Health tourism is on the rise: Where Americans are traveling to save money on medical interventions

Michael Moore took a group of Americans to Cuba to get healthcare treatment in his 2007 documentary ‘Sicko’ to highlight how they were struggling to get affordable treatments in the United States. The passage of the Affordable Care Act three years later helped slow the rate of increase in spending and bring down the number of uninsured.

Even so, there still remain gaps in coverage and limitations of what treatments people can receive, and out-of-pocket costs are adding up for many. Much like two decades ago in Moore’s documentary, some are seeking medical interventions outside the United States. Although exact numbers are difficult to track, the CDC says that millions of Americans annually seek health care treatments abroad.

The numbers will most likely grow as well as new restrictions and especially the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits under Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ make healthcare insurance policies unaffordable for millions of Americans. Another five million people may drop their coverage this year, on top of the 1 million that already have, as they find their plans are too expensive according to an analysis by KFF.

Where Americans are going to get health care outside the U.S.

Medical tourism has been growing rapidly in recent years. Worldwide, the global industry was valued at around $115.6 billion in 2022, according to EBSCO. The majority of those traveling abroad for medical interventions are Americans, who can save significant amounts of money.

The most visited destinations are in Canada and Mexico, as well as countries in the Caribbean and South America. But Europe, the Middle East and Asia are also popular health tourism locations. Depending on the procedure and the country, it may be anywhere from 25% to 80% cheaper.

In fact, some people plan their doctor visits around foreign trips or vice versa. Bryn Elise, a 29-year-old health and beauty tourism influencer from Idaho, shared with the TODAY show that while she has basic health insurance she saves all her health and beauty treatments for when she goes on holiday. In a recent Instagram post she said that an in-depth checkup she got in Turkey “was the greatest thing I’ve ever done for my health and bank account.”

Likewise, Jordynn Ison, a 27-year-old from Ohio, told Business Insider that it’s normal for her to schedule a doctor’s appointment when she travels overseas. “It’s just so convenient and so easy and so affordable,” she said. “It surprises me that more people don’t do it.” She’s had treatments in Bali, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, and more.

But it’s not just Gen Zers that are going abroad. Michelle and Mike, a retired couple, spoke to 12 News in Arizona as they were crossing the U.S. - Mexico border. They shared that while they have insurance, they don’t have dental coverage so that has to come out of pocket.

Whereas a single implant could cost between $5,000 and $30,000 in the U.S., in Mexico the procedure runs about $1,000. On top of that, prescription drugs are considerably cheaper, 12 News pointed out.

Many of the people that spoke about their experiences getting medical treatments abroad stressed that they did their research ahead of time to make sure that the clinic and professionals that they would be working with were reputable. Also, it’s recommended that you get travel health insurance to cover any possible unforeseen medical needs when traveling.

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