57% of Australians would go abroad for medical procedures amid rising healthcare costs, new survey reveals

• 65% would seek overseas dental procedures
• 42% would travel overseas for lifesaving or life-extending cancer treatments
• Cost savings motivate 37% of Australians

 An estimated 15,000 Australians travel abroad annually for medical procedures,[1] contributing to a global medical tourism market growing at a rate of 15-25 per cent.[2] Thailand, India, South Korea, Turkey, and Malaysia are the most popular destinations for this purpose.[3] Despite Australian governments advising caution around medical tourism,[4] new research has found more than half of Australians are willing to risk overseas medical treatments, largely to save money.

The findings come from a survey of an independent, nationally representative panel of 1006 Australians, commissioned by award-winning travel Australian insurance provider Insure&Go to gauge the influences motivating Australians to seek treatment overseas, and which treatments they are likely to travel for.

With healthcare costs rising by 6.8 per cent this year[5] and hospital wait times for elective surgery in public hospitals increasing by 18 per cent in 2022-23 YoY, the Insure&Go research reveals that a staggering 57 per cent of Australians would consider travelling overseas for medical procedures. Remarkably, 69 per cent would do so knowing that complications arising from their treatment would not be covered by travel insurance.

Authorities continue to caution Australians to consider the heightened risks associated with overseas medical procedures, including infection, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and disfigurement due to lower-quality practices in some foreign countries.[7] There are also financial risks should patients have complications that require additional treatment, which are not likely to be covered by travel insurance or Medicare upon return to Australia.

What procedures would Aussies travel for?

The survey revealed that a significant 65 per cent of respondents would seek dental procedures abroad, including dental implants, veneers, and smile makeovers. These procedures were most popular among respondents aged 24-44 (26% of this cohort).

Forty-two (42) per cent of respondents would seek life-saving or life-extending cancer treatments that are not available in Australia. For these procedures, the Australian Government has developed a Medical Procedures Overseas Program to guide and support patients financially.[8] Respondents over age 55 are least likely to seek treatment overseas for this reason. Just 8 per cent of respondents aged 55-64 and 9 per cent of respondents aged over 65 chose this option, compared with 25 per cent who are 35-44-year-olds.

Cosmetic treatments and plastic surgeries are the third most common procedures respondents would go overseas for with 33 per cent saying they would travel for breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, facelift, or similar cosmetic treatments. Perhaps not surprisingly, the age group most likely to travel for cosmetic treatments are Aussies aged 25-34, making up 31 per cent of respondents who chose this option. By comparison, older generations are least likely to seek cosmetic procedures with just 13 per cent of 45-54-year-olds, 9 per cent of 55-64-year-olds and 3 per cent of over-65s prepared to risk international treatment for these procedures.

What drives Australians to risk travelling overseas for medical procedures?

The survey found cost savings are the most popular factor driving medical tourism, with 37 per cent of respondents willing to travel for procedures to save money.

NSW and Victorian respondents are more likely than any other State or Territory to go overseas to save money. Among the cohort that chose this option, 35 per cent are in NSW and 26 per cent in Victoria, to reduce waiting times. NSW has the longest median wait time for planned surgery in Australia, with patients now waiting more than double the time than they did two decades ago.[9]

Nearly a third (32%) of respondents would travel if there was a higher quality of care, while 20 per cent would do it to reduce wait times.

Reviews and recommendations from friends, family and former patients would sway more than a fifth (22%) of respondents, while access to advanced or experimental treatments would drive 14 per cent.

Insure&Go urges caution amid rising trend

Insure&Go spokesperson David Mayo warned Australians to consider carefully why they are going overseas for treatment and what the trip may inevitably cost them.

Full survey results can be accessed here.

ENDS