Medical tourism is a relatively new term used to describe an amazing amount of people in the world who travel the world over for health care. Why these people travel and for what differs, but basically there are two types of medical tourists - the regular tourist that adds a visit to the doctor for some minor treatment, as part of their vacation, and the tourist who travels primarily for medical therapy.
Before there was even a term "medical tourism", it was common among the wealthy do in third world countries to travel to the U.S., Switzerland and Germany for medical care. But since 2000 this trend has reversed and now countries such as Thailand, attracts patients from USA, Canada and Britain.
This new market has grown as a modern health care systems worldwide are struggling to meet the medical needs of its own people. In the U.S., the cost of care beyond the means of most people and there are an estimated 40 million people without health insurance. Even in Britain, Canada and Holland see socialized health care affordable, the demand for care far outstrips supply and waiting lists for surgery or special media medicine can be as long as two to three years.
Today, governments, insurance companies and employers looking closely at outsourcing medical treatments as a way to improve access and lower medical costs for its citizens, policyholders and employees.
Thailand's health is about half the cost of similar services in Singapore, a third of the cost in Hong Kong and one-tenth of the cost in the U.S..



