As the US debates multi-billion dollar reforms to its health system, a growing number of Americans are seeking out medical treatment abroad. Many are travelling to Thailand, where they are finding medical care cheaper and with better care than they might receive at home. Al Jazeera’s Aela Callan reports on a growing trend of patients from across the world travelling to Thailand for affordable healthcare. (2:20 min)
they were also gearing up for lots of this in the Philippines when i was there….building more ‘medical resorts’
It seems that the Philippines is perfect for this since they export so many nurses…
Given the American healthcare system, it does make economic sense, I guess, to look abroad for alternatives. Our healthcare is relatively affordable here in Australia, but the demand for cheaper alternatives in cosmetic dentistry is increasingly driving many towards destinations like Thailand.
Also, my aunts keep talking about the prices of cosmetic surgery in different countries in Asia and how it’s much less than in the U.S.
david, you are right….lots of the medical tourism is for ‘elective’ procedures such as cosmetic surgery and such, but also some folks do go for procedures such as joint replacement if they do not have good insurance coverage and are too young for the govt programs…
I am glad that people have choices oversees. I supposed it’s a bottom part of the economic ladder that suffer most from the American healthcare system. It underscores why there’s such a hesitancy to change.