Abstract

Medical tourism is a form of medical travel wherein patients move across borders from their home country to another for the purpose of seeking medical trea tmen t tha t is unavailable or unaffordable at home, for the privacy of a transnational location, or for the tourist destination attractions. Medical tourist may seek procedures not approved at home, such as stem cell treatments, or physician assisted suicide. International travel for procedures legal at home and in the destination c oun t r y a re p red omina tely m o tiva ted by affordability and shorter wait-time. In the U.S. some insurance agencies offer reimbursement if a patient goes abroad and has a procedure that is drastically cheaper. Globalization of health care is becoming a fact of life and medical tourism is only one facet of the picture. This paper will examine what we know about medical tourism from a literature survey and evaluate ethical concerns including welfare of pa tien ts, impact on healthcare systems in destination countries, and effect of medical travel on public health.