Overseas Patients

Attached a link New push to bring overseas patients to South Florida to an interesting article reporting that Broward and Palm Beach counties are becoming more common destinations for seriously ill patients from overseas who need sophisticated treatment that is unavailable or very expensive in their homelands. Its ironic that according to Deloitte consulting services, in 2010 875,000 Americans traveling outside U.S. borders to receive health care: dental work, elective hip replacements, even bypass surgery. Why? Because the astronomic costs and often substandard quality of health care services in the U.S. force many middle-class workers to seek medical care abroad. Such care is being rendered by board certified medical doctors at Joint Commission International certified health care facilities. Lured by more affordable medical care and modern facilities, places like Malaysia, India and Turkey, have also become hot-spots for patients seeking procedures abroad, according to experts.Medscape News web site has forecast medical tourism in Asia could generate $4.4billion by 2012.According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, the number of tourists coming to South Korea ballooned last year to nearly 82,000, generating about $700million in revenues. By next year, Singapore aims to treat a million foreign patients a year, generating about $3billion for the economy, the Singapore Straits Times has reported; while neighbouring Malaysia, attracted nearly 400,000 medical tourists last year, and aims to increase that number to 1.9million by 2020. The Philippines also sees itself as a cut-price destination, and is projecting the number of medical tourists to hit one million by 2015, generating at least $1billion in revenue. Why should U.S. citizens be forced to travel abroad!! They deserve affordable and excellent care right here at home, too!! I guess we have to continue dreaming and save money for our next flight!