Medical tourism growing in popularity among employers, insurers

Traveling to another country for lower-cost medical treatment has traditionally been a practice used by the uninsured. For a small, but growing, number of insurance companies and employers, however, so-called medical tourism is being embraced as a means of keeping health care costs down for patients with insurance (Source: “Paying Workers to Go Abroad for Health Care,” Wall Street Journal, Oct. 1, 2008).

Proponents of medical tourism point out examples of incredible cost savings. For example, open-heart surgery costs roughly $100,000 in the United States, but just $8,500 in India. However, critics worry about the safety of blood supplies and the dangers of long-distance travel for sick patients.

While American Medical Association officials say the organization does not oppose medical tourism, provided safety and quality standards are met, some fear that insurance companies could soon require trips abroad for treatment.

"You create a slippery slope where medical tourism starts out as an option, maybe even an attractive option, but over a short period of time I believe will become mandated," says Stan Johnson, a union director in Nashville, Tenn.