medical tourism to usa

Medical Tourism and Healthcare Agency Services in USA

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Gundars Katlaps, MD

Craig Daley

Eniye woods, ms, rn, msn, guna mahalingham, michael adler, american medical care, leading medical travel agent in the us.

The medical care system in the US is one of the best in the world. There are no two ways about it – even though treatment and care facilities in the US are costlier than many other nations of the world, still, owing to the high quality of American medical services, US medical tourism is on the rise, has steadily grown in recent years – people arriving in the US have doubled in the last few years. It is no surprise that about 0.5% of all tourists arriving by air to the US annually list medical tourism in the USA as the main reason for visiting the country.

American Medical Care – top Medical Tourism agent in the US Being a part of the USA medical tourism industry is a matter of great pride because we believe strongly that we make a difference in someone’s life. With thousands of patients queuing up for Medical tourism USA, top-quality US healthcare treatment from across the world, we are doing our part by facilitating many such people access relevant medical services in the US.

• Ensuring patients worldwide can access different medical procedures in the US – elective, non-elective, and cosmetic procedures.
• As a seasoned medical travel agent, we ensure patients have a smooth entry into the country.
• We aim to help our clients get personalized treatment from the best medical facilities in the country as a top priority for our medical tourism agency in the USA.
• Ensuring patients and their families have their medical appointments scheduled appropriately and with the best healthcare provider amongst our listed providers.
• We take care of your accommodation, local transportation, and other logistics-related needs.
• One of our key focus areas as one of the premier medical tourism companies in the USA is to handle all relevant documentation on your behalf.

As an established medical tourism agent, we specialize in offering end-to-end medical tourism in the United States, ensuring that our patients never feel out of place and in an ecosystem offering the right ambiance for their wellbeing and rapid recovery.

Why hire us as a medical tourism agent?

1. Network of healthcare providers We are well-connected with some of the premier hospitals and medical facilities in the US. The American Medical Care is a seasoned medical tourism agency with strong connections with reputed and credible facilities across the country – Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington DC, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Nigeria.

2. Affordable healthcare services

We understand the emotional and mental trauma and stress of the client and their families. To top it if the treatment costs are way too expensive, the situation can become even more challenging. Hence, at American Medical Care, a leading Medical tourism company, we sincerely try to suit the most reasonable cost estimates so that you can budget accordingly and try consistently to match your pocket. As leading medical travel agents in the US, it is one of the core endeavors of our team to help our clients find the best medical care services at affordable prices.

3. In the foreign land, we ensure you get decent accommodation.

Surrounded by medical uncertainties, arranging an affordable and decent place to stay for an unlimited period can be daunting. Being a top medical tourism travel agency, we handhold so that you get the best place to stay within your budget. We ensure:

• The best place to stay as per the limits of your pocket.
• The place is close to the hospital and is also centrally located.
• The place has affordable and good places to eat in and around the hotel.
• Ensure that all other logistics-related matters are addressed well for a stress-free stay.

Medical tourism companies like us are not just facilitators but an integral part of your treatment plan. We offer comprehensive services that begin from planning your trip to the US till the very end – when you recover and reach back home. Always at your service, we are a health tourism agency accessible round-the-clock. You can never feel lost and out of place in the US.

As a responsible healthcare tourism agency, when you get in touch with us, we help save your time, money, and efforts, taking care end-to-end of all your needs to have a seamless trip and treatment in the US.

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Why Patients Are Turning to Medical Tourism

Statistics, Benefits, and Risks

Planning Ahead

Frequently asked questions.

Medical tourism is a term that refers to traveling to another country to get a medical or dental procedure. In some instances, medical tourists travel abroad seeking alternative treatments that are not approved in the United States.

Medical tourism is successful for millions of people each year, and it is on the rise for a variety of reasons, including increasing healthcare costs in the United States, lack of health insurance, specialist-driven procedures, high-quality facilities, and the opportunity to travel before or after a medical procedure.

According to a New York Times article from January 2021, pent-up demand for nonessential surgeries, as well as the fact that many Americans lost their health insurance during the coronavirus pandemic led to a surge in medical tourism once other countries re-opened.

However, there are specific risks that come with traveling overseas for surgery. If you're thinking of pursuing a medical procedure in another country, here's what to know about the benefits and the risks.

Medical Tourism Benefits

The most common procedures Americans go abroad for include dental care, cosmetic procedures , fertility treatments, organ transplants , and cancer treatment.

This is not to be confused with having an unplanned procedure in a foreign country due to an unexpected illness or injury.

Among the reasons a person might choose to go abroad for a medical procedure are:

Lower Costs

Medical tourists can save anywhere from 25% to 90% in medical bills, depending on the procedure they get and the country they travel to. There are several factors that play into this:

• The cost of diagnostic testing and medications is particularly expensive in the United States.
• The cost of pre- and post-procedure labor is often dramatically lower overseas. This includes labor costs for nurses , aides, surgeons , pharmacists, physical therapists , and more.
• High cost of malpractice insurance—the insurance that protects medical professionals against lawsuits—in the United States.
• Hospital stays cost far less in many overseas countries compared to the United States. In other words, quality care, hospital meals, and rehabilitation are far more affordable abroad for many people.

For someone who doesn't have insurance , or someone having a procedure that is not covered by insurance , the difference can be enormous.

Popular Countries for Medical Tourism

Dominican Republic

South Korea

Culture and Language

Many immigrants prefer to have treatments and procedures done in their country of origin—a sensible decision, considering just how much language barriers alone can affect the quality of their care.

Furthermore, at least 25% of immigrants and noncitizen residents in the United States are uninsured, compared to 9% of American citizens. Children with at least one noncitizen parent are also more likely to be uninsured.

Practicalities aside, many people choose to have their procedure done in their country of origin simply because it allows them to be close to family, friends, and caretakers who can assist them through their recovery .

Insurance Incentives

Some insurance companies have started promoting medical tourism. The reason behind this is simple: savings for the insured means savings for the insurance provider and vice versa.

Several insurance providers, including Aetna have programs specifically geared at promoting safe medical tourism. Some insurance providers even offer financial incentives for medical tourism, like discounts on medical bills .

That said, many insurance companies will not pay for surgery performed outside of the country unless it is an emergency.

Luxury and Privacy

Medical tourism is a lucrative business for many countries, and much of the money brought in by medical tourists is reinvested into the local economy and health infrastructure.

The effect of this is apparent in the spa-like luxury that some foreign hospitals offer, providing medical tourists the opportunity to be pampered during their stay for a fraction of the cost they would pay at home.

Some facilities offer hospital rooms that are more like a hotel suite than a traditional hospital room. Other hospitals offer one-on-one private nursing care, which is far more generous and attentive than the staffing ratios that most hospitals allow.

Medical tourists who seek that added layer of privacy can find it abroad. Many can return home from their "vacation" without anyone knowing they had a procedure at all.

Vacation in a Foreign Country

Medical tourists often take advantage of their stay in a foreign country to travel for pleasure by scheduling a vacation before or after their procedure.

This is an especially inexpensive way to travel to a foreign country, especially if their insurance provider is paying for the flight and the cost of staying is low. 

While it seems logical to recover on a beach or in a chalet by the mountains, keep in mind that it's important not to jeopardize your recovery.

Swimming isn't recommended until your incisions are completely closed. You may not feel up to doing much more than napping in the days following your procedure, either.

Don't let your vacation disrupt your recovery. Any time you have a procedure done, especially a surgery, it's important to listen to your body, take your medications as directed, and follow your doctor's recommendations closely.

Bypassing Rules and Regulations

Some travelers seek surgery abroad to bypass rules that are set in place by their own government, insurance company , or hospital. These rules are typically in place to protect the patient from harm, so getting around them isn't always the best idea.

For example, a patient may be told that their weight is too low to qualify for weight loss surgery . A surgeon in a foreign country may have a different standard for who qualifies for weight loss surgery, so the patient may qualify overseas for the procedure they want.

Talented Surgeons

Surgeons in certain countries are known for their talent in a specific area of surgery. For example, Brazilian surgeons are often touted for their strong plastic surgery skills .

Whereas in the United States, insurance companies might only cover cosmetic procedures if it is medically necessary, cosmetic surgery is often free or low-cost in Brazil's public hospitals—giving cosmetic surgeons there ample practice.

Thailand is reported to be the primary medical tourism destination for individuals seeking gender reassignment . It is often easier to qualify for surgery and the cost is significantly reduced. Surgeons are performing the procedures frequently, and as a result, many have become quite specialized in them.

It is often surprising to many medical tourists that their physician was trained in the United States. Not all physicians are, of course, but a surprisingly high percentage of them working in surgery abroad are trained in English-speaking medical schools and residency programs and then return to their home country. These physicians often speak multiple languages and may be board certified in their home country and a foreign country, such as the United States.

Medical tourism isn’t limited to countries outside of the United States, either. Many people travel to the United States for medical care due to the country's cutting-edge technology, prescription medication supply, and the general safety of healthcare.

Medical Tourism Risks

The financial and practical benefits of medical tourism are well known, and you may even know someone who had a great experience. Nonetheless, the downsides of medical tourism can be just as great if not greater. Sometimes, they can even be deadly.

If you are considering a trip abroad for your procedure, you should know that medical tourism isn't entirely without obstacle and risks. These include:

Poorly Trained Surgeons

In any country—the United States included—there will be good surgeons and bad. And just as there are great surgeons abroad, there are also some surgeons who are less talented, less trained, and less experienced.

Regardless of what procedure you are getting or where, you should always do some preliminary research into the surgeon or physician who will be treating you as well as the hospital you will be treated at.

In the United States, it is fairly easy to obtain information about malpractice lawsuits , sanctions by medical boards, and other disciplinary actions against a physician.

Performing this research from afar can be challenging, especially if you don't speak the local language. Yet countless people take the risk anyway, without knowing whether the physicians who will treat them are reputable.

A physician should be trained in the specific area of medicine that is appropriate for your procedure. For example, you should not be having plastic surgery from a surgeon who was trained to be a heart doctor. It isn’t good enough to be a physician, the physician must be trained in the specialty .

Prior to agreeing to surgery, you should also know your surgeon’s credentials : where they studied, where they trained, and in what specialty(s) they are board-certified. Do not rely on testimonials from previous patients; these are easily made up for a website and even if they are correct, one good surgery doesn’t mean they will all be successful.

Quality of Staff

Nurses are a very important part of healthcare, and the care they provide can mean the difference between a great outcome and a terrible one.

A well-trained nurse can identify a potential problem and fix it before it truly becomes an issue. A poorly trained nurse may not identify a problem until it is too late. The quality of the nursing staff will have a direct impact on your care.

Once again, it's important to research the hospital staff where you will be having your procedure done. Read the reviews but don't trust them blindly. If you can, seek out a recommendation from someone who can vouch for the medical staff where you will be going.

Quality of the Facility

While researching healthcare facilities for your procedure, you want to learn not just about the quality of the facilities themselves, but about the country's healthcare system as a whole.

In some countries, there is a marked distinction between public hospitals and private hospitals. In Turkey, for example, private hospitals are considered on-par with hospitals in the states, while many locals will advise you to steer clear of public hospitals if you can.

You will also want to seek out facilities that are internationally accredited. In the United States, the Joint Commission evaluates hospitals and certifies those that provide safe, quality care. The international division does the same for hospitals outside the United States.

Once you have a few options for potential facilities, you can start to investigate specifics. For one, you should find as many pictures and reviews of the facility as you can. Ask yourself whether the facility is state of the art or whether it seems dirty and outdated.

You will also need to find out if the facility has ICU level care available, in case something goes wrong. If not, there should be a major hospital nearby so that you can be transferred quickly.

To learn more about a healthcare facility, consider joining expat groups on social media for the city or country you will be traveling to. Ask the group for recommendations, or inquire about any positive or negative experiences they may have had at a particular facility.

Flying Home After Surgery

Any surgery comes with risks, including infection and blood clots . Flying home increases the risk of blood clots, especially on long-haul flights that are longer than four hours.

Try to avoid flying home in the days immediately after surgery; waiting a week will decrease the chances of developing a blood clot or another serious complication during the flight.

For longer flights, plan on getting up and walking up and down the aisles each hour to improve blood flow in your legs. You might also benefit from wearing compression socks with your doctor's approval.

If you are taking blood thinners or are at-risk of blood clots , be sure to talk to your doctor about how you can reduce your risk of blood clots after your procedure and while traveling.

Furthermore, you should know the symptoms of blood clots and stay alert.

Unplanned Illness

Any time you travel abroad, you run the risk of catching an illness that you have never been exposed to or that your body is not prepared to fight off. This is especially a concern when spending time in a foreign hospital.

If you have a sensitive stomach, you may also want to think long and hard about having surgery abroad. The food is often very different in foreign hospitals, and in some areas, there is a risk that even the water will be upsetting to your body.

Having diarrhea or postoperative nausea and vomiting makes for a miserable recovery experience, especially if you do not have a friend or family member nearby who can help you through it.

Before you travel abroad, check with your doctor to see if you need any vaccines to travel to your destination or if there are any foreign illnesses you should be aware of. Picking up an illness abroad, particularly after your surgery, can potentially be life-threatening.

Language Barriers

If you are having surgery in a country where English is not the primary language, you will need to make preparations in order to be able to communicate with the staff.

You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that the staff speaks your primary language well. If not, then you will need to consider how you will make your wishes and needs known to the surgeon, the staff, and others you will meet.

Whether you are at home or abroad, remember to speak up and advocate for yourself to make sure your needs are met. If you don't speak the local language, download a language translation app on your smartphone and don't hesitate to use it to communicate your needs. Hiring a translator is another option.

A Word About Transplant Tourism

Transplant tourism is one area of medical tourism that is strongly discouraged by organ and tissue transplant professionals in multiple countries. Most international transplants are considered “black market” surgeries that are not only poor in quality, but ethically and morally wrong.

China, for example, the country that is believed to perform more international kidney transplants than any other country, is widely believed to take organs from political prisoners after their execution.

In India, living donors are often promised large sums of money for their kidney donation, only to find out they have been scammed and never receive payment. Selling an organ in India is illegal, as it is in most areas of the world, so there is little recourse for the donor.

Then there is the final outcome: how well the organ works after the surgery is complete. With black market transplants, less care is often taken with matching the donor and recipient, which leads to high levels of rejection and a greater risk of death. Furthermore, the new organ may not have been screened for diseases such as cytomegalovirus , tuberculosis , hepatitis B , and hepatitis C . It is often the new disease that leads to death, rather than the organ rejection itself.

Finally, transplant surgeons are often reluctant to care for a patient who intentionally circumvented the donor process in the United States and received their transplant from an unknown physician.

It is important to arrange your follow-up care prior to leaving your home country.

Many physicians and surgeons are hesitant to take care of a patient who received care outside the country, as they are often unfamiliar with medical tourism and have concerns about the quality of care overseas.

Arranging for follow-up care before you leave will make it easier to transition to care at home without the stress of trying to find a physician after surgery .

Just be sure to inform your follow-up care physician where you are having your procedure done. After you return, they will also want to know what prescription medications you were given, if any.

What are popular countries for medical tourism? 

Mexico, India, Costa Rica, Turkey, Singapore, Canada, and Thailand are among the many countries that are popular for medical tourism.

How safe is medical tourism?

Medical tourism is generally considered safe, but it's critical to research the quality of care, physician training, and surgical specialties of each country. There are several medical tourism organizations that specialize in evaluating popular destinations for this purpose.

What countries have free healthcare? 

Countries with free healthcare include England, Canada, Thailand, Mexico, India, Sweden, South Korea, Israel, and many others.

A Word From Verywell

If you are considering medical tourism, discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor, and consider working with your insurance provider to arrange a trip that balances financial savings with safety. (Also, before you embark on a trip overseas for your procedure, make sure you are financially prepared for unexpected events and emergencies. Don't go abroad if you don't have enough money to get yourself home in a crisis.)

A medical tourism organization such as Patients Without Borders can help you evaluate the quality and trustworthiness of healthcare in various countries. Making sure a high level of care is readily available will lead to a safer, more relaxing experience.

Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Medical Tourism: Getting medical care in another country . Updated October 23, 2017.

University of the Incarnate Word. Center for Medical Tourism Research .

Patients Beyond Borders. Facts and figures .

Kaiser Family Foundation. Health coverage of immigrants . Published July 2021.

Paul DP 3rd, Barker T, Watts AL, Messinger A, Coustasse A. Insurance companies adapting to trends by adopting medical tourism . Health Care Manag (Frederick). 2017 Oct/Dec;36(4):326-333. doi: 10.1097/HCM.0000000000000179

Batista BN. State of plastic surgery in Brazil .  Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open . 2017 Dec;5(12):1627. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000001627

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - Global Health Now. Brazilians' risky right to beauty . Published May 2018.

Chokrungvaranont P, Selvaggi G, Jindarak S, et al. The development of sex reassignment surgery in Thailand: a social perspective .  Sci World J . 2014 Mar;2014(1):1-5. doi:10.1155/2014/182981

The Joint Commission. For consumers .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Blood clots and travel: what you need to know . Reviewed February 2021.

Hurley R. China harvested organs from political prisoners on substantial scale, says tribunal . BMJ . 2018 Dec;363(1):5250. doi:10.1136/bmj.k5250

Ambagtsheer F, Van Balen L. I'm not Sherlock Holmes: suspicions, secrecy, and silence of transplant professionals in the human organ trade . Euro J Criminol . 2019 Jan;17(6):764-783. doi:10.1177/1477370818825331

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Transplant Surgery. Key facts . Reviewed January 2019.

By Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She has experience in primary care and hospital medicine.

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Medical Treatment Abroad – Medical Tourism Corporation

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Medical Tourism Packages

• Hotel & Travel
• Hospital & Surgeon’s Fees
• Pre and Post-op Care
• Ground Transfers
• Bilingual Support
• Medical loans and financing
• Free companion stay
• Best price guarantee

$ 3,899 – 7,695

$ 750 – 1,050, $ 7,000 – 15,800, $ 2,900 – 8,000, modern surgery centers abroad & top physicians.

We work with some of the best hospitals and clinics in the world. We screen them on the basis of:

• Doctor’s credentials
• Track record and experience in treating patients from all over the world
• Local and global accreditations
• Negotiated discount prices

This ensures we provide you with a safe and satisfying medical experience. At the same time, you get to save money on your treatment.

Medical Savings of 40 to 80%

Our packages for gastric sleeve in Mexico cost a third of US prices. We offer dental implants in Mexico at attractive prices too.

Dental tourism in Costa Rica can also help you save a lot. Dental implants in Costa Rica are available at exclusive negotiated prices.

Why Medical Tourism Corporation?

Our relationship with established facilities allows us to provide cost-effective services.

By planning each step , we remove uncertainty from your trip. MTC tailors medical tourism packages to your needs. Other services we offer are:

• Optional direct pre-trip consultation with the physician
• Guidance in arranging passports and visa
• Making other trip-related arrangements
• Help with tourism-related activities, if desired

Right from the moment you arrive at the airport, our destination manager will take care of all your needs. We can arrange for a mobile phone and internet service at your request. It will help you to stay in touch with friends and family.

You may choose for free post-discharge consultations with the doctor.

We offer medical tourism complications cover too. It provides coverage in case something goes wrong post surgery.

Our Services

Bariatric Surgery

Be healthy, confident, and lose weight with discounted WLS packages. We offer RNY bypass and gastric sleeve in Tijuana , Cancun , and Vegas. Also, we facilitate balloon and revision surgery. A team of bariatric experts moderates MTC’s WLS Support Group. Its membership is free. We offer free diet and lifestyle counseling. You can avail a medical loan if needed. Contact us for weight loss surgery in Mexico , Costa Rica, and the US.

Dental Procedures

Dental tourism is a solution to high costs and long waiting periods. Get access to quality dental work. Treatments include crowns, bridges, All-on-4/6/8, and dental implants in Los Algodones , Tijuana, and Cancun. We also facilitate dental work in Costa Rica, Thailand, Colombia , Vietnam and India. We work with certified dental clinics of good standing. They have state-of-the-art equipment. Take the first step towards a brand new smile. Get free pricing!

Orthopedic & Spine

Get freedom from painful orthopedic and spinal conditions. We offer hip and knee replacement in Mexico  and other countries at lower prices. MTC’s other services include hand and spinal procedures. Alternative therapies, such as Ozone and PRP injections are a part of the offering too. We’ve helped hundreds embrace a pain-free life. Our panel includes board-certified bone and joint specialists. We have many positive reviews.

• Cosmetic Surgery

Turn back the clock with our attractively priced packages for plastic surgery. We offer cosmetic surgery in Mexico, Thailand, and India. Liposuction, tummy tuck, breast implants, arm lift, and plastic surgery after weight loss are elective. Insurance companies may not cover them. With medical tourism, one can save a lot on self-pay surgeries.

Stem cells can aid people with various diseases and injuries. We have partnered with global leaders for stem cell therapy in Mexico . We provide therapy for stroke, spinal injuries, diabetes, COPD, and a host of other conditions. Get custom treatment plans made up of multiple cycles. The therapy center is state-of-the-art.

Other Medical

We offer a host of other treatments. These include cancer treatments, general surgery, and women surgery. We also facilitate eye surgeries, organ transplants, and cardiac surgery. Our packages intend to reduce the stress related to having surgery abroad. Other services include kidney, neuro, and spinal treatments.

Medical Tourism Destinations

Medical tourism in Mexico thrives because of its proximity to the United States. We facilitate medical and dental work in Tijuana and Algodones. The border areas make for a great choice. Cancun and Puerto Vallarta are also popular with medical tourists.

We work with renowned hospitals, clinics, and surgery centers in Costa Rica. There are frequent flights between Costa Rica and North America. Wait times are lower than in Canada. Its diverse terrain makes it an attractive vacation destination. Get exclusive discounts with MTC.

United States

We bring to you 50-80% cheaper treatments right at home! From weight loss surgery in Las Vegas to dental work in Puerto Rico and even orthopedic surgery in Ohio, we have it all for you. To top it all our dentists & doctors are US-trained to ensure high-quality services for you!

We have a network of accredited clinics and hospitals in Bangkok and Phuket. Some of the facilities even provide language interpreters. In Thailand, one can combine dental, cosmetic or medical treatment with a vacation.

India is famous for low-cost medical procedures. The Indian doctors and surgeons are majorly English-speaking. Our network of local hospitals offers quality care. We facilitate health tourism in Chennai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and other Indian cities.

We also facilitate affordable medical treatments in:

• South Korea
• El Salvador

Thousands of Happy Clients

Alexis from Gainesville, FL

“They picked me from the airport and will drop me off tomorrow. I saved $13,000! It was amazing.”

Disclaimer : Results may vary. We don’t guarantee any specific outcomes.

Nellie from Houston, Texas

“The staff was helpful. I have saved 80% on my dental work. I didn’t have any anxiety at all. I had no issues with communication.”

Angela from Australia

“I am more pleased than with any of my earlier dental appointments. My teeth look great. I will recommend MTC to my family and shall see you again next year!”

Terry Records from Minnesota

“I am pleased with the service and stay. The staff was excellent. The hospital treated me like a person and not a number. Thank you for the A+ service!”

Disclaimer : Weight loss results may vary. We don’t guarantee any specific results.

Contact Us Now

Medical Tourism Corporation is an international medical travel company based in the US. Our goal is to have satisfied and happy medical tourists.

CONTACT NUMBERS

Usa/can: +1-800-661-2126 global: +1-214-571-4553.

Address: 10658 Shire View, Dr Frisco, TX 75035, USA

Mailing Address: 3824 Cedar Springs Rd, #801-4762, Dallas, TX 75219, USA

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Sophia Kulak from Illinois

American Medical Travel went above and beyond to make my tummy tuck journey in Turkey unforgettable! I was presented with 5 amazing vacation ideas by the facilitator, and I chose the perfect one in Fethiye – a dream come true! The medical team was caring and attentive, making me feel like family. My seamless journey gave me the confidence boost I needed, and I’m forever grateful to American Medical Travel for this life-changing experience!

Hannah R. from Ohio

After researching IVF options in the US we realized how expensive it is here and decided to look at the other options. Fortunately we found out that in Ukrainian clinics you can do it for about 6 times cheaper! American Medical Travel made the process of egg donation and IVF for my friend in Ukraine so smooth and heartwarming. They handled everything with care, making sure both my friend and me – the egg donor – felt supported and comfortable throughout. Witnessing my friend’s joy and receiving the ultimate gift of life was an emotional journey I’ll never forget. American Medical Travel – you’re the angels who made this happen!

Eli G. from Colorado

I cannot thank AMT enough for arranging my hip replacement journey in Colombia! The medical team was top-notch, and I couldn’t have asked for better care. For those of you who knows, hip replacement is not a particularly fast recovery procedure. But the team made me feel very safe and I had plenty of time for rehabilitation while enjoying Colombia’s warm beaches and vibrant culture. This life-changing experience has given me a newfound appreciation for life. Guys, you’re the best… P.S. Im not even talking about how much money I have saved by going with your company!

Mike S. from Florida

American Medical Travel opened the doors to alternative treatment for my Crohn’s disease in Istanbul! The stem cell therapy was truly transformative, and the medical team’s expertise put my worries at ease. Istanbul’s mesmerizing blend of history and modernity made my stay unforgettable. Thanks to these guys, I found a renewed sense of hope and healing, my Crohn’s became more controllable and my quality of life significantly improved. Highly recommend this team for their exceptional care and seamless journey!

Emma Dawson from Texas

American Medical Travel made my IVF dreams come true in Costa Rica! From the first attempt, I couldn’t believe how successful it was. The medical team was incredibly supportive and made me feel like family. During my journey, I also fell in love with Costa Rica’s stunning landscapes and vibrant culture. Forever grateful to American Medical Travel for this life-changing experience!

Jake W. from New York

Getting my blepharoplasty done in Turkey through your company was one of the best decisions I’ve made! The team was so warm and accommodating, and the results are simply stunning. Even tho I didnt speak the language, on-staff translators were always around helping me even with getting a Turkish sim card when I asked them… I fell in love with Turkey’s rich culture and history during my stay. After my procedure, I ventured to Pamukkale, and wow – the natural beauty left me speechless! Thank you, American Medical Travel, for this eye-opening experience. I’ll cherish the memories forever!

Karen Miller from California

I cannot express enough how life-changing my bariatric surgery journey was! From California to Thailand, they made it all happen seamlessly. The surgery team in Thailand was incredible – professional and caring throughout. After my successful procedure, I jetted off to Bali for a tailored vacation that felt like pure paradise. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience, and I owe it all to the amazing team at American Medical. Highly recommended for anyone seeking affordable excellence and unforgettable adventures!

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Why Americans Travel abroad for Medical Treatment? Copy

Why americans travel abroad for medical treatment, exploring costa rica: top 5 medical procedures for medical tourism, we serve clients from all over the us, schedule a call.

• Exorbitant healthcare costs in industrialized nations
• Long waiting lists for surgery in countries offering socialized healthcare
• Ease and affordability of international travel
• Favorable currency exchange rates in foreign countries resulting in low cost surgery
• Rapidly improving technology and standards of care in many countries
• Proven safety of healthcare in select foreign nations
• International accreditation of foreign hospitals
• U.S., U.K. and Australian board certified surgeons operating in select foreign countries
• 47 Million Uninsured Americans
• 250 Million Insured Americans with restricted coverage due to pre-existing conditions, resulting in out-of-pocket expenses
• 34 Million Canadians receiving socialized medicine and enduring long wait lists for many popular surgeries
• Potentially, 330 Million North Americans seeking elective cosmetic and/or dental surgery

More and more people are seeking the expertise of  medical tourism companies to travel abroad as an affordable, enjoyable, and safe alternative to having medical, dental, and cosmetic surgical procedures done in their home countries.    Currently medical tourism patients are traveling in large numbers to Argentina , Brazil , Costa Rica , El Salvador , India , Malaysia , Mexico , South Africa , Thailand and Turkey - places where the quality of affordable healthcare is equal to anywhere else in the world and yet the cost is significantly lower. These regions also offer numerous options for touring, sight-seeing, shopping, exploring, and relaxing. Here are the most common terms used to describe this relatively new industry:

Medical Tourism     Medical Outsourcing      Medical Travel      Health Tourism

It has been mentioned that overseas healthcare, sometimes referred to as medical tourism , medical travel , health tourism , or medical outsourcing is expected to become a multi-billion dollar industry by 2012. Whether you call it medical tourism, medical travel, health tourism, or medical outsourcing, the concept is the same. It appears as though this concept of traveling abroad to receive health care is going to become a viable option for many years to come.

Medical Tourism        Medical Outsourcing        Medical Travel        Health Tourism

Although "medical tourism" has been the descriptor for this new emerging industry, it is important to know that MedRetreat has a different philosophy on the concept of traveling abroad to receive your surgery. We understand the seriousness of receiving high quality medical care and then allowing your body to recuperate from the surgery. No gimmicks...no marketing hype. The tourism part of the process is viewed as the least important factor and should only be considered once you are fully recuperated.

Medical Tourism           Medical Outsourcing           Medical Travel           Health Tourism

Many companies are using the term "medical tourism" as a motivator to attract clients into this new emerging concept of overseas medical care, we do not. To effectively become the leader in providing healthcare abroad, our emphasis is placed on the efficacy of our hospital partners regardless of the physical location of their facility. In this respect, we will remain the leader of facilitating global healthcare in a safe and affordable manner.

Medical Tourism             Medical Outsourcing             Medical Travel             Health Tourism

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Medical Tourism

Breaking down barriers: inbound medical tourism in the united states.

Medical tourism has emerged as a booming industry in recent years, with patients traveling across borders to access healthcare services. The United States, with its world-class healthcare facilities and highly skilled healthcare professionals, has immense potential as a destination for medical tourists. However, the growth of inbound medical tourism in the US is hindered by several challenges. In this article, we will explore the barriers to inbound medical tourism in the US and provide solutions for overcoming them.

Barriers to Inbound Medical Tourism in the United States:

• Competition:

The US faces stiff competition from other countries such as Thailand, India, and Mexico, which offer high-quality medical services at lower costs. To overcome this, US hospitals and destinations need to focus on providing high-quality care at affordable prices.

While the US is known for its world-class healthcare, many medical tourists are skeptical of the quality of care they will receive. US hospitals and destinations need to focus on building a reputation for providing high-quality care and patient safety.

• Affordability:

Medical care in the US is expensive, and many medical tourists are deterred by the high costs. US hospitals and destinations need to explore ways to reduce costs while maintaining quality.

• Regulations:

The US has a complex regulatory environment that can be challenging for medical tourists to navigate. US hospitals and destinations need to ensure that they comply with all regulations and provide a seamless experience for medical tourists.

Many medical tourists are unsure if their insurance will cover medical procedures in the US. US hospitals and destinations need to provide clear information on insurance coverage and work with insurance providers to make medical tourism more accessible.

• Language Barriers:

Medical tourists from non-English speaking countries may face language barriers when seeking medical care in the US. US hospitals and destinations need to provide translation services and ensure that staff members are trained to communicate effectively with non-English speaking patients.

• Cultural Differences:

Medical tourists may experience culture shock when seeking medical care in the US. US hospitals and destinations need to provide cultural orientation and sensitivity training to staff members to ensure that medical tourists feel comfortable and welcome.

Solutions for Overcoming Barriers to Inbound Medical Tourism in the United States:

• Communication:

Effective communication is key to overcoming barriers in inbound medical tourism. US hospitals and destinations need to invest in marketing and branding strategies that target medical tourists and provide clear information on their services. They also need to prioritize customer service and the patient experience to ensure that medical tourists feel valued and supported throughout their journey.

• Quality and Affordability:

US hospitals and destinations need to explore innovative ways to reduce costs without compromising quality. They can achieve this by streamlining processes, investing in technology, and developing partnerships with other healthcare providers to offer bundled services.

• Regulations and Insurance:

US hospitals and destinations need to work closely with regulatory bodies and insurance providers to ensure that they comply with all regulations and provide clear information on insurance coverage. They can also explore alternative payment models, such as direct payment or financing options, to make medical tourism more accessible to patients who may not have insurance coverage.

• Language and Cultural Barriers:

US hospitals and destinations need to invest in language and cultural training for their staff members to ensure effective communication with medical tourists from diverse backgrounds. They can also provide translation services and develop culturally sensitive marketing materials and patient information.

• Collaboration and Networking:

US hospitals and destinations can overcome barriers to inbound medical tourism by collaborating with industry experts and networking with other healthcare providers. They can seek the guidance of consultants such as Global Healthcare Resources, who specialize in helping hospitals and destinations attract inbound medical tourists.

In conclusion, Inbound medical tourism has the potential to generate significant economic benefits for US hospitals and destinations. However, to attract and retain medical tourists, they need to overcome the challenges posed by competition, quality, affordability, regulations, insurance, language barriers, and cultural differences. By investing in effective communication, quality and affordability, regulations and insurance, language and cultural barriers, and collaboration and networking, US hospitals and destinations can position themselves as world-class providers of medical tourism services.

Global Healthcare Resources is a leading consultant helping hospitals and destinations attract inbound medical tourism. Their team of experts provides customized solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. To learn more about their services, visit https://www.globalhealthcareresources.com/medical-tourism-consulting .

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Medical Tourism in the USA

A growing number of american patients are seeking medical treatment abroad.

The medical tourism industry has seen a major increase in the past decade. Researchers have confirmed that:

· In 2013, about 75,000 American citizens traveled to India for medical treatment and more than 300,000 went to Latin America .

· It is estimated that approximately 1.25 million Americans travel abroad in 2014 for medical treatment. 

American patients are opting to undergo medical treatment abroad for procedures such as: face lifts, heart bypasses and fertility treatments. For many people who require medical treatment, the last thing they want to do is travel. However, due to the high cost of medical treatment in the USA, many American patients are going abroad for medical treatments. Their purpose is to save 50% to 80% on medical treatment conducted by doctors who are often trained in the United States, at hospitals that maintain the precise standards of patient care and safety.

USA Medical Tourism - Popular Destinations

Many American patients visit South or Central American countries like Brazil , Argentina or Costa Rica for cosmetic treatment, as they can travel cost effectively and can avail themselves of advanced cosmetic surgery . Mexico is a popular destination for American patients who need primary and dental care . "Dental Tourism" developed rapidly as Americans traveled to Central American countries such as Costa Rica for dental treatment not covered by their insurance. It is estimated that about 40% of today's medical tourism from the USA is for dental work. Costa Rica is a popular place for American medical tourists to travel to in order to receive quality dental care at about half the price. According to a study completed in 2013, by the Medical Tourism Association , most American patients obtain medical treatment in Mexico or India . Currently, countries like India and Thailand provide state-of-the-art amenities for critical treatments like hip or knee replacements and cardiac surgery . Some other popular destinations are Singapore , Belgium and South Africa . Many people from Northern and Western Europe visit Central and Eastern Europe for low-priced medical and dental care.

Deloitte’s 2011 Survey of Health Care Consumers uncovered other interesting points on medical tourism. Of those surveyed:

• 9% Sought health care beyond their local area

• 54% Would travel if it meant saving at least half of the cost

In addition, some states have introduced legislation to accommodate medical tourism

Reasons Why American Patients are Traveling Abroad for Medical Treatments

Patients from the US are provided with brand new facilities and equipment due to fierce competition among hospitals and global medical tourism centers. Though price is an important factor, there are other benefits of medical tourism. Here are a few reasons why medical tourism is rapidly gaining popularity in the USA:

Low costs of Medical Treatment Abroad

For most people, the lower price is the main advantage of medical tourism. USA health care costs are often higher than the combined fee of traveling and receiving medical care abroad.

• A total face and neck lift procedure can cost about $12,000 in the U.S.A, while a similar procedure will costs around $3,000-4,000 overseas.
• The price of hip replacement surgery varies from $40,000 to $65,000 in the USA, whereas a similar procedure abroad costs about $8,000 to $18,000, including traveling expenses.
• India provides reasonable prices and high quality medical services to patients from the US. The prices in India usually vary from 0.25 to one 0.1 of the price of a similar medical procedure in the USA.
• Thailand - India's major competitor - is about 20% more expensive
• Receiving medical treatment in South America can cost between 50-100% more than it would in India.

High quality healthcare abroad

By doing the proper research, or consulting with a good agent, you ensure that you will receive high quality medical services with the best doctors in your destination country. Medical treatment centers in many of these countries offer state-of-the-art facilities. This includes new or renovated private hospitals that use cutting edge technology and equipment. The doctors in these facilities are trained to American and European standards, providing service that is equal or greater to what hospitals in USA offer.

Benefit of Medical tourism for minor procedures

Patients who are undergoing minor surgery or procedures, can enjoy their recovery by staying in a relaxing vacation environment in beautiful surroundings. Patients accompanied by a family member or friend can enjoy some quality time, relaxing on the beach or going shopping. This can relieve much of the stress that builds up after a surgery. For patients receiving minor treatments, the benefits are even greater.

Lack of Insurance

RAND’s Health Reform Opinion Study , which studied the rate of uninsured people in America, discovered that 15.8% are still uninsured and many more may beunder-insured. Reason Magazine’s Jim Epstein has estimated that more and more Americans will seek medical care abroad in order to find “fast, affordable, and effective treatments” in the face of Obamacare.

According to David E. Williams, principal and co-founder of MedPharma partners, and author of Health Business Blog.com, the most popular medical treatments received abroad are Cosmetic and Dental surgeries as these treatments are usually not covered at all by insurance.

Receiving treatment anonymously

American patients who are traveling abroad for medical treatment can receive their treatments in privacy and recover in comfort, without questions and judgment from people who know them.

Researching medical tourism for USA patients

Josef Woodman, the author of "Patients Beyond Borders" confirmed that for a good experience, it is essential to research available doctors, inquire about success rates, and learn about the facilities beforehand. There are also many quality resources available on the internet to research about medical tourism for USA citizens. The book "Patients Beyond Borders," written by Josef Woodman , is a good source of information about the medical travel industry. Try to interact with representatives of hospitals abroad and with patients who have already traveled abroad for treatment. Search for institutions authorized by the Joint Commission International . It is an affiliate of the group that certifies US hospitals. Also some foreign hospitals have associations with renowned US facilities, like Johns Hopkins and the Cleveland Clinic. Learn everything you possibly can about the hospitals and doctors before traveling abroad for medical treatment. Medical tourism for USA citizens is a safe and affordable alternative when the necessary research and precautions are taken prior to the journey.

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Why Medical Tourism Is Drawing Patients, Even in a Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has devastated medical tourism, but pent-up demand remains for affordable treatment in foreign lands.

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By Ceylan Yeginsu

On a cold February morning last year, as she lay curled up in a fetal position on her kitchen floor, Melissa Jackson called her manager at a New Jersey beauty salon to ask for some unpaid time off.

It was the sixth consecutive week that the 39-year-old beauty technician was unable to work full time because of the debilitating pain in her pelvis caused by endometriosis, a chronic condition triggered by the growth of uterine tissue outside of the uterus.

As her symptoms worsened, she started exploring options to get less costly medical care abroad.

In recent years, while still on her ex- husband’s health insurance policy, she had received hormonal treatments to ease the pain so she could go about her daily life. But since her divorce last year and the coronavirus restrictions placed on the beauty industry in March, those treatment costs have become prohibitive, especially with no insurance.

“There is no real cure for endometriosis, but if I want to free myself from this pain then I need to get a hysterectomy,” Ms. Jackson said, her voice shaking as she described the procedure to remove her uterus. “As if the surgery isn’t bad enough, I need to find 20,000 bucks to pay for it, which is just crazy so I’m going to have to find a way to go to Mexico.”

The coronavirus pandemic has pushed millions of Americans into poverty and stripped more than 5.4 million American workers of their health insurance, according to a study by the nonpartisan consumer advocacy group, Families USA. Many people like Ms. Jackson have experienced a significant deterioration in their health because they have delayed medical procedures. The fear of large medical bills has outweighed fear of contagion for some, giving rise to an increased number of patients seeking medical treatment in a foreign country.

“We are seeing a pent-up demand for medical tourism during the pandemic, particularly in the U.S. where a fast-growing number of Americans are traveling across the land border with Mexico for health purposes,” said David G. Vequist IV, the founder of the Center for Medical Tourism Research , a group based in San Antonio, Texas, and a professor at t he University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

Even before the pandemic, millions of Americans traveled to other countries for savings of between 40 to 80 percent on medical treatments, according to the global medical tourism guide Patients Beyond Borders. Mexico and Costa Rica have become the most popular destinations for dental care, cosmetic surgery and prescription medicines while Thailand, India and South Korea draw in patients for more complex procedures including orthopedics, cardiovascular, cancer and fertility treatment.

In 2019, 1.1 percent of Americans traveling internationally did so for health treatments, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office , although that figure only accounts for those who traveled by air and does not include the thousands of travelers who crossed the United States-Mexico border. Definitive statistics on medical tourism are hard to come by because countries have different recording methods and definitions of the sector.

Medical tourism has been decimated by coronavirus restrictions, but, even so, the twin crises of the economy and the enormous strain that Covid-19 has placed on the already faulty American health care system are pushing many patients to travel. Demand for nonessential surgeries has also been building up after more than 177,000 scheduled surgeries were postponed in the United States between March and June in 2020, according to the Center for Medical Tourism Research.

“Our market has always been what I call the ‘working poor’ and they just keep getting poorer,” said Josef Woodman, the chief executive of Patients Beyond Borders. “The pandemic has gutted low-income and middle-class people around the world and for many of them the reality is that they have to travel to access affordable health care.”

In April, following the initial global lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, medical travel bookings were down by more than 89 percent in the most popular destinations, including Mexico, Thailand, Turkey and South Korea, according to Medical Departures, a Bangkok-based medical travel agency. Since August, the numbers have slowly been rebounding, but bookings in Mexico, which has seen an uptick in American travelers in recent months, are still down by 32 percent compared to the same period of August to December in 2019.

“Covid-19 has devastated the whole medical tourism ecosystem because of all the uncertainty over travel restrictions and quarantine measures that keep changing across the world,” said Paul McTaggart, the founder of the agency.

“Despite this, we are still seeing a growing number of people traveling and booking trips to address their urgent health needs, especially between the U.S. and Mexico border where patients can travel safely by car,” Mr. McTaggart said. The Center for Medical Tourism Research found that Google searches in the United States for the terms “Mexico medical tourism” went up by 64 percent since July, compared to pre-pandemic levels before travel restrictions were imposed in March.

“Google searches are almost directly correlated with consumer behavior when it comes to travel across borders,” Mr. Vequist said.

Before the winter resurgence of the coronavirus, Ms. Jackson had started to plan and save for a trip to Mexicali, a border city in northern Mexico, where she can get a hysterectomy for $4,000, one-fifth the cost of the procedure offered in New Jersey. Her best friend had offered to drive her there and pay for the gas and accommodations.

“We wanted to make a vacation out of it and have some fun before the surgery because it’s such a heavy and dark thing with real consequences,” Ms. Jackson said. “At 39, I have to come to terms with the reality that I’ll never have kids. That’s even more painful than my condition.”

For now, Ms. Jackson has put the surgery on hold and will wait until the virus is brought under control. Her doctor had pointed to cheaper options for the operation in New Jersey, starting at $11,000 in a local outpatient facility. But Ms. Jackson is adamant about having it in the hospital and says the aftercare is more thorough in Mexico.

“Going for the cheaper option at home means getting lower quality care and taking a risk. That just isn’t the experience for people who do this in specialized hospitals in Mexico,” she said. “It’s cheap and safe.” (Many hospitals and clinics in Mexico and other countries have accreditation to ensure their standards are equivalent to medical facilities in the United States.)

In recent weeks, Ms. Jackson has had a flare up of symptoms, which is common when the condition goes untreated.

“I’m not sure if I will be able to wait for Covid to get better,” she said. “This thing cripples every part of my life.”

The land border with Mexico — closed to tourists — has remained open for essential travel, which includes all medical treatment, and a handful of Americans cross the border every day into Los Algodones (also known as Molar City ) to receive dental treatment or purchase pharmaceuticals.

“It’s just Americans over there getting dental care,” said Jeff Somerville, a Delta Air Lines flight attendant who visited the Supreme Dental Clinic in Los Algodones in September to get his crowns replaced. “You park on the U.S. side and just walk across. It’s easy and felt very safe.” He said the procedure would have cost around $25,000 in Tampa, Fla., close to where he lives in the city of Clearwater. In Mexico, he paid $7,000.

Now, Mr. Somerville, 47, is preparing to travel to Turkey in February for a hair and beard transplant, which will cost $3,000 and includes plasma treatments, medications, hotel lodging for three nights and a translator.

“I’m going to live my life, but I’m going to take my precautions while I do that,” he said. “I’m not going to sit at home and be scared.”

Turkey has remained open to tourists throughout the latest surge of the pandemic in Europe and only visitors from Britain are required to take a test as a precaution against a new, more transmissible variant of the virus. On weekends in Turkey a strict curfew is imposed on local residents to curb the spread of the virus, but foreign visitors are allowed to roam free without any restrictions. On Istanbul’s main Istiklal Avenue, men recovering from hair transplant procedures can easily be spotted with bandages around their heads.

“This is the best time to get surgery,” said Martin Wright, a British tourist, who had a hair transplant in Istanbul in December, before the new variant of the virus was identified in Britain. “Hotels are cheap, sites are empty and you get to have down time in a foreign city where you don’t have to explain to anyone why or how you got a hair transplant.”

Over the summer, when lockdown restrictions were eased across Europe, Britons traveled to the continent to receive medical treatment, after waiting lists for elective surgery on the National Health Service reached record levels. With British hospitals operating at reduced capacity to accommodate patients with Covid-19, hundreds of thousands of patients, who have been waiting for more than a year for non-urgent surgery, are facing further delays, N.H.S. figures show.

Cynthia Hedges, a 77-year-old retired nurse from Plymouth in southwest England, traveled to France in August for a knee replacement after waiting more than 19 months to get the procedure at her hospital.

“It just became hopeless, I could barely walk and was just living off pain medication, which is not good for my health,” she said in a telephone interview. “I know we can’t go far these days, but I became very depressed not even being able to walk to my garden. I know it was risky to travel at the time, but it was the best thing I did. It was worth it.”

Even as travel restrictions tighten, experts in the medical tourism industry see an opportunity as demand builds and health care becomes more inaccessible in people’s home countries.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re in Europe or the Americas,” said Mr. McTaggart of Medical Departures. “Financially challenged individuals will seek out and be more receptive to the idea that you can travel abroad and see substantial savings for medical treatment and get past the line.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation.

An earlier version of this article gave an incorrect name for a global medical tourism guide. It is Patients Beyond Borders, not Patients Without Borders.

How we handle corrections

Ceylan Yeginsu is a London-based reporter. She joined The Times in 2013, and was previously a correspondent in Turkey covering politics, the migrant crisis, the Kurdish conflict, and the rise of Islamic State extremism in Syria and the region. More about Ceylan Yeginsu

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Each year, more and more citizens travel abroad for receiving medical services. Their main drive is absence of insurance policy covering fully or in part the cost of required medical procedures in the resident country. However, there is another side of the medal, as they say. According to recent data, a considerable amount (about 60 to 85 thousand) of foreign patients chooses the USA among other countries to obtain highly qualified medical services.

The US medical industry of all others has developed and actively applies a great number of advanced medical technologies. This is why health care system of this country justly deserves to top the rating list of the leaders of international medical tourism. As individual experts inform, the largest number of scientific medical research studies in the world are conducted in the USA. Since 1975, Nobel prizes have become a traditional award for American medical scientists, who become laureates more often than nominees from other countries. Consequently, US medics employ the whole range of the most vanguard technologies and innovative medical equipment.

There are few procedures or treatments that aren’t offered, with everything from general surgery to joint replacements and hair transplantation available. Anesthesiology, cancer treatment, dermatology & plastic surgery, digestive disease, endocrinology & metabolism, head & neck, heart & vascular, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopedics & rheumatology, rehabilitation, surgery, urology & kidneys, wellness & prevention are advanced developed areas of medicine. In the USA both private and public clinics provide a wide range of quality and effective services. The two leading medical centers in the USA offering such services to overseas tourists are the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic.

Quality services and high attendance standards of elite medical centre Cedars-Sinai Clinic are also demanded among wealthy overseas patients. Especially the ones from the CIS countries. Many of them come to this medical centre for delivery and gynecological treatment. Besides, many patients from Western Europe and Japan come to the USA for undergoing reproductive programs, in particular, with donation and surrogacy. And this is despite the fact that the cost of IVF and surrogacy in the USA is the highest in the world. Probably, most potential parents are attracted by the possibility to receive US citizenship for their children born in the USA. A significant plus is also the liberality of legislation in most states in regard to surrogacy programs even for people with non-traditional sexual orientation.

It is also worth noting that it was in the USA that the Joint Commission Organization (JCO) was established for accrediting health care institutions. It designed the most perfect system of assessment of the quality of medical services for today. This well-reputed organization has also established its international subsidiary, Joint Commission International (JCI) assessing the quality of medical service of patients outside the USA.

Best Traveling Time : March, April, May, September, October

For visa requirement to United States of America please visit below link.

https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/

ADDITIONAL INFO

When it comes to medical tourism, the USA has been cited as the main reason why people are leaving for other countries. They cite the high prices as the biggest reason why they are looking for treatments in other countries.

While this may be the pervading train of thought, the fact is that hospitals in the USA are still some of the best in the whole world. It holds a reputation for innovation, technology, esteem, and quality service.

In fact, data seems to suggest that Medical Tourism in America is a lucrative industry. USA has been known as a great destination for medical tourism. A previous report stated that approximately 40% of medical tourists wish to seek treatment from facilities that have advanced technologies. The high costs do not seem to matter to them.

The reputation of the USA’s medical facilities is well-known. Whether it’s neurological, cardiovascular, or oncology, there are many hospitals that people can visit. It also stands as a promise of exceptional care whose standards would be higher than the countries people originated from.

Here are some of the best hospitals in the USA that people can visit for medical tourism.

Let’s start at the top. The Mayo Clinic takes the prestigious spot as the best hospital in America. In terms of adult care and pediatrics, the procedures done are constantly ranked highly. These are in terms of adult specialties as well as procedures and conditions.

The Mayo Clinic is a teaching hospital. However, it is also very well known for its surgery and medical expertise.

In truth, the number 1 ranking of the Mayo Clinic is based on a number of things. First, is its impeccable reputation for care. It also includes the safety practices for patients, mortality index, technology, patient services, and more.

The experience of the physicians there is also top notch. Established in 1889, it has continued with its mission of providing excellent healthcare while also improving the quality of medicine they practice.

In terms of specialties, the Mayo Clinic has always ranked on top:

• Number 1 in Diabetes, Gastroenterology, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Gynecology, Geriatrics, and Nephrology.
• Number 2 in Cardiology, Orthopedics, Urology, and Pulmonology.
• Number 3 in cancer
• Number 4 for ENT

The teaching facilities are also something to note. For instance, their Department of Endocrinology is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the whole world. They also have more than 50 research facilities for multiple diseases and conditions such as Alzheimer’s and kidney disease just to name a few. There are a few innovations that have come forth from the bosom of the Mayo Clinic. These are the total hip replacement surgery and the heart-lung bypass machine. If you stay at any of their facilities, they have a well-thought out experience that includes exercise, diet, and practices that are both for the body and the mind. They also have a facility that treats athletes. Each year, more than a million patients come to the Mayo Clinic for treatment. Suffice it to say, the Mayo Clinic offers the best services. If you want to get the most out of your money, and have positive results too, the Mayo Clinic is the place to be.

Cleveland Clinic is a general and surgical hospital. It takes the second spot in the Best Hospitals Honor Roll list, right after The Mayo Clinic. However, don’t let the second spot take any shine off of the Cleveland Clinic’s services.

It is nationally ranked for 14 adult specialties and 10 pediatric specialties. Its high performing ranks come in for 1 adult specialty and 10 procedures or conditions.

Just like the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic is also a teaching hospital. Its campus is massive, housing 44 buildings that each specialize in a procedure or condition. It includes a cancer institute, a cardiovascular center, an eye institute, pediatrics, geriatrics, and diabetics.

In total, the Cleveland Clinic comprises more than 10 hospitals and almost 20 health service centers.

However, people really visit Cleveland Clinic for their heart procedures. In fact, this hospital sees the most heart patients every year in the whole USA.

It also has a cancer center with everything that a cancer patient may need. They employ art and music for therapy, and even have a dedicated resource center for families and patients. For those going through chemotherapy, they provide free wigs for those who suffer from hair loss.

They are also well-versed in organ transplants. They have transplanted more than 700 organs in a year alone, and range from heart transplants, lung transplants, liver transplants, and even pancreas transplants.

Their sports treatment services are focused on the brain. Their sports medicine staff work closely with neurologists and help treat patients who have concussions. They even have a center dedicated to concussions.

The Cleveland Clinic has also helped innovate several procedures such as the coronary artery bypass surgery and the first ever larynx transplant just to name a few.

For those seeking treatment for cardiology and heart surgery, the Cleveland Clinic is the best hospital to go to.

The third on the Best Hospitals Honor Roll List is Johns Hopkins Hospital. They are nationally ranked in 15 adult specialties and 10 children’s specialties. They are ranked quite high in as much as 8 different procedures or conditions.

The common thread with the top three hospitals in the USA is that they are all teaching hospitals. Their campus has research facilities for urology, a children’s center, a comprehensive cancer center, and an eye institute to name a few.

This hospital was also founded a while back, in 1889. Throughout the years, they have improved their quality of care by ensuring that the patient’s experience is fine tuned. For instance, they are using a new technology that has taken away the need for overhead paging. Without the paging, it ensures a quieter and more peaceful environment for the patients.

In terms of innovation, you can look no further than to their Center for Music and Medicine. In it, they use music as a therapeutic instrument for diseases like Parkinson’s and even dementia.

They have also worked with their own Peabody Institute to create a facility for musicians who are suffering from issues like carpal tunnel syndrome and hearing loss.

In terms of research, they are constantly researching various areas like the science of the brain, engineering of cells, diabetes, and genetics.

Johns Hopkins is well known for the various innovative procedures that they have come up with. These include procedures like renal dialysis and the rechargeable pacemaker for one.

For those seeking treatment for a range of ENT issues, Johns Hopkins is the best at this field.

If you are looking for the best hospital for cancer, look no further than the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. It is nationally ranked in 8 specialties in total, both for adults and children. It also performs highly in 3 adult specialties and 2 children’s specialties.

This cancer center was established in the early 1940s. Since then, it was already focused on cancer research, prevention, and of course treatment.

It has a number of multidisciplinary clinics. These are usually where people receive treatment from. Their Colorectal Center for example handles all the cancers related to the colon, rectum, and anus.

The Lyda Hill Cancer Prevention Center on the other hand handles the more general cancers such as skin, breast, and lung.

They even have services for specialized circumstances. For instance, they offer services that can help cancer patients get off tobacco.

Their cancer treatments are buffeted by innovation and hi-tech equipment. For colorectal cancers, they use robotic and laparoscopic tools that are minimally invasive. They also do radiation therapy, proton therapy, and targeted chemotherapy.

They continue to work on ways for prevention as well. In 2012, they launched a program that would greatly help people detect signs of cancer quickly. This program is also helping to buffet other cancer research initiatives such as co-clinical trials and their cancer genome laboratories.

Last but not the least comes the Mount Sinai Hospital. It ranks as number 14 on the Best Hospitals Honor Roll List. For 11 adult specialties and 4 children’s specialties, it is nationally ranked.

They are also ranked highly when performing 1 adult specialty and 9 different procedures or conditions.

While it is not at the top like the other hospitals on this list, in terms of geriatrics, it is number 1.

The hospital comprises 7 different hospitals. One of them is the Martha Stewart Center for Living, which has their division for Experimental Diabetes and Aging. This specific program is unique to the whole USA.

Apart from geriatrics, they also take in the most patients with inflammatory bowel disease than any other country in the USA.

In terms of innovation, Mount Sinai Hospital has contributed numerous procedures. For instance, they were the first hospital to successfully do a composite tracheal transplant. They were also the first hospital to do the first ever blood transplant into a fetus’ vein.

It’s Your Call

No matter what your condition or need is healthwise, you can get the best healthcare in the United States. Just set up a call with any of the known health care providers and facilities listed above. And, while you're getting your physical treatment in the United States, you can also tour around the place as part of your mental and overall soul treatment.

Our Response to COVID-19 →

Economics & Investments

Economic report: inbound medical tourism in the united states.

A s medical tourism continues to grow, developed nations, such as the United States, see large number of Americans traveling abroad for medical procedures.  However, there continues to be a growing interest in inbound medical tourism in the U.S.  There are an increasing number of international patient departments in U.S. hospitals marketing to these patients.  

These hospitals and clinics are offering inbound medical tourism services to patients who come to the U.S. for higher quality than they can receive in their home country, access to procedures that are not available in their country’s healthcare facilities, freedom from long wait times or the rationing of procedures because of national governmental regulations, because of the ability to combine tourism opportunities in the U.S., and/or (believe it or not!) because the price differential- paying for services in cash in the U.S. may be less expensive than in their home country. ‍

Some Case Examples

Back in the 90s, the Methodist Healthcare System (which was the employer of one of the authors at the time), a multi-billion dollar subsidiary of HCA in South Texas, was engaging in leading-edge Medical Tourism marketing to recruit (particularly affluent) Mexican nationals to San Antonio, Texas to receive various medical procedures.  

These foreign nationals would typically pay in cash and offered an additional, profitable, and non-traditional revenue stream for their flagship urban hospital.  Since then, many U.S. facilities have expanded their marketing to attract international patients and have developed international patient departments. ‍

As recently as October of 2008, a group of hospitals in Southeastern Michigan (including The University of Michigan Health System, Detroit Medical Center, Henry Ford Health System and St. John Health System) announced an advertising program to try and recruit foreign patients to that region.  Since 2004, using nothing other than their website for advertising, these facilities were able to attract patients from 11 different countries and so they felt it was time to become more aggressive in their marketing.  

They are pushing back against foreign hospitals that have been heavily advertising in the U.S. to offer patients lower-cost medical care.  Calling it ‘reverse medical tourism,’ these facilities began a national advertising campaign intended to attract patients from the U.S. and around the world to some of its ‘centers of excellence’ medical programs. ‍

In another example, the Shady Grove Fertility Center, which is the Washington/Baltimore area’s largest in vitro fertilization (IVF) and fertility clinic gave IVF treatment to more than five dozen British patients in 2008 (a 350% increase from 2007).  This is a reversal of the medical tourism flow of Americans going overseas in search of less costly elective medical procedures.  

In just a little over a year, Shady Grove Fertility Center has set up innovative partnerships with three fertility clinics in the UK.  In addition, they held informational seminars hosted in the UK for potential donor egg patients.  These British fertility patients, who need to use donor eggs rather than their own, were flocking to the Shady Grove Fertility Center because, in the UK, egg donors are neither paid nor guaranteed anonymity and donor eggs are scarce.  

Wait times in the U.K. can be as long as three years and choice of donor is often limited.  In contrast, Shady Grove Fertility not only pays donors, but also offers an innovative way to reduce waiting. ‍

1Southeast Michigan hospitals advertise for international patients retrieved on June 29, 2009 from http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20090626/HEALTH/906269974#

time and cost for donor eggs.  This center was looking to replicate this success and was going to explore similar relationships in potential partner clinics in the country of Ireland2.

A n American academic center that is focusing on inbound medical tourism is the University of Central Florida (UCF).  Local tourism officials hope the university and its medical city at Lake Nona will also attract people from around the world.  Inbound medical tourism is considered a goal for the hospital and Central Florida as a whole.  

Following UCF’s lead, other Central Florida hospitals (such as the two large hospital systems- Florida Hospital and Orlando Health) and clinics have begun encouraging patients from abroad to come to Orlando for medical treatment. ‍

In a very recent Orlando Business Journal article  and a Fox News Orlando  report, local physician Dr. Kirti Kalidas, discussed the $17 million USD expansion of his Center for Natural & Integrative Medicine in Southwest Orange County.  By late 2010, he will have expanded his clinic to include an 87,000 square foot, 126 room Cambria Suites hotel so out-of-town and out-of-country patients can stay the week, get health screenings, enjoy the spa, and engage in detoxification (also he is hoping to attract other healthcare providers to a 20,000-square-foot medical office building as well).  

He is one of only around 30 doctors in the country that has both a traditional M.D. and a Naturopathic license and his clinic offers various alternative and integrative procedures such as Vitamin IVs, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Ozone Therapy among its alternative wellness programs. ‍

To increase the state’s reputation as a medical destination, several Florida cities are also looking to increase their share of the lucrative medical meetings market.  Orlando, the nation’s top-ranked medical meeting hub for the past decade, played host to more than 215 medical meetings with 170,000 attendees in 2008.”  

Dr. Rolando D. Rodriguez is spearheading the effort for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce to make South Florida the world’s No. 1 international gateway for healthcare (the Baptist system in Miami is one of the most popular destination for international patients.  It had 12,000 foreign patients from 100 foreign countries in 2008).  Six years after the death of an ambitious joint effort to make Miami a major healthcare destination for wealthy foreigners, a new group has formed to try to do the same thing.

This group expects that these efforts could be a boost to the local economy (hurt by the decline in the housing sector and the global recession) and also lead to improved healthcare for local residents as providers upgrade services to compete on a global scale.  The University of Miami had started an ambitious program to attract foreigners wanting quality care and since its expansion, international traffic has gone up about 20 percent.  

The City of Jacksonville also boasts of having the Mayo Clinic and the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute at Shands that attract thousands of international patients every year. ‍

Many of these Florida hospitals that cater to international patients offer concierge services (e.g., picking them up at the airport, finding hotels, showing relatives where to shop while the patient is recovering, etc.).  These hospitals go out of their way to be much more customer-friendly oriented in order to attract foreign patients.  

It was suggested by the president of a Florida public hospital that handles their international business that all aspects of the hospital have to be aligned with the marketing image.  The lobby has to be nice, things have to look good, and even a public hospital can’t look like a typical public hospital. ‍

2A Growing Number of Brit Cross the Atlantic for Donor Egg IVF Treatment at Shady Grove Fertility Center retrieved on June 25, 2009 from http://au.sys-con.com/node/1004094 3Orlando doc plans $17 million ‘medical tourism’ development retrieved on June 29, 2009 from http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/05/11/story3.html 4Orlando’s medical tourism retrieved on June 29, 2009 from http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/health/062209_Orlando_medical_tourism 5Sun. Sand. Surgery. Retrieved on June 29, 2009 from http://today.ucf.edu/blog/2009/05/28/sun-sand-surgery/

Economic Facts

In its 2008 report on medical tourism , Deloitte and Touche (D&T) suggested that in 2008 there would be more than 400,000 non-U.S. residents that would receive care in the United States and spend almost $5 billion for health services.  International patients currently make up almost 3.5% of all inpatient procedures performed in the U.S.  

By 2011, D&T suggested that those numbers could rise to as much as 800,000 patients annually.  Some of the most common treatments that international patients are seeking are: Cancer/Oncology; Orthopedic; Cardiovascular; and Cosmetic. ‍

Some of the advantages for hospitals that have inbound medical tourism are that medical tourists tend to pay commercial charges or higher for medical services, and that they tend to be more affluent than general patient populations.  

Some of the most commonly known hospitals listed in the report are (Note: total patient visits include domestic and international patients): Texas Medical Center (around 5.5 million total patient visits); the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (over 3 million total patient visits); Harvard Medicine (over 2 million total patient visits in the Boston location); John Hopkins Hospital (over half a million total patient visits); the Cleveland Clinic (over 3 million total patient visits); Cornell Medical School (around 2 million total patient visits); Duke University School of Medicine (almost 1.5 million total patient visits); Memorial Sloan-Kettrering Cancer Center (around half a million total patient visits); and the Mayo Clinic (only around 150,000 total patient visits). ‍

According to the D&T report, several initiatives have been helpful in promoting clinical programs related to U.S. inbound medical tourism: ‍

1) the establishment of international partnerships and the formation of international health care projects have increased awareness of the opportunities for foreign patients to travel the U.S. for care;

2) listing their services in international medical directories;

3) having foreign physicians and U.S. physicians training abroad (helps to increase the number of referrals to the U.S.); and

4) U.S. medical centers making an effort to serve embassy contacts and the relatives of ethnic groups within their own communities (to increase referrals among family members internationally).

Some Future Trends

Hospitals typically offer discounts on their gross charge rates for uninsured foreigners if they pay in advance.  But currently, popular inbound patient venues are reporting that more of their foreign patients have insurance coverage than ever before (the Cleveland Clinic reports 90%, Mount Sinai says 60%, and Baptist Health International Center in Miami has about 70%).  

It is stated that “even wealthy people would rather pay an insurance premium than $500,000 in cash”.   This will be a future trend with less international patients paying in cash and instead utilizing a more diverse slate of financing alternatives (including U.S. health insurance programs). ‍

In addition, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), which is even more popular in some areas of the world than in the U.S. (all 18 hospitals named by U.S. News as “America’s Best Hospitals” provide some type of CAM services; and according to the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey of Hospitals- 19.8% offered CAM in 2006), are expected to be integrated as part of the traditional procedures offered for these patients.  

Although initially, inbound medical tourism had been dominated by large teaching institutions (typically ones that enjoy positive national and/or international reputations).  Expect that in the future, more non-teaching and for profit hospitals and clinics (retail clinics, a non-traditional competitor, have increased by almost four times in the last 2 years, from just 250 clinics in 2006 to close to 1,000 in 2008) will enter the market as the population of affluent people rises worldwide. ‍

6Medical Tourism: Consumers in Search of Value retrieved on June 29, 2009 from http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/cda/doc/content/us_chs_MedicalTourismStudy(1).pdf 7South Florida hospital compete for international patients retrieved on June 29, 2009 from http://www.miamiherald.com/103/story/1085748.html

Finally, as the movement towards more government intervention and reimbursement impacts U.S. facilities in the near future, expect that more hospitals and clinics will begin to market to these higher-margin patients. ‍

David G. Vequist IV, Ph.D. is the founder and Director of the Center for Medical Tourism Research ( www.medicaltourismresearch.org ) – the very first Medical Tourism research center in the world.  He is also an Associate Professor of Management in the H-E-B School of Business & Administration at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, USA.  He is also a consultant, author and speaker on topics such as medical tourism, healthcare trends, and technologies.  He can be reached at [email protected].

Erika Valdez, a native of Mexico, and just graduated from the MBA program (May 2009) in the H-E-B School of Business & Administration at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, USA.  She is a Graduate Assistant at the Center for Medical Tourism Research ( www.medicaltourismresearch.org ) and a promising speaker and author in the area of medical tourism and economic development in developing nations.  She can be reached at [email protected].

Exploring the Surge of Cosmetic Tourism: Trends and Considerations in Aesthetic Procedures Abroad

Holistic healing: exploring integrative medicine and wellness retreats, meeting the surge: the growing demand for knee replacement surgeries and advances in the field, innovations in medical technology: how cutting-edge technology drives medical tourism, stem cells have powerful anti-aging properties, new shift for thailand’s medical travel landscape as mta launches new moves, continue reading, the new silk road: deconstructing china's luxury healthcare market, the boomers are coming the boomers are coming, financial savings in medical tourism, featured reading, dominican republic’s giant strides to becoming a global leader in medical tourism, exploring niche markets in medical tourism, medical tourism magazine.

The Medical Tourism Magazine (MTM), known as the “voice” of the medical tourism industry, provides members and key industry experts with the opportunity to share important developments, initiatives, themes, topics and trends that make the medical tourism industry the booming market it is today.

Released in July 2020 ‍ Medical Tourism Index 2020-2021

The one and only comprehensive analysis of the Medical Travel industry is back with its third edition, at a critical juncture in the history of healthcare. The Medical Tourism Index (MTI) ranks American perceptions of 46 international healthcare destinations, providing insight into how consumers view 41 criteria across three primary dimensions, including Destination Attractiveness, Safety, and Quality of Care.

Watch the Video

2020-2021 MTI Overview

Click on a region to explore further or purchase the report for access to all of the data tools..

Middle East

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2020-2021 MTI Overall Ranking

The mti reports.

The Medical Tourism Index brings you its third edition. The MTI 2014-2015 assessed the attractiveness of 25 countries as medical tourism destinations. In 2016-2017, the MTI expanded to 41 destinations across five regions, doubling the size of the sampling. The 2020-2021 Medical Tourism Index comes at a time where the industry, and the entire world, has been changed forever by COVID-19. The 2020-20121 MTI addresses this very question.

MTI Tools Access

The Medical Tourism Index includes special member access that unlocks data for comparison of destinations by year, by dimension, and much more.

Top 5 Destinations

The Winning 5 of 2020-2021

Dimensions of Measurement

The Medical Tourism Index considers three primary factors as the drivers of medical tourism, and each of the three factors has a subset of items that allows a more detailed comparison in order to measure each destination’s attractiveness and brand awareness as a medical tourism destination.

Destination Environment

Medical Tourism Industry

Quality of facilities & services, destination ranking.

The development of the MTI was a multi-year, multi-step, multi-stakeholder approach. Our research methodology followed a rigorous eight-step approach that included methodological, statistical, and index construction procedures to develop this psychometric, sound measurement tool used by healthcare executives and government officials from around the world.

• THE SURVEY The data was gathered by conducting a national survey with 3,030 Americans of every age, gender, education level, and socioeconomic status.
• THE REPORT The 100+ page report includes 46 Destinations that with statistical evaluation and commentary on each.
• ONLINE DATA TOOLS Included with the purchase of the MTI is a member access portal that provides users with the ability to compare data between destinations through a variety of dimensions and plot custom charts and graphs.

Demonstrate the Economic Impact of Medical Tourism in your Destination

The Medical Tourism Calculator (MTC) is an adaptable tool used by all industry stakeholders to demonstrate the total economic impact of a medical travel program. Important factors like job creation and tax revenue, as well as the impact on hospitality and tourism, have been less emphasized in medical tourism forecasts.

• Provides data on the impact of healthcare tourism
• Provides the current economic impact of medical tourism in your region
• Provides a forecast of the total economic impact of medical travelers

Purchase the 2020-2021 Medical Tourism Index

About the developers.

Renée-Marie Stephano

Renée-Marie Stephano is president and founder of the Medical Tourism Association® and editor-in-chief of Medical Tourism Magazine® and the Health and Wellness Destination Guide Series of books. Ms. Stephano has authored several books from “Developing International Patient Centers, Best Practices in Facilitation,” to “Medical Tourism for Insurers and Employers,” and the most recent, “Engaging Wellness ~ Corporate Wellness Programs that Work.” Her articles have been published in publications all over the world. Most recently she co-authored an article which was peer reviewed and published in Tourism Management Academic Journal. Ms. Stephano is an attorney and specializes in working with governments and hospitals to develop sustainable medical tourism/international patient programs and strategies. To that end she provides consultancy to organizations all over the world. She deals directly with ministers of health, tourism and economic development to establish public-private partnerships that support medical tourism and, at the same time, provide a benefit and return to the local community. Ms. Stephano has performed feasibility studies for cities, nations and hospitals worldwide in which she has relayed opportunities for international expansion, clinical development and affiliations and partnerships. She also consults governments in the development of sustainable medical tourism zones & free healthcare zones. Ms. Stephano is a keynote speaker at international conferences, has spoken at hundreds of events and is a featured source of reference on issues related to health, travel and tourism for media outlets around the world. She is the Executive Director of the International Healthcare Research Center, a 501c(3) organization dedicated to research in medical tourism, wellness travel and corporate wellness. IHRC is the publisher of the Medical Tourism Index (MTI). ‍

Dr. Marc Fetscherin

Dr. Marc Fetscherin is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Rollins College (FL), United States. His expertise is in international marketing with a specialization on marketing strategy, marketing research and branding with a specific focus on global brand management, corporate branding, human brands, consumer brand relationships, and destination branding. Previously, he was a Fellow at Harvard University as well as a researcher at the University of California Berkeley. He taught or teaches MBA and executive MBA courses at various institutions worldwide such as East China University of Science and Technology (China), the Copenhagen Business School (Denmark), Jacobs University(Germany), the University of Lausanne, HEC (Switzerland) or the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). He won multiple teaching and research awards. He has extensive international experience and lived and traveled to over 30 destinations. He speaks 5 languages (German, English, French. Spanish, Russian). Previous his academic career he was a consultant for McKinsey & Company and CEO of a Swiss luxury company. He was also a member of the Federal Commission ofConsumer Affairs, an advisory body for the Swiss Government. He has published 3 books, multiple book chapters and journal articles. His articles have appeared in peer reviewed journals such as Harvard Business Review, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Market Research, International Marketing Review, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Journal of Brand Management, Journal of Product and Brand Management, Management International Review, International Business Review, or Tourism Management among others. He is in the editorial board of the Journal of Brand Management and the Journal of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy. He is also an Expert for the Association of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy.

MedicalTourism.com

MedicalTourism.com is a free, confidential, independent resource for patients and industry providers. Our mission is to provide a central portal where patients, medical tourism providers, hospitals, clinics, employers, and insurance companies can all find the information they need. Our site focuses on patients looking for specific knowledge in the fields of medical tourism, dental tourism, and health tourism.

Police don't suspect foul play in death of 'American Idol' alum, singer Mandisa

Christian music sensation Mandisa has died at 47.

The singer was found deceased in her home on Thursday, a rep for Mandisa confirmed to USA TODAY on Friday.

“At this time, we do not know the cause of death or any further details. We ask for your prayers for her family and close-knit circle of friends during this incredibly difficult time," her team said via email.

On Monday, Franklin Police Department officials told The Tennessean , part of the USA TODAY network, that no foul play is suspected in the death of Mandisa. However, a suspected cause of death was not provided.

"At this time, there is no indication the death was the result of suspicious or criminal activity," police spokesperson Max Winitz said. "The Franklin Police Department sends its condolences to (Mandisa's) family, friends and fans."

The California native first rose to fame on Season 5 of "American Idol," when she finished within the Top 10.

Later, she released her debut album "True Beauty" and went on to become one of the most recognizable voices in the Christian music industry. The five-time Grammy Award nominee snagged the best contemporary Christian music album award for her 2013 album, "Overcomer," featuring the popular title song.

"Mandisa was a voice of encouragement and truth to people facing life’s challenges all around the world. She wrote this song for a dear friend who had passed in 2017. Her own words say it best. 'I'm already home, You've got to lay it down 'cause Jesus holds me now—And I am not alone,'" a statement posted Friday on her official Facebook account read.

Passages 2024: Dickey Betts, Eleanor Coppola, Roberto Cavalli, more stars we've lost

Reps for "American Idol" issued a statement to USA TODAY about the loss of Mandisa on Friday.

"Mandisa was an adored icon on 'American Idol' and in the music industry. She had become a platinum-selling artist and had won several Grammys for her music. Her passing has left everyone on the show heartbroken, and we extend our deepest condolences to her family," the statement read.

Robin Roberts mourns loss of Mandisa, who she listened to during cancer treatments

In 2017, during an interview with Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America," Mandisa recounted her struggle with a deep depression three years prior. Mandisa said she became depressed after the death from breast cancer of her best friend LaKisha "Kisha" Mitchell , who was also a background singer for the star.

“It got pretty bad to the point where if I had not gotten off that road I would not be sitting here today,” Mandisa told Robin Roberts on “ GMA .” "I was this close to listening to that voice that told me, ‘You can be with Jesus right now, Mandisa. All you have to do is take your life.'"

Roberts, who listened to Mandisa's song "Stronger" during her own breast cancer treatments, mourned Mandisa's loss in a Facebook post Friday, recounting how the "Idol" alum was present during her first day back on "GMA" after her cancer battle.

"My heart is heavy hearing about Mandisa. Incredibly blessed that she was there my first day back on GMA after my long medical leave. Her beautiful music and spirit lifted me and countless others. Sending prayers and condolences to her family & loved ones." she said, adding a link of Mandisa's performance .

Mandisa's death shared by Christian radio station: 'Struggles are over'

Mandisa's death was first shared in a blog post by Christian radio station K-Love.

In a statement, K-Love Chief Media Officer David Pierce said she "loved Jesus, and she used her unusually extensive platform to talk about Him at every turn" and asked for prayers for the star's family and friends.

"Her kindness was epic, her smile electric, her voice massive, but it wasno match for the size of her heart. Mandisa struggled, and she was vulnerable enough to share that with us, which helped us talk about our own struggles. Mandisa’s struggles are over. She is with the God she sang about now. While we are saddened, Mandisa is home," the statement read.

Contributing: Melonee Hurt, Craig Shoup and Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean

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The majority of us travelers plan to do a road trip this summer: survey.

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Travel experts at The Vacationer released their 2024 summer travel survey results this week, giving an overview of what travelers can expect this summer season beginning on Memorial Day weekend.

The anonymous survey asked more than 1,000 American adults if and how they plan to travel this summer. Mathematics professor Eric Jones of Rowan College, South Jersey, analyzed the results.

According to the survey, nearly 82% of Americans plan to travel this summer, which could be more than 212 million adults throughout the season.

This number is down from summer 2023, with 3% fewer people intending to travel at least once this summer.

While nearly 52%, or 132 million Americans, said they would fly this summer, air travelers are down compared to last summer, when 54% intended to fly at least once.

According to The Points Guy, airline passengers could be in for another busy summer travel season in the U.S. and internationally. Experts also don’t expect fairs to drop significantly compared to last summer.

The average domestic airfare for June will cost about $303, with round-trip routes trending lower for July and August, according to The Points Guy.

According to The Vacationer survey, the most popular method of travel is by road. Seventy-five percent of Americans intend to take at least one road trip this summer, most driving somewhere within 100 miles of their home. 

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Less than 21% will stick to a destination within 250 miles from home, and 5.8% will drive more than 1,000 miles from home. 

How much road trip travelers pay at the gas pump this summer remains to be seen. 

According to AAA, the increasing gas prices may be about to stall – at least for a little while. The national average for a gallon of gas is $3.67, about two months ahead of Memorial Day weekend, when the summer travel season begins. 

“The situation overseas with war in both the Middle East and Ukraine has the oil market on edge,” AAA Andrew Gross spokesperson said. “But this is also the time of year we may see a bit of a lull in gasoline demand between the end of spring breaks and ahead of Memorial Day. So the national average for gas may waffle a bit with small increases, some flat days, and even some price dips.”

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