In short, Medical tourism means going to other countries for affordable healthcare needs. These are some essential facts about Medical Tourism
- According to Deloitte, in 2009, 648,000 Americans sought medical treatment abroad this year, and that number will grow by 35 percent over each of the next 3 years
- Deloitte says consumers can save as much as 90 percent.
- In the Americas, Mexico is the top destination for U.S. medical tourists, followed by Costa Rica and Panama.
- Asian countries like India are aggresive plauyers in the Medical Tourism market.


Wikipedia describes the Medical Tourism process thus,

The typical process is as follows: the person seeking medical treatment abroad contacts a medical tourism provider. The provider usually requires the patient to provide a medical report, including the nature of ailment, local doctor’s opinion, medical history, and diagnosis, and may request additional information. Certified medical doctors or consultants then advise on the medical treatment. The approximate expenditure, choice of hospitals and tourist destinations, and duration of stay, etc., is discussed. After signing consent bonds and agreements, the patient is given recommendation letters for a medical visa, to be procured from the concerned embassy. The patient travels to the destination country, where the medical tourism provider assigns a case executive, who takes care of the patient's accommodation, treatment and any other form of care. Once the treatment is done, the patient can remain in the tourist destination or return home.

Basics of Medical Tourism: News and Guides
The Economist on the rise of Medical Tourim http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11919622
Medical Tourism: The Big Picture http://www.healthbeatblog.org/2008/08/medical-tourism.html
Saving on Surgery by Going Abroad - An indepth look http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/special-reports/2008/05/01/saving-on-surgery-by-going-abroad.html
Top 5 Medical Tourism Destinations http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/top-5-medical-tourism-destinations-51502.aspx
Q& A: Preparing for a Surgery Abroad - NPR Special report http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16296677
ABC Money Matters Video on Medical Tourism Industry http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2370634
OnlineMedicalTourism.com - Guide to Mediacl Tourism http://www.onlinemedicaltourism.com/medical-tourism.html
Medical Tourism News and Views http://medicaltourismnewsandviews.blogspot.com/
Premiere Medical Travel Blog - Written by a Doctor http://www.premieremedicaltravel.com/blog/
Ask an expert: Medical tourism - A Podcast - Information and answers to many popular questions about medical tourism. http://www.treatmentabroad.com/videos/ask-an-expert/medical-tourism/
Powerful Patient radio program on Medical Tourism http://www.medtral.com/About-Us/In-the-News/2008/The-Powerful-Patient/default.aspx

Resources on Medical Tourism in India
IndiaHealthVisit.com http://www.indiahealthvisit.com/
BestMed Journeys http://www.bestmedjourneys.com/

Elsewhere
Medical Tourism Corporation - Covers options in several countries http://www.medicaltourismco.com/
MedTourism Review - Reviews options in several countries http://www.medtourismreview.com/

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