Shopping for Surgery: Why International Medical Tourism is on the Rise

When one thinks of comparison shopping, several important buys come to mind. Cars. Televisions. Homes. But shopping around for surgery? Though it sounds surprising, a growing number of people are traveling abroad for medical procedures which are less expensive than those they could receive at home. As defined by the Medical Tourism Association (MTA), Medical Tourism is a situation in which people who live in one country travel to another country to receive medical, dental and surgical care at a significant savings while at the same time receiving equal to or greater care than they would have in the United States. Although it sounds shocking - and dangerous - to travel for the least expensive heart bypass or knee replacement surgery, it is a rapidly growing trend.

The rapid growth of medical tourism is being driven by the increasing cost of health care in the United States and increasing difficulty in obtaining and maintaining health insurance. According to The Washington Post, almost 15% of the U.S. population is currently uninsured, and more than 150,000 Americans traveled abroad for health care in 2006. That number is projected to have doubled in 2007. Some of the top destinations for tourism health care are Southeast Asia and Mexico.

But what level of savings would induce someone to travel to another country for their surgery? According to estimates by the MTA, variations in price for the same procedure can be extreme. In fact, if you're without insurance, that price difference can mean the difference between life and death. In the United States, a heart bypass surgery costs approximately $130,000. One can imagine the heartache of a family trying to raise those funds when no insurance is available - selling cars, mortgaging homes, emptying retirement accounts. But the same procedure in India costs approximately $10,000 - an amazing $120,000 savings that can mean all the difference to the patient. Likewise, the MTA states that a hysterectomy in the United States costs roughly $20,000, but only $3,000 in India. As the definition defines, however, the procedures must be "equal to or greater care than they would have in the United States." How can a potential patient possibly know what type of care they will receive?

More and more companies are emerging to assist people in making these important decisions and following through with their travel. For instance, MTA offers financing for these procedures of up to $20,000.00, but only if the provider is a member. A simple internet search will yield a surprising number of Medical Travel Agencies. For instance, a company called Med Journeys boasts "affordable pricing" and offers "unique all-inclusive packages". Another medical travel agency, Med Retreat, offers a "Gold Membership" for $195.00 to speed the process up and have your questions answered more quickly.

Something is wrong when citizens from one of the largest, most developed countries in the world must travel elsewhere to receive care that is critical for their well-being. All attempts in the United States of implementing health care for all have been shot down, and now the most vulnerable of our society try to cope without coverage. In many undeveloped countries, sick individuals must travel long distances for medication or suffer because a life-changing surgery is not available to them. Are we beginning to mirror these sad problems in our own society? Unfortunately, the demand for medical tourism will likely continue to grow - until rich, insured legislators realize that their constituents are suffering and make a real effort towards sustaining reform here, at home, in the medical field.