The Medical Tourism Association (MTA) is the world’s largest and most established trade association for the medical tourism and international patient industry.
Overview
Founded in 2007 by Jonathan Edelheit, the MTA is a member-based global non-profit representing hospitals, healthcare providers, insurance companies, governments, and medical travel facilitators across more than 100 countries. It is the only organization of its kind with true global reach.
What the MTA Does
The MTA works across three primary tracks: advocacy, education, and transparency.
On the advocacy side, it works directly with governments and ministries of health to develop medical tourism policy frameworks and facilitate cross-border patient flows. On the education side, it runs the World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress, the Medical Tourism Magazine, and a range of certification programs. On the transparency side, it publishes patient surveys and market research, including the annual Medical Tourism Patient Survey.
In 2024, the MTA announced a landmark partnership with Mastercard to improve payment infrastructure for cross-border healthcare — the first initiative of its kind in the industry.
Annual Events
The Global Medical Tourism and Insurance Summit is the MTA’s flagship annual event, convening 200+ senior executives from hospitals, insurance companies, employers, and facilitators. After 15+ years, it remains the premier gathering where global partnerships are formed and major contracts are negotiated.
Medical Tourism Magazine
The MTA publishes Medical Tourism Magazine, widely known as the “voice” of the medical tourism industry. It covers trends, developments, and best practices across the global healthcare travel market.
Key Relationships
The MTA’s official accreditation partner is Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA). Together, they form the primary standards and credentialing backbone of the formal medical tourism industry.
For Patients
The MTA launched Better by MTA, a consumer-facing platform that connects patients with vetted, accredited providers globally.
Links
- Website: medicaltourismassociation.com
- Publication: Medical Tourism Magazine
- Better by MTA: Patient-facing platform