There is this booming industry in medicine that more and more people are becoming aware of. It’s called Medical Tourism. It doesn’t mean that you go around the world touring medical sites. It’s actually the concept of people traveling to different countries to have medical procedures done. Perhaps they are seeking a special physician that can do a procedure. Perhaps they are seeking a new procedure that is not yet approved in the U.S. Perhaps the procedure they want is less expensive elsewhere. Sometimes it is just that patients want a vacation in combination with their medical procedure so they will go to a resort island to have the procedure done and get their rehabilitation in a relaxing environment.

There is a flip-side of this concept of Medical Tourism. The common perception is of Americans traveling elsewhere for procedures. However, in foreign countries, either foreigners or expatriates may seek care from physicians trained in other countries. For example, many expatriates in China do not trust the medical system there. They want their surgery done by a U.S. or European trained specialist. Thus, the market for Medical Tourism is booming.