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Medical tourism is when a person travels to another country for medical care. The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs confirms that many thousands of U.S. citizens travel abroad for medical care each year, including medical and cosmetic surgery, dentistry, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation, and cancer treatment.
Rationale for medical tourism
Medical tourists may pursue medical care abroad for a variety of reasons, such as decreased cost, the opportunity to combine medical care with a vacation destination, a preference for care from providers who share the traveler’s culture, or to receive a procedure or therapy not available in the U.S.
Bureau advice
Medical tourism, however, is not without risks. The Bureau advises U.S. citizens considering travel abroad for medical care to:
CDC: Risk of complications
The CDC cautions that the risk of complications depends on the destination, the facility where the procedure is being performed, and whether the traveler is in good physical and psychological condition for the procedure(s). Other issues that can increase the risk of complications include:
How to minimize medical tourism risks
The CDC recommends having a pre-travel consultation with a U.S. physician before the trip to discuss information for healthy travel and to learn about specific risks that may be faced because of health status, the procedure, and travel before and after the procedure. CDC also recommends the following steps:
Medical tourism is when a person travels to another country for medical care. The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs confirms that many thousands of U.S. citizens travel abroad for medical care each year, including medical and cosmetic surgery, dentistry, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation, and cancer treatment.
Rationale for medical tourism
Medical tourists may pursue medical care abroad for a variety of reasons, such as decreased cost, the opportunity to combine medical care with a vacation destination, a preference for care from providers who share the traveler’s culture, or to receive a procedure or therapy not available in the U.S.
Bureau advice
Medical tourism, however, is not without risks. The Bureau advises U.S. citizens considering travel abroad for medical care to:
CDC: Risk of complications
The CDC cautions that the risk of complications depends on the destination, the facility where the procedure is being performed, and whether the traveler is in good physical and psychological condition for the procedure(s). Other issues that can increase the risk of complications include:
How to minimize medical tourism risks
The CDC recommends having a pre-travel consultation with a U.S. physician before the trip to discuss information for healthy travel and to learn about specific risks that may be faced because of health status, the procedure, and travel before and after the procedure. CDC also recommends the following steps: