Israel medical tourism numbers hit by Russian problems

2014 sees a drop in medical tourism to Israel, with further falls likely for 2015. Shorter waits for hospital services such as surgery, MRIs and cancer care are a direct result of falling medical tourism numbers, according to health maintenance organizations.

Government hospitals generated medical tourism revenues of $61 million in 2014, down nearly a quarter from 2013.

According to data from the Health Ministry, government hospital revenues from medical tourism dropped to 237 million shekels ($61 million) in 2014 from 311 million shekels in 2013. The figure for 2015 is predicted to be much smaller.

Medical tourism to the country has been on a clear downtrend for two years as the sagging rouble makes care in Israel less affordable for Russians and Ukrainians. With fewer Russians and Ukrainians travelling anywhere in 2015, a sharp drop is expected in 2015 too. Israel is also suffering from being in a global region of turmoil– so tourists and medical tourists are fewer in number due to safety concerns.

For years, hospitals in Israel claimed that medical tourism did not come at the expense of Israeli patients. Declining medical tourism had clear benefits for Israelis with shorter waits for hospital services such as surgery, MRIs and cancer care. All Israel’s health maintenance organizations say that this is a direct result of falling medical tourism numbers.