Health care systems are a hot issue in almost all developed countries; often a major issue in deciding elections and dividing political parties. Everyone has differing opinions about what the government should do, when it should back down to private companies, and who should get coverage. It's a muddled issue and no one has a simple answer, but some people are taking matters into their own hands by bypassing their own countries' health care systems altogether. This growing trend in the world, known as medical tourism, has people in countries like Canada, the US, and the UK traveling to less developed nations for medical treatment.
This seems backwards from the normal cases of residents of under-developed countries making journeys to the US and other more advanced countries to receive medical care that their home countries can't provide. Now, however, many nations in South America, Asia, Eastern Europe, and even South Africa have medical treatment standards that rival our own. Medical schools and training are becoming more and more available to people all over the world, making advanced medical care and surgery no longer a luxury of the richest nations in the world. Ironically, the citizens of those rich nations are looking outside their own borders for treatment.
The reasons for the popularity of medical tourism are mainly reasons of expense and timing. Medical treatment in the US, for example, is more expensive than almost anywhere else in the world, and many Americans are finding it difficult to pay for medical treatment even with insurance. Wait times for medical procedures are another reason for
This seems backwards from the normal cases of residents of under-developed countries making journeys to the US and other more advanced countries to receive medical care that their home countries can't provide. Now, however, many nations in South America, Asia, Eastern Europe, and even South Africa have medical treatment standards that rival our own. Medical schools and training are becoming more and more available to people all over the world, making advanced medical care and surgery no longer a luxury of the richest nations in the world. Ironically, the citizens of those rich nations are looking outside their own borders for treatment.
The reasons for the popularity of medical tourism are mainly reasons of expense and timing. Medical treatment in the US, for example, is more expensive than almost anywhere else in the world, and many Americans are finding it difficult to pay for medical treatment even with insurance. Wait times for medical procedures are another reason for