You’ve probably heard of eco-tourism and agritourism, maybe even literary tourism, but are you aware of medical tourism? Rising in popularity due to the extremely high cost of medical care in the United States and the increasing number of people without health insurance, medical tourism is the practice of travelling internationally to obtain medical services. People are travelling for serious surgeries as well as elective and dental procedures. Popular destinations include Argentina, India, and Thailand and over 50 countries report offering medical tourism services.
NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday recently aired a story on this trend. In it, the reporter visited a hospital in Mexico which actively markets its medical facilities to Americans (in the United States). Are you thinking this isn’t exactly mainstream yet? Well, think again. In June, 2008, the AMA (American Medical Association) issued guidelines on medical tourism and Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina has an affiliate set up to handle it. The Medical Tourism Association with headquarters in Florida is an international non-profit organization dedicated to this growing industry. More and more information is becoming available on how to safely take advantage of medical tourism and depending on your circumstances, it might be something worth checking into the next time you need medical treatment.
Disclaimer: The above material is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis and advice.
