AeroMexico, which recently launched flights from Albuquerque to Chihuahua City, has formed a partnership with the Medical Tourism Association to help patients traveling to Latin America for medical treatment.
The Medical Tourism Association projects demand among U.S. residents for medical treatment (including elective surgery) in other countries will quadruple from 1.5 million patients in 2008 to 6 million in 2010 as consumers, health insurers and employers seek medical care that is not available here or not as affordable.
By 2017, as many as 23 million Americans could be traveling internationally and spending $79.5 billion per year for medical care, according to “Deloitte Report, Medical Tourism: Consumers in Search of Value.”
Jonathan Edelheit, president of the Medical Tourism Association, said Latin America is poised to become one of the top destinations for medical tourism for U.S. residents.
The Association has designated AeroMexico as the preferred airline for patients of its medical providers in Latin America. These patients are seeking a variety of services, from medical and dental care to cosmetic surgery.
These customers and their travel companions will be eligible for special travel packages through the airline’s designated travel wholesalers, as well as the AeroMexico and Medical Tourism Association Web sites.
The Association cited AeroMexico’s service and its large number of non-stop flights from the U.S. to Mexico City, offering connecting service to other destinations in Latin America.
The Medical Tourism Association is a nonprofit made up of international hospitals, health care providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies and affiliated companies.
It is partnering with AeroMexico to support the Latin America Medical Tourism and Health Tourism Congress April 27 to 29 in Monterrey, Mexico.
