Medical tourism

Medical tourism is the term commonly applied to people traveling outside their home country for medical care. Patients pursue medical procedures abroad for a number of different reasons, and most choose less-developed countries for their treatments.

Over the last decade, medical tourism has become a multibillion dollar business worldwide, and it is expected to grow substantially over the next decade. An entire industry has developed around it with some market analysts estimating that the value of the global medical tourism sector was $115.6 billion in 2022.

In the United States, more than 1.2 million Americans sought medical care outside the US annually in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, though some experts put that number closer to 2 million. It is difficult to track such statistics because many people do not reveal their reasons for traveling when they are seeking medical care. Regardless, those numbers went down during the pandemic, but the medical tourism industry soon recovered. In 2022, an estimated 780,000 Americans traveled outside the country for health care. Analysts predicted those numbers would continue to grow.

Background

Medical tourism may seem like a new concept, but history proves otherwise. Even in ancient times, the affluent members of society recognized the therapeutic effects of mineral thermal springs and sacred temple baths and would travel long distances to partake of their medicinal properties. Going back five thousand years, medical travelers and spiritual students were known to flock to India to seek the benefits of the thermal baths and temple spas that were available there.

The Roman term salude per aqua or "health through waters" gave rise to the word spa, which was first used in Ville d’Eaux, a village in Europe where well-known visitors like Victor Hugo and Peter the Great visited during the Renaissance.

During the post-Renaissance years, the city of Bath in England saw its fair share of aristocrats from around Europe who came for the healing and therapeutic cleansing properties of its waters. And during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Europeans and Americans traveled to spas and health retreats hoping to cure various ailments, such as tuberculosis.

By the twentieth century, health care costs became prohibitive for most citizens in America, and patients began to consider offshore options for dental and medical problems. Cuba became popular for eye surgeries, heart, and cosmetic procedures, and dental clinics in Central America provided low-cost relief to those who could not afford it at home.

By the start of the new millennium, the world had shrunk considerably, and one economic crisis affected others. The collapse of Asian currencies following the Asian economic crisis in 1997 led the governments of some of these nations to look for ways to boost their economic growth, choosing to open their doors to tourists seeking affordable medical care. Many other countries soon jumped on the lucrative bandwagon, and people from all over the world took the cue, packing their bags and traveling across continents to reap the benefits of global medicine at a fraction of the price of back home.

What was once a choice for the wealthy, the vast majority of those taking part in medical tourism today do so because they cannot afford medical care on their own turf. The savings are often substantial. According to experts, patients traveling from the US to Mexico generally pay 50 to 70 percent less than what they would pay at home for an elective treatment. In 2023, Mexico and Costa Rica were two of the most popular destinations for American medical tourists.

Impact

Medical tourism has come a long way over the years, and what was once looked at as an affordable venture taken only by wealthy aristocrats has become a worldwide enterprise. Most patients travel abroad for medical care because it is cheaper than in the country where they reside. Among the hundreds of thousands of medical tourists who travel abroad each year are immigrants to the United States who journey back to their home country, where a familiar culture helps them feel more comfortable. Many patients travel abroad for medical assistance because the procedure or therapy they need is not available in their country of residence.

The most common procedures that people undergo on medical tourism trips include cosmetic surgery, dentistry, heart surgery, and orthopedic work such as knee and hip replacements. Many women travel to certain countries for in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Despite the benefits, there are definite disadvantages to medical tourism. One is the transmission of diseases from one place to another via the traveling patient. Although there is little reliable epidemiologic data that can prove this, there is no doubt that this is a major risk factor.

There are many other risks involved in medical tourism, and although many of these depend on the specific area being visited and the procedure performed, some general issues that should seem obvious should be taken seriously before making a final decision on where to travel. Misunderstandings can occur if the patient does not know the language of the country where he or she is receiving care. If the patient can only communicate in his or her native tongue and this is not spoken at the medical facility, that patient should choose to go elsewhere or find an interpreter before traveling.

In many emerging countries, where the care is cheap, hygiene may be taken more lightly than it should be. Doctors may use the same needles for several patients or have other harmful injection practices. Medication may be of inferior quality in some countries. And often, the blood supply comes primarily from paid donors and may not be screened properly, putting patients at risk of HIV and other infections. Such countries may also be dangerous to travel in. For example, medical tourism made headlines in 2023 when two people were killed in Mexico when they traveled there for cosmetic surgery. Lastly, patients often forget that flying after surgery increases the risk for blood clots and should not be undertaken too quickly.

Another risk with medical tourism is that many procedures fail, and there is no way of knowing beforehand which experience will end up a positive one. According to a 2023 article, from 2017 to 2021, Canadians spent $2.3 billion on out-of-country health care. Canada is often responsible for the post-operative care of these patients, which costs about $5.3 to $17.7 million per year.

In short, medical tourism can be both a boon to people with medical problems and a risky endeavor that should be approached with utmost caution.

Bibliography

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