The advent of domestic medical tourism
One of the great things about living in Canada, certainly, is universal health care.
Sure, our taxes are through the roof and, yeah, wait lines are longer than Ginny Sack's belt, but more often than not, you’re gonna get patched up for your troubles. (And come off great in Michael Moore movies to boot.)
Yet when the downturn hit and layoffs began to mount, suddenly a great handful of Canadians found themselves without health insurance.
To some, this meant little because of the reasons outlined above. To others, though, soon their medical affairs became an instance of fight-it-out-on-your-own to get the best treatments.
And that’s why an innovative trend out of the States comes as an intriguing news story. Businessinsurance.com reports many Americans have taken to “domestic medical tourism” – where insurers literally fly patients to other hospitals within the U.S. – as a means to cut rising health care costs.
Now, this is not be confused with foreign medical tourism, where patients venture to Singapore for hip replacements or Buenos Aires for boob jobs. (And often result in this: “I ended up with a hematoma in my left breast, which is hard as a rock. My right nipple is the size of a silver dollar and my left nipple is the size of a quarter,” one woman said. “I had nice boobs to begin with. So I went from nice boobs to uneven, crazy boobs.”)
Instead, domestic medical tourism stays within the U.S. border to find procedures for up to 75% less than what patients would pay closer to home.
One of the big reasons this trend has taken off, says Business Insurance, is that when insurers sniff out a discount opportunity like this, they’re willing to pay up front – in turn, making the hospitals more likely to chop thousands off the price of a surgery.
And while domestic medical tourism may not hit it big with major corporations and their unions, the practice has become popular among smaller, self-insured employers who, quite frankly, need the savings.
As for whether a movement like this could take off in Canada, that’s up for much debate. Operations are generally government compensated, yet the system is far from perfect. Patients could be inclined to seek other alternatives if the price is right.
Or, everyone could just go to Mexico.
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: Jay | Sep 16, 2021 2:09:39 PM
The medical care in Canada is atrocious. Get out of this self congratulatory habit.
Posted by: Bob | Sep 17, 2021 3:30:10 AM
Yet when the downturn hit and layoffs began to mount, suddenly a great handful of Canadians found themselves without health insurance. (from main heading)
Without health insurance?? Every province have free health care, even if the person never worked in there life. Sure, the Canadian health system need's work. But, at least everone has some sort of health insurance. In the u.s. over 50 million familys have none at all. They can't afford to buy the insurance. We must consider..Canuck life span is longer than u.s.- infant mortality per 100.000 population is much lower here. The doctors and pharmacies in the u.s. will never allow the americans to have free health care for all. Because drs and pharmacy companys know they will not be allowed to charge huge sums anymore. They will be regulated by Govt.