What is Medical Tourism? A Brief History

GMEDCA believes that “Medical Tourism” is the mechanism for providing Global medical treatments, services, and Choices of value to the American consumer. Medical Tourism is the Global solution for resolving the medical healthcare and wellness crisis in the United States. The medical choices; of the highest quality, being rendered are rigorously monitored by the (JCI) Accreditation process and certification to ensure the healthcare quality, safety & protection for American patients. GMEDCA only works directly with (JCI) accredited hospitals and institutions, globally. The International medical hospitals, treatments, service options, and choices GMEDCA promotes are affordable, accessible, available, and attainable to the American consumer, and are of great cost savings and value in comparison to the immense “out-of-pocket” cost of healthcare in the United States. GMEDCA specializes in Global Medical Consumer Awareness, and we advocate global medical consumer choices as the solution to resolving America’s unaffordable Healthcare problems. Medical tourism is extremely beneficial in helping people get medical healthcare treatments of the highest-quality they need, and can afford.

The Genesis of “Medical Tourism” and the concept of People seeking to travel abroad for medical treatment and services have existed for centuries. The practice itself can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. During the Georgian and Victorian eras in England, many people traveled abroad to spa towns for hot springs, baths, and other health treatments. Spa towns were common all over Europe in places such as Hungary, Austria, and Germany.

The United States inherited this tradition, and many Americans traveled to natural springs in the southwestern regions in the 18th century. This practice is hardly unique to Europeans and Americans. In Japan, mineral springs have been used for centuries and in India the practice may go as far back as 5,000 years.

The rationality behind “medical tourism” hasn’t changed from the time of the Ancient Greeks to the modern era. These reasons can include cost, treatment time, insurance coverage, or the misunderstanding of an illness in the patient’s native country.

In the modern world, many people travel abroad seeking faster or more affordable treatment. These travelers come from many of the world’s most well-regarded nations such as the United States, Canada, Japan, and several countries in Europe. In 2007, it is estimated that 750,000 Americans traveled to other countries for health care. In 2017, more than 1.4 million Americans sought health care in a variety of countries around the world.

Time and financial concerns are not the only reasons for medical tourism. In some cases, insurance companies have strict limits on certain types of medical treatments. For example, many people with joint problems are looking abroad for orthopedic care due to a small pool of treatment options available under their insurance policies or no coverage for their particular ailments at all.

Additionally, the majority of medical tourism (estimated at roughly 40 percent) is related to dental issues. Many Americans do not have dental coverage as part of their insurance package, making dental care extremely expensive in many cases.