'Medical tourism could spike if global insurance firms cover treatments'

Once insurance companies start covering treatment expenses for foreign patients coming to India, medical tourism numbers could shoot up exponentially, a top Apollo Hospitals official has said. "Global insurance companies enabling international usage automatically... and not just enabling... (but) encouraging will help save (patients) a lot of money," Apollo Hospitals Joint Managing Director Sangita Reddy said. Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the Garmin Health Summit in Bangkok, Reddy said, "We have requested the government to lead us on a delegation to work with the insurance companies. If they start covering... then you will see a large segment of the Western world coming here". "We have a significant number of NRIs coming in. It is a win-win for all sides," she said. According to official figures, the global medical travel market was valued at around USD 115.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach around USD 286.1 billion by 2030. India has emerged as one of the most ...