4. You have the right to receive relief from suffering according to the current standards of pain assessment and management.
5. You can expect continuity of care, including receiving a written discharge summary with details on your immediate post-treatment care needs and longer-term care after you return home. This includes information about coordination between all healthcare providers and facilities involved in your diagnosis, treatment, care, and follow-up, including contact information and a description of how to appeal your discharge if necessary.

 Right to Information

1. You have the right to request and receive, prior to treatment, an accurate and comprehensive estimate of charges for your medical care or treatment.
2. You may inquire about and be informed of the identity and professional credentials of the physician coordinating your care, as well as other healthcare providers involved in your treatment. This includes information on their education, medical licensure, board certifications, years of practice, and experience and outcomes related to the procedures being recommended.
3. You have the right to ask about and be informed of the healthcare facility’s accreditation status, experience with recommended procedures, performance results, available technology, and the facility’s rules, policies, practices, and relevant events that impact patient care, treatment, and responsibilities.
4. You are entitled to receive clear and relevant information about your current health status, treatment options with associated risks and benefits, recovery time, treatment details, your prognosis, other medical alternatives, and the possible and likely outcomes of accepting or refusing care. You also have the right to request interpretation into another language.
5. You have the right to receive information about all prescribed medications, including their names, alternative names as known in your country of residence, typical effects, and potential side effects as they may apply to you.
6. You have the right to ask if your physician intends to involve you in research, experimentation, clinical trials, or teaching that could affect your care or treatment, and to receive a full explanation. You have the right to agree or refuse participation in such activities, and your refusal must not impact the standard of your medical care.
7. You may ask and be informed about any business relationships among the hospital, treatment facility, other healthcare providers, payers, or agents.
8. You have the right to review your medical records, obtain copies of your medical records and other health-related documents, request amendments to your medical records by providing supporting documents or information before admission and/or after discharge, and update your demographic information at any hospital in a manner that ensures accuracy, credibility, and confidentiality.

 Right to Choice

1. You have the right to designate a support person, such as a family member or another individual of your choice, to be present during examinations, tests, and meetings with your doctors. This includes your right to reasonably designate visitors during inpatient care, subject to your healthcare facility’s policies, and to choose who, if anyone, should be informed on your behalf.
2. You have the right to receive timely and prioritized scheduling for consultations, surgery, and treatment, as well as prompt responses to requests and inquiries when you have work and travel constraints.
3. You have the right to make decisions about your medical care, including giving informed consent prior to any medical intervention, and to receive sufficient information about any proposed treatment, procedure, or medication necessary to provide such informed consent or to refuse a course of treatment.
4. You have the right to seek a second opinion or referral to other specialists, and to leave the hospital, even against medical advice, as permitted by law.
5. You have the right to continue or refuse treatment to the extent permitted by applicable laws, regardless of the severity of your condition. If you refuse a recommended treatment, you are entitled to other appropriate care and services provided by the hospital or to transfer to another physician or hospital with your full medical records.
6. You have the right to provide written consent regarding the preservation, disposition, or use of any substances from your body, except when used in your current diagnosis, treatment, or care.
7. You have the right to provide advance directives, such as a living will, durable power of attorney for healthcare, or healthcare proxy, that will be honored by medical personnel to the extent permitted by law. These directives may include the designation of a decision-maker in the event that you cannot speak for yourself, as well as your preferences regarding resuscitative services and life-sustaining treatment.

 Right to Privacy

1. You have the right to receive treatment that is considerate and respectful of your personal values and beliefs, without discrimination based on national origin, citizenship, country of residence, language, race, color, religion, ancestry, medical diagnosis, mental or physical disability, genetic makeup, educational background, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, economic status, or the source of payment for your care.
2. You have the right to receive evaluation and treatment with confidentiality and privacy, including in all written and electronic records, during case discussions, consultations, examinations, and treatments, except where reporting is required by law.
3. You have the right to receive evaluation and treatment in facilities that ensure privacy during personal care, examinations, and treatment, with interventions conducted only in the presence of those necessary for the procedure unless you consent otherwise.

 Right to Complain

1. You have the right to be informed of available resources for resolving disputes, grievances, and conflicts, such as ethics committees, patient representatives, or any independent mechanisms available in the community, including ombudsmen and foreign consular representatives. You have the right to have your dispute thoroughly and promptly examined and addressed, and to be informed of the outcome.