Yesterday we reported on the increasing number of patients who have become "medical tourists"--people who travel abroad to receive surgery that costs much less than the same treatment would in the U.S. But Rocklin & Roseville Today points out that there are millions of such tourists around the world and that far more of them come to the U.S. for treatment rather than leave the country for cheaper care. For instance, under the Canadian health system, elective surgeries are a low priority. So many Canadians cross the border in order to receive care more quickly in the U.S. Many wealthy foreign patients are also attracted to our shores by more advanced healthcare than what's currently offered in their own countries. As we observed several weeks ago, Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital has rolled out the red carpet for such affluent patients in order to beef up the hospital's bottom line.
- for more on U.S. medical tourism, see this article