U.S. citizens seek medical care abroad, cheaper overseas

Ahmad Hakemi does not mind United States citizens traveling abroad to receive health care.

“If someone needs open-heart surgery and doesn’t have the money, going to countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Israel cost one-tenth the price that it would be here,” the director of the physician assistant program said. “Fifty-five million Americans don’t have health insurance, so as long as they go to the right accredited hospitals, it’s OK.”

Hakemi said medical travel is inevitable because of the large number of people without health insurance.

This trend, known as medical tourism, is growing worldwide. Deloitte Consulting LLP estimated 750,000 Americans went abroad for health care in 2007.

Kaitlin O’Hara, a Livonia sophomore, said she would have no problem going abroad to receive identical medical care for less money.

“If it’s cheaper and I’m receiving the exact same procedure at a good hospital, I would definitely go to another country for health services,” O’Hara said.

Utica sophomore Andrew Miller said he would hate for his excuse to see the world to be a disease or other sickness.

“Under the right circumstances, I would consider leaving home for surgery, but I’m ignorant on what goes on with other countries. I would really have to know what I was getting myself into,” Miller said.

The Joint Commission International gives accreditation to U.S. hospitals in Europe and Asia if they meet all health regulations. The two top reasons U.S. citizens seek surgery abroad are cost and reason to travel, according to JCI.

Hakemi says there are three tasks all patients should do before seeking help abroad.

“I would recommended that everyone should talk to their local doctor first, verify that the hospitals have the JCI seal and the doctors have either the American and European Board Certification,” Hakemi said.

However, the number of people seeking abroad health care is still on the rise.

James Johnson Jr., professor of health sciences, said he believes medical tourism will continue to increase.

“I think there is going to be a lot more medical tourism in the future – it’s part of the globalization and health care that we see,” he said. “As the U.S. experiences a shortage of physicians, people seek help from other countries.”

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