Americans who are concerned about how Obama's health program will effect their care are looking for private sources that will not be under government control in any way. Now U.S. insurance companies are looking seriously into medical tourism to meet the growing clamor of those preferring private care outside of the country.
In an article published in BNET Health Care on April 28, 2009, it was reported that Wellpoint, the largest U.S. health insurer, is conducting a pilot medical tourism with Serigraph, a graphics company with operations in the United States, Mexico and Asia. Serigraph employees have the option to travel to India for non-emergency surgery where the cost is 80 percent less than in the United States and the quality of care is said to be as good as what can be found in the United States. Wellpoint is just focusing on cardiac and joint-replacement operations at this time that usually require a two-week stay in the hospital.
Other health plans, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina which has created an International network of doctors and hospitals covering Thailand, Costa Rica, Ireland, Turkey, among other other countries, already have programs in force. Self-insured companies are following their lead.
Medical tourism will also provide an avenue for U.S. citizens who can afford to pay cash for medical services. Depending upon what kind of health program passed by the Democrats in Congress and signed by Obama, the U.S. may have two classes of patients: those who have the money to pay for private, out of the country care, and those that come under the government health plan.
But patients who have the money may soon be able to take advantage of discounted medical treatment at some of the best facilities in the U.S. There are already some hospitals in the U.S. who are providing what they call "domestic medical tourism" to meet the foreign competition.
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