Know the risks of medical tourism: SFU expert

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – While most people have a positive experience, an expert in medical tourism says if travelers are not aware of the risks the results could be tragic.

The comments come following a story about a Pitt Meadows couple stranded at a Mexican hospital with their newborn children born out of surrogacy.

SFU medical tourism expert Jeremy Snyder says due diligence is necessary because many people are simply looking online and websites often paint a rosy scenario.

“What they’re not being told or what they may not be aware of is that if there are any complications, if they have to stay longer or if there are medical problems that go on they’re going to have to pay an endless amount to try to take care of it,” he says. “There is a lot that could go wrong and when it goes wrong as with this case, it can be really tragic and horrifying for these families. In other cases we’ve seen people die as a result of medical tourism for specific procedures.”

Snyder says it’s also important to speak with a third party who isn’t making money off the procedure. Having a lot of extra cash saved up can also be key because insurance isn’t likely to cover something like this.

“Usually travel insurance is for something accidental that happens when you’re touring. When you go abroad as a medical tourist specifically for the purpose of accessing care, usually that’s the sort of thing that invalidates it.”

A couple from Pitt Meadows who used a surrogacy clinic in Mexico is now faced with thousands of dollars in medical bills after their twins were born there prematurely.

The twins — a boy and a girl — were born January 8th and are not yet well enough to fly home.

The hospital is charging roughly $6,000 every four days for care. The surrogacy clinic also hasn’t issued birth certificates, which it likely won’t do until all fees are paid.

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