The Pros and Cons of Medical Tourism

There's no getting around the fact that the United States healthcare system is in trouble. As a nation we spend a massive amount of money on medical issues each year, many more times what most other wealthy countries do. Obama's medical policies have been hotly-contested, and although it recently passed a large governmental hurdle, most people still aren't clear if the bill does enough to solve the problem. At the same time, millions of Americans go without healthcare due to the prohibitive expense, and the health insurance than many people carry is insufficient, especially for lower income mothers and the elderly. Due to all of these issues and many more, people are looking outside of the United States for their costly medical issues, and it's actually created something of a medical tourism industry. The basic idea is to find a country with quality doctors that can perform your required procedure at a fraction of the American price. You travel there, have the procedure, and then continue on with your vacation. It saves a great deal of money while also giving you a relaxing way to rehab from a major or minor surgery. But no strategy is perfect. So what are the pros and cons of medical tourism?

The positives start with a large savings of money. Regardless of the surgery, it will always be cheaper internationally than within the United States health system. So you don't have to worry about some backwoods hospital with a questionable medical staff. You can choose a destination you wanted to travel to anyway, and then take your pick of highly-decorated doctors and excellent facilities. Even with the travel costs, you'll always save big. And some destinations are actually even creating discount travel packages around medical tourism, encouraging visitors to stay after their procedures and enjoy the host country.

Another great benefit of medical tourism is limited waiting time. Many procedures in the United States require you spend time on a waiting list, as there just aren't enough professionals to handle the demand. In other countries you
can often expect immediate care, and can schedule the procedure when it works for you, not when it works for your insurance company. On top of that, you can expect a quality of care that's just as good, if not better than here at home. Many doctors working internationally earned their degrees at well-regarded American medical schools, so you won't need to worry about their capabilities. Senior citizens can also enjoy care at a much more personal level than they often get here at home. The quality of attention will be better, and the staff performing the operation might even be larger.


There are some potential negatives to medical tourism, however. Depending on the country you choose to seek treatment, getting yourself there could be difficult. International travel laws are not the same everywhere, and you may need to fill out additional paperwork to seek medical attention, not to mention the passports and visas you'll need even to get in the door. You also will have to pay the entire fee out of pocket, as your American health insurance will not cover work done outside the country. So if you're desperate for a hair transplant, you may notice that going with a hair transplant doctor in Orlando will make more sense even if the price is much higher, as your insurance might cover some of the expense. Finally, you won't have a doctor to follow up with once you get back to the U.S., so any complications or side effects that arise will be on you alone to handle.