US Medicine and Global Outsourcing

[RetireeRobert]

Food for thought and discussion:

Medical tourism has been gaining some attention. Technology is allowing remote diagnosis. Some insurers (Regence BCBS affiliates) provide worldwide coverage.

Will the US healthcare system be increasingly pressured to be more "consumer oriented and competetive" by global competition?

Will possible global competition affect state by state licensing and regulation of medical professionals? Or will state by state licensing continue to enforce defacto monopoly?

 

[Nanita8140]

Hi. My husband went to Argentina last year to get major dental work done. The price quoted for such work here was in the vicinity of $10,000. In Argentina he secured the services of a top doctor and the price $2000.

 

[FinanceGeek]

A substantial portion of medical care is delivered on an urgent to nearly-urgent basis. Therefore, I don't think enough of the US healthcare system will be threatened to effect big changes.

 

[Michael]

Insurance is another factor. Medicare doesn't generally cover overseas doctors, and many private policies only cover emergency treatment outside their state. It is mostly the uninsured middle class who would be interested in tourism. They often get charged fantastic prices. The poor get free care, the rich would seek out the best care regardless of price, and the insured must take into consideration the terms of their insurance.