CNN reports on the high costs of surgery in the US and how Americans cannot afford healthcare in their own country and are turning to medical tourism to find solutions. According to the article, an estimated 878,000 Americans will travel internationally for a medical procedure this year, according to a report from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. By 2012, that number will nearly double, and by 2017, seven million Americans are expected to travel for medical tourism within the year.
The article stresses these staggering numbers, as well as points out that although most medical tourists are uninsured, many are also underinsured and therefore may seek out healthcare in other countries for many of the same reasons as the uninsured. For the underinsured, healthcare costs may not be covered and therefore it is as if they are uninsured with regards to particular surgeries or procedures.
The bottom line: Americans are looking to save money in a time of deep financial crisis, and they're willing to travel large distances in order to do so.
Please view video and article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/26/cheaper.surgery/index.html?iref=allsearch
Yours in Good Health,
Sarah
