Bottom line up front: A handful of these terms — habilitación vs acreditación, JCI accreditation, and board certification — matter enough to double-check on every clinic you consider.
Bookmark this page. Every other article on The Briefing links back here the first time it uses one of these terms.
- JCI Accreditation
- Joint Commission International's Gold Seal certification, evaluating hospitals against 1,200+ international patient-safety standards.
- Habilitación
- Colombia's mandatory operating license for any healthcare facility — the baseline legal requirement to operate, not a quality distinction.
- Acreditación
- Colombia's voluntary, higher-tier quality certification that goes beyond habilitación — a stronger quality signal.
- SCCP
- Sociedad Colombiana de Cirugía Plástica — Colombia's official plastic surgery board, roughly equivalent to the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
- Medical Tourism Facilitator
- A third party who coordinates logistics between patient and clinic, typically compensated via a commission from the clinic.
- Bundled/Package Pricing
- A single quoted price meant to cover multiple line items — always ask for the itemized breakdown behind it.
- PGT-A
- Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy — screening embryos for chromosomal abnormalities before IVF transfer.
- PGT-M
- Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Monogenic disorders — screening for a specific known inherited genetic disease.
- Evidence Level
- A rating (typically Level 1–4) describing how strong the clinical research is behind a treatment claim, most relevant for stem cell and regenerative content.
- EPS/IPS
- Colombia's health system structure — EPS (insurers) and IPS (care providers) — under the country's Law 100 universal coverage framework.
- Compression Garment
- Post-surgical support garment used after body contouring procedures to reduce swelling and support healing.
- Recovery House (Casa de Recuperación)
- A Colombia-specific accommodation model offering bilingual nursing, meals, and monitored recovery outside the hospital.
- Board Certification
- Formal credentialing by a recognized medical or surgical specialty board — always verify independently, not just via a clinic website.
- Malpractice Recourse
- Legal options if something goes wrong — generally more limited abroad than in the US, and worth understanding before you travel.
- Telemedicine Follow-Up
- Post-op check-ins conducted via video call or messaging rather than in person — common practice with Colombian surgeons.
- Medical Evacuation Insurance
- A specific insurance product covering emergency transport to a higher level of care, distinct from general travel insurance.
- Self-Pay / Cash-Pay
- Paying out of pocket without insurance billing — the default payment model for most medical tourism.
- Second Opinion (International)
- A consult with a foreign specialist, often via telemedicine, to confirm or challenge a domestic diagnosis or treatment plan.
- ReTHUS
- Colombia's national registry for verifying a healthcare professional's credentials and licensing status.
- Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirement
- A regional entry requirement for certain areas of Colombia — not required nationwide, so check by specific destination.
- Check-Mig
- Colombia's mandatory online immigration form completed before international arrival or departure.
- Aftercare Plan
- The documented plan for follow-up care once a patient returns home, ideally coordinating the international surgeon and a domestic provider.
- Dual Pricing
- The practice of charging international patients a different rate than local patients — common and legal, worth understanding when comparing quotes.
- Fixer (informal facilitator)
- An unlicensed, unofficial intermediary offering to arrange care — a red-flag category distinct from a licensed facilitator.
- Continuity of Care
- The degree to which your treatment connects smoothly with your existing domestic healthcare system before and after travel.
- Surrogacy (Colombia)
- Permitted in Colombia through court precedent (Constitutional Court ruling T-968 of 2009) rather than through a specific surrogacy statute.
- Deductible
- The amount a patient pays out of pocket before domestic insurance coverage begins — relevant when comparing self-pay-abroad math to a US insured price.
- Consultation Deposit
- A partial payment, often refundable or credited toward the procedure, made to secure a surgical date.
- Revision Surgery
- A follow-up procedure to correct or improve a prior surgical result — ask specifically how a clinic handles this before booking.
- Medical Records Portability
- The practice of translating and packaging surgical records so a domestic provider can pick up follow-up care seamlessly.
For procedure-specific terminology beyond this general list, see the deeper guides on colombianivf.com and colombiastemcelltreatment.com.
Most Important to Verify
Of these 30 terms, JCI accreditation, SCCP board certification, and habilitación/acreditación status are the three worth independently verifying before you book — not just taking a clinic's word for.