MEDICAL TOURISM: HEALTH CARE FREE TRADE

Global competition in health care is allowing more patients from developed countries to travel for medical reasons to regions once characterized as "third world." Many of these "medical tourists" are not wealthy, but are seeking high quality medical care at affordable prices.

To meet the growing demand, entrepreneurs are building technologically advanced facilities in India, Thailand, Latin America and elsewhere, and are hiring physicians, technicians and nurses trained to American and European standards. Fees for treatments abroad range from one-half to as little as one-fifth the price in the United States... [snip]

• Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, India, charges $4,000 for cardiac surgery, compared to about $30,000 in the United States.

One reason why medical costs are lower abroad is that labor costs are cheaper, another is that consumers are spending their own money and so rate the value of services with a competitive mindset. As more insured patients begin to travel abroad for low-cost medical procedures, medical tourism will result in sorely needed competition in the American health care industry.

[Q: think a US-government run program would tolerate such competition?]

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