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Why Patients Are Turning to Medical Tourism

Statistics, Benefits, and Risks

Planning Ahead

Frequently asked questions.

Medical tourism is a term that refers to traveling to another country to get a medical or dental procedure. In some instances, medical tourists travel abroad seeking alternative treatments that are not approved in the United States.

Medical tourism is successful for millions of people each year, and it is on the rise for a variety of reasons, including increasing healthcare costs in the United States, lack of health insurance, specialist-driven procedures, high-quality facilities, and the opportunity to travel before or after a medical procedure.

According to a New York Times article from January 2021, pent-up demand for nonessential surgeries, as well as the fact that many Americans lost their health insurance during the coronavirus pandemic led to a surge in medical tourism once other countries re-opened.

However, there are specific risks that come with traveling overseas for surgery. If you're thinking of pursuing a medical procedure in another country, here's what to know about the benefits and the risks.

Medical Tourism Benefits

The most common procedures Americans go abroad for include dental care, cosmetic procedures , fertility treatments, organ transplants , and cancer treatment.

This is not to be confused with having an unplanned procedure in a foreign country due to an unexpected illness or injury.

Among the reasons a person might choose to go abroad for a medical procedure are:

Lower Costs

Medical tourists can save anywhere from 25% to 90% in medical bills, depending on the procedure they get and the country they travel to. There are several factors that play into this:

• The cost of diagnostic testing and medications is particularly expensive in the United States.
• The cost of pre- and post-procedure labor is often dramatically lower overseas. This includes labor costs for nurses , aides, surgeons , pharmacists, physical therapists , and more.
• High cost of malpractice insurance—the insurance that protects medical professionals against lawsuits—in the United States.
• Hospital stays cost far less in many overseas countries compared to the United States. In other words, quality care, hospital meals, and rehabilitation are far more affordable abroad for many people.

For someone who doesn't have insurance , or someone having a procedure that is not covered by insurance , the difference can be enormous.

Popular Countries for Medical Tourism

Dominican Republic

South Korea

Culture and Language

Many immigrants prefer to have treatments and procedures done in their country of origin—a sensible decision, considering just how much language barriers alone can affect the quality of their care.

Furthermore, at least 25% of immigrants and noncitizen residents in the United States are uninsured, compared to 9% of American citizens. Children with at least one noncitizen parent are also more likely to be uninsured.

Practicalities aside, many people choose to have their procedure done in their country of origin simply because it allows them to be close to family, friends, and caretakers who can assist them through their recovery .

Insurance Incentives

Some insurance companies have started promoting medical tourism. The reason behind this is simple: savings for the insured means savings for the insurance provider and vice versa.

Several insurance providers, including Aetna have programs specifically geared at promoting safe medical tourism. Some insurance providers even offer financial incentives for medical tourism, like discounts on medical bills .

That said, many insurance companies will not pay for surgery performed outside of the country unless it is an emergency.

Luxury and Privacy

Medical tourism is a lucrative business for many countries, and much of the money brought in by medical tourists is reinvested into the local economy and health infrastructure.

The effect of this is apparent in the spa-like luxury that some foreign hospitals offer, providing medical tourists the opportunity to be pampered during their stay for a fraction of the cost they would pay at home.

Some facilities offer hospital rooms that are more like a hotel suite than a traditional hospital room. Other hospitals offer one-on-one private nursing care, which is far more generous and attentive than the staffing ratios that most hospitals allow.

Medical tourists who seek that added layer of privacy can find it abroad. Many can return home from their "vacation" without anyone knowing they had a procedure at all.

Vacation in a Foreign Country

Medical tourists often take advantage of their stay in a foreign country to travel for pleasure by scheduling a vacation before or after their procedure.

This is an especially inexpensive way to travel to a foreign country, especially if their insurance provider is paying for the flight and the cost of staying is low. 

While it seems logical to recover on a beach or in a chalet by the mountains, keep in mind that it's important not to jeopardize your recovery.

Swimming isn't recommended until your incisions are completely closed. You may not feel up to doing much more than napping in the days following your procedure, either.

Don't let your vacation disrupt your recovery. Any time you have a procedure done, especially a surgery, it's important to listen to your body, take your medications as directed, and follow your doctor's recommendations closely.

Bypassing Rules and Regulations

Some travelers seek surgery abroad to bypass rules that are set in place by their own government, insurance company , or hospital. These rules are typically in place to protect the patient from harm, so getting around them isn't always the best idea.

For example, a patient may be told that their weight is too low to qualify for weight loss surgery . A surgeon in a foreign country may have a different standard for who qualifies for weight loss surgery, so the patient may qualify overseas for the procedure they want.

Talented Surgeons

Surgeons in certain countries are known for their talent in a specific area of surgery. For example, Brazilian surgeons are often touted for their strong plastic surgery skills .

Whereas in the United States, insurance companies might only cover cosmetic procedures if it is medically necessary, cosmetic surgery is often free or low-cost in Brazil's public hospitals—giving cosmetic surgeons there ample practice.

Thailand is reported to be the primary medical tourism destination for individuals seeking gender reassignment . It is often easier to qualify for surgery and the cost is significantly reduced. Surgeons are performing the procedures frequently, and as a result, many have become quite specialized in them.

It is often surprising to many medical tourists that their physician was trained in the United States. Not all physicians are, of course, but a surprisingly high percentage of them working in surgery abroad are trained in English-speaking medical schools and residency programs and then return to their home country. These physicians often speak multiple languages and may be board certified in their home country and a foreign country, such as the United States.

Medical tourism isn’t limited to countries outside of the United States, either. Many people travel to the United States for medical care due to the country's cutting-edge technology, prescription medication supply, and the general safety of healthcare.

Medical Tourism Risks

The financial and practical benefits of medical tourism are well known, and you may even know someone who had a great experience. Nonetheless, the downsides of medical tourism can be just as great if not greater. Sometimes, they can even be deadly.

If you are considering a trip abroad for your procedure, you should know that medical tourism isn't entirely without obstacle and risks. These include:

Poorly Trained Surgeons

In any country—the United States included—there will be good surgeons and bad. And just as there are great surgeons abroad, there are also some surgeons who are less talented, less trained, and less experienced.

Regardless of what procedure you are getting or where, you should always do some preliminary research into the surgeon or physician who will be treating you as well as the hospital you will be treated at.

In the United States, it is fairly easy to obtain information about malpractice lawsuits , sanctions by medical boards, and other disciplinary actions against a physician.

Performing this research from afar can be challenging, especially if you don't speak the local language. Yet countless people take the risk anyway, without knowing whether the physicians who will treat them are reputable.

A physician should be trained in the specific area of medicine that is appropriate for your procedure. For example, you should not be having plastic surgery from a surgeon who was trained to be a heart doctor. It isn’t good enough to be a physician, the physician must be trained in the specialty .

Prior to agreeing to surgery, you should also know your surgeon’s credentials : where they studied, where they trained, and in what specialty(s) they are board-certified. Do not rely on testimonials from previous patients; these are easily made up for a website and even if they are correct, one good surgery doesn’t mean they will all be successful.

Quality of Staff

Nurses are a very important part of healthcare, and the care they provide can mean the difference between a great outcome and a terrible one.

A well-trained nurse can identify a potential problem and fix it before it truly becomes an issue. A poorly trained nurse may not identify a problem until it is too late. The quality of the nursing staff will have a direct impact on your care.

Once again, it's important to research the hospital staff where you will be having your procedure done. Read the reviews but don't trust them blindly. If you can, seek out a recommendation from someone who can vouch for the medical staff where you will be going.

Quality of the Facility

While researching healthcare facilities for your procedure, you want to learn not just about the quality of the facilities themselves, but about the country's healthcare system as a whole.

In some countries, there is a marked distinction between public hospitals and private hospitals. In Turkey, for example, private hospitals are considered on-par with hospitals in the states, while many locals will advise you to steer clear of public hospitals if you can.

You will also want to seek out facilities that are internationally accredited. In the United States, the Joint Commission evaluates hospitals and certifies those that provide safe, quality care. The international division does the same for hospitals outside the United States.

Once you have a few options for potential facilities, you can start to investigate specifics. For one, you should find as many pictures and reviews of the facility as you can. Ask yourself whether the facility is state of the art or whether it seems dirty and outdated.

You will also need to find out if the facility has ICU level care available, in case something goes wrong. If not, there should be a major hospital nearby so that you can be transferred quickly.

To learn more about a healthcare facility, consider joining expat groups on social media for the city or country you will be traveling to. Ask the group for recommendations, or inquire about any positive or negative experiences they may have had at a particular facility.

Flying Home After Surgery

Any surgery comes with risks, including infection and blood clots . Flying home increases the risk of blood clots, especially on long-haul flights that are longer than four hours.

Try to avoid flying home in the days immediately after surgery; waiting a week will decrease the chances of developing a blood clot or another serious complication during the flight.

For longer flights, plan on getting up and walking up and down the aisles each hour to improve blood flow in your legs. You might also benefit from wearing compression socks with your doctor's approval.

If you are taking blood thinners or are at-risk of blood clots , be sure to talk to your doctor about how you can reduce your risk of blood clots after your procedure and while traveling.

Furthermore, you should know the symptoms of blood clots and stay alert.

Unplanned Illness

Any time you travel abroad, you run the risk of catching an illness that you have never been exposed to or that your body is not prepared to fight off. This is especially a concern when spending time in a foreign hospital.

If you have a sensitive stomach, you may also want to think long and hard about having surgery abroad. The food is often very different in foreign hospitals, and in some areas, there is a risk that even the water will be upsetting to your body.

Having diarrhea or postoperative nausea and vomiting makes for a miserable recovery experience, especially if you do not have a friend or family member nearby who can help you through it.

Before you travel abroad, check with your doctor to see if you need any vaccines to travel to your destination or if there are any foreign illnesses you should be aware of. Picking up an illness abroad, particularly after your surgery, can potentially be life-threatening.

Language Barriers

If you are having surgery in a country where English is not the primary language, you will need to make preparations in order to be able to communicate with the staff.

You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that the staff speaks your primary language well. If not, then you will need to consider how you will make your wishes and needs known to the surgeon, the staff, and others you will meet.

Whether you are at home or abroad, remember to speak up and advocate for yourself to make sure your needs are met. If you don't speak the local language, download a language translation app on your smartphone and don't hesitate to use it to communicate your needs. Hiring a translator is another option.

A Word About Transplant Tourism

Transplant tourism is one area of medical tourism that is strongly discouraged by organ and tissue transplant professionals in multiple countries. Most international transplants are considered “black market” surgeries that are not only poor in quality, but ethically and morally wrong.

China, for example, the country that is believed to perform more international kidney transplants than any other country, is widely believed to take organs from political prisoners after their execution.

In India, living donors are often promised large sums of money for their kidney donation, only to find out they have been scammed and never receive payment. Selling an organ in India is illegal, as it is in most areas of the world, so there is little recourse for the donor.

Then there is the final outcome: how well the organ works after the surgery is complete. With black market transplants, less care is often taken with matching the donor and recipient, which leads to high levels of rejection and a greater risk of death. Furthermore, the new organ may not have been screened for diseases such as cytomegalovirus , tuberculosis , hepatitis B , and hepatitis C . It is often the new disease that leads to death, rather than the organ rejection itself.

Finally, transplant surgeons are often reluctant to care for a patient who intentionally circumvented the donor process in the United States and received their transplant from an unknown physician.

It is important to arrange your follow-up care prior to leaving your home country.

Many physicians and surgeons are hesitant to take care of a patient who received care outside the country, as they are often unfamiliar with medical tourism and have concerns about the quality of care overseas.

Arranging for follow-up care before you leave will make it easier to transition to care at home without the stress of trying to find a physician after surgery .

Just be sure to inform your follow-up care physician where you are having your procedure done. After you return, they will also want to know what prescription medications you were given, if any.

What are popular countries for medical tourism? 

Mexico, India, Costa Rica, Turkey, Singapore, Canada, and Thailand are among the many countries that are popular for medical tourism.

How safe is medical tourism?

Medical tourism is generally considered safe, but it's critical to research the quality of care, physician training, and surgical specialties of each country. There are several medical tourism organizations that specialize in evaluating popular destinations for this purpose.

What countries have free healthcare? 

Countries with free healthcare include England, Canada, Thailand, Mexico, India, Sweden, South Korea, Israel, and many others.

A Word From Verywell

If you are considering medical tourism, discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor, and consider working with your insurance provider to arrange a trip that balances financial savings with safety. (Also, before you embark on a trip overseas for your procedure, make sure you are financially prepared for unexpected events and emergencies. Don't go abroad if you don't have enough money to get yourself home in a crisis.)

A medical tourism organization such as Patients Without Borders can help you evaluate the quality and trustworthiness of healthcare in various countries. Making sure a high level of care is readily available will lead to a safer, more relaxing experience.

Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Medical Tourism: Getting medical care in another country . Updated October 23, 2017.

University of the Incarnate Word. Center for Medical Tourism Research .

Patients Beyond Borders. Facts and figures .

Kaiser Family Foundation. Health coverage of immigrants . Published July 2021.

Paul DP 3rd, Barker T, Watts AL, Messinger A, Coustasse A. Insurance companies adapting to trends by adopting medical tourism . Health Care Manag (Frederick). 2017 Oct/Dec;36(4):326-333. doi: 10.1097/HCM.0000000000000179

Batista BN. State of plastic surgery in Brazil .  Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open . 2017 Dec;5(12):1627. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000001627

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - Global Health Now. Brazilians' risky right to beauty . Published May 2018.

Chokrungvaranont P, Selvaggi G, Jindarak S, et al. The development of sex reassignment surgery in Thailand: a social perspective .  Sci World J . 2014 Mar;2014(1):1-5. doi:10.1155/2014/182981

The Joint Commission. For consumers .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Blood clots and travel: what you need to know . Reviewed February 2021.

Hurley R. China harvested organs from political prisoners on substantial scale, says tribunal . BMJ . 2018 Dec;363(1):5250. doi:10.1136/bmj.k5250

Ambagtsheer F, Van Balen L. I'm not Sherlock Holmes: suspicions, secrecy, and silence of transplant professionals in the human organ trade . Euro J Criminol . 2019 Jan;17(6):764-783. doi:10.1177/1477370818825331

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Transplant Surgery. Key facts . Reviewed January 2019.

By Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She has experience in primary care and hospital medicine.

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Medical Tourism: Travel to Another Country for Medical Care

Traveling to another country to get medical care can be risky. Learn about the risks and how to minimize them.

Traveling Internationally for Medical Care

Each year, millions of US residents travel to another country for medical care which is called medical tourism. Medical tourists from the United States most commonly travel to Mexico and Canada, and to several other countries in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

The reasons people may seek medical care in another country include:

• Cost: To get a treatment or procedure that may be cheaper in another country
• Culture: To receive care from a clinician who shares the traveler’s culture and language
• Unavailable or unapproved procedures: To get a procedure or therapy that is not available or approved in the United States

The most common procedures that people undergo on medical tourism trips include dental care, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation, and cancer treatment.

Medical Tourism Can Be Risky

The risk of complications depends on the destination, the facility where the procedure is being performed, and whether the traveler is in good health for the procedure(s). Other issues that can increase a traveler’s risk of complications include:

Infectious Diseases.  All medical procedures have some risk of infection. Complications from procedures performed in other countries include wound infections, bloodstream infections, donor-derived infections (in the case of transplantations or transfusions), and diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.

Antimicrobial resistance.   Highly drug-resistant bacteria and fungi have caused disease outbreaks among medical tourists. Antimicrobial resistance happens when germs develop the ability to not respond to drugs such as antibiotics used to treat infections. Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem. Healthcare facilities in another country may not have adequate infection control practices and medical tourists could be at risk for getting a drug-resistant infection.

Quality of Care. Some countries’ requirements for maintaining licensure, credentialing, and accreditation may also be less than what would be required in the United States. In some countries, counterfeit medicines and lower quality medical devices may be used.

Communication challenges. Communicating with staff at the destination and healthcare facility may be challenging. Receiving care at a facility where you do not speak the language fluently could lead to misunderstandings about your care.

Air Travel.  Flying after surgery can increase the risk for blood clots, including  deep vein thrombosis . Delaying air travel for 10-14 days following major surgeries, particularly those involving the chest, will minimize risks associated with changes in atmospheric pressure.

Continuity of Care.  Travelers may need to get health care in the United States if they develop complications after returning. Follow-up care for complications might be expensive. Treatment might be prolonged and might not be covered by your health insurance.

How You Can Minimize Medical Tourism Risks

Research the clinician and facility.

• Check the qualifications of the clinician who will be doing the procedure and the credentials of the facility where the procedure will be done. Accrediting groups, including Joint Commission International, DNV GL International Accreditation for Hospitals, and the International Society for Quality in Healthcare, have lists of standards that healthcare facilities need to meet to be accredited. Please note that all surgeries carry the risk of complications and accreditation does not guarantee a positive outcome.
• If you go to a country where you do not speak the language, determine ahead of time how you will communicate with your clinician and others who will be caring for you.

Before you travel

• Get a pretravel consultation. See your healthcare provider or a travel medicine clinician at least 4–6 weeks before the trip to discuss general information for healthy travel and learn about specific risks you may face because of your health status, the procedure, and travel before and after the procedure.
• Obtain international  travel health insurance  that covers medical evacuation back to the United States.
• Find out what activities are not recommended around the time of the medical procedure, such as swimming or hiking, and plan accordingly.

Maintain your health and medical records

• Bring copies of your medical records with you, including results of lab tests and other tests related to your condition and care. Inform the medical staff at your destination of allergies you may have.
• Pack a  travel health kit  with your prescription and over-the-counter medicines in their original packaging. Bring enough medicine to last your whole trip, plus a little extra in case of delays. Also, bring copies of all your prescriptions and a list of medications you take, including their brand names, generic names, manufacturers, and dosages.
• Get copies of all your medical records from the medical facility at your destination before you return home. You may need to get them translated into English.

Arrange for follow-up care before you travel

• Identify where you will be staying immediately after the procedure.
• Make sure you can get any needed follow-up care in the United States. Follow-up care for medical complications can be expensive and might not be covered by your health insurance. Travelers considering procedures outside the United States should understand the potential financial costs associated with follow-up care or emergency care in the event of complications, review their health insurance policies to determine what, if anything, is covered and plan for the possibility of paying for additional care out-of-pocket.
• Supplemental travel health insurance may also be available to cover follow-up or emergency care from procedures received abroad.

Related Resources

• CDC Yellow Book: Medical Tourism
• American Medical Association Ethical Guidance on Medical Tourism
• Organization for Safety, Asepsis, & Prevention's Traveler’s Guide to Safe Dental Care
• The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery guidelines for travelers
• International Travel (US Department of State)
• Your Health Abroad (US Department of State)

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UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

• All Regions
• 20 Dec 2018

UNWTO/ETC Launch Report on Health Tourism

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PR No. : PR 18100

Madrid, Spain, 27 December 2018 – The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), together with the European Travel Commission (ETC) launched a new report on health tourism. Part of their joint research programme, the study is the first attempt to set a coherent conceptualization of health tourism and define the motivations behind travellers looking for health-related services.

‘Exploring Health Tourism’ proposes a comprehensive taxonomy with a consistent terminology to define and describe the intricate system of travelling for health purposes and provides a practical toolkit for National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) and Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) wanting to develop health tourism.

As defined in the report, health tourism covers those types of tourism which have as a primary motivation the contribution to physical, mental and/or spiritual health through medical and wellness-based activities.

The report sheds light on the factors shaping health tourism such as technological developments, personal health, data protection and urbanization. It also explores the market, the demand and the supply of health tourism and provides examples of marketing management. Finally, the study proposes a set of recommendations ranging from improved data collection and more accurate measurement to more accessible and sustainable health tourism calling for further partnerships.

Useful links:                                                       

Exploring Health Tourism Report

Exploring Health Tourism Report- Executive Summary

UNWTO Communications Department

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 /  [email protected]

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What is health tourism and why is it growing?

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

Health tourism is a growing trend around the world. But what is health tourism and why is it so popular? Read on to find out…

What is health tourism?

The growth of health tourism, why is health tourism important, health tourism activities, health tourism- further reading.

Health tourism is a tricky one to define. It is more of an umbrella term, encompassing both wellness tourism and medical tourism. These two types of tourism may seem quite different, but they both fundamentally have health at their core. So, health tourism can be defined as follows:

Health tourism covers those types of tourism which have as a primary motivation, the contribution to physical, mental and/or spiritual health through medical and wellness-based activities which increase the capacity of individuals to satisfy their own needs and function better as individuals in their environment and society.

This definition comes from an executive summary published by the World Tourism Organization and the European Travel Commission in 2018. As you can see, the exploration of health tourism in itself is a relatively new idea. The two organisations also provided the following definitions of wellness and medical tourism respectively:

Wellness tourism is a type of tourism activity which aims to improve and balance all of the main domains of human life including physical, mental, emotional, occupational, intellectual and spiritual. The primary motivation for the wellness tourist is to engage in preventive, proactive, lifestyle enhancing activities such as fitness, healthy eating, relaxation, pampering and healing treatments.       

Medical tourism is a type of tourism activity which involves the use of evidence-based medical healing resources and services (both invasive and non-invasive). This may include diagnosis, treatment, cure, prevention and rehabilitation.   

There are many reasons as to why health tourism as an industry is growing. People are keener than ever to put their health and wellbeing first – especially now we are 2 years into a global pandemic. As a population , we are more aware now than ever before how our health can hang in the balance. And just knowing this, coupled with all of the other changes brought about by the pandemic as well as the general ease of accessing information, mean that life is generally more stressful. So it is no wonder that we are looking for wellness trips to calm and soothe ourselves – and to affordable and accessible medical procedures that may be unavailable at home…

The UK sees health tourism as a distinct and negative phenomenon. The media uses the term to refer to people who travel to the UK deliberately in order to access free medical treatment from the National Health Service. This is seen as leeching off the state, and as you can imagine is particularly frowned upon by many in the country. However, reports show that the government estimates ‘health tourism’ costs the NHS only £300m annually – or 0.3% of their budget! But due to this, new laws are in place to charge people who do not ‘ordinarily reside’ in the UK if they use the NHS.

Health tourism is important for many reasons. Looking at it from an economical point of view, it provides a boost to local economies when people travel to a destination for any reason. So heading to a summer yoga retreat in Santorini or getting some dental work done in Turkey is contributing to the local economy. And it’s not just the cost of your treatment or stay – you will also purchase food and drink, maybe even souvenirs. You might extend your trip and do some sightseeing with local tour companies too. All of these things mean a cash injection for the area and its inhabitants.

Linked to this is that health tourism often provides a cheaper opportunity to do something you were going to do at home. Travelling for optional surgery or going to a small spa in a remote village might be much cheaper than doing so in your home country. In this way, health tourism actually provides people with a way to save money.

Health tourism is also important as it is a reflection of my earlier point – people are taking more of an interest in their health. Regardless of whether it’s wellness tourism or medical tourism, health tourists are travelling with the primary focus of improving their mind, body or life in some way. This is obviously a positive factor for society.

As health tourism combines wellness and medical tourism, the activities it involves are anything which falls under these categories. Essentially, anything you do as a tourist which is aimed at improving your health is classed as health tourism. See a list of activities below:

• Dental/dentistry
• Orthopedics
• Cosmetic/plastic surgery
• Bariatric surgery 
• Fertility treatment
• Eye surgery
• Ears, nose and throat
• Organ transplants
• Rehabilitation
• Alternative medication access
• Yoga retreats
• Writing retreats
• Meditation centres
• Weight loss or healthy eating retreats
• Sensory deprivation

Popular health tourism destinations

There are many destinations you can visit as a health tourist. Your home country may also be a health tourism location for people from other countries. It is all contextual and subjective, depending on what exactly you are looking to get out of your trip…

This is a popular place for health tourism – particularly when it comes to wellness. With its geothermal pools, breathtaking scenery, infinity pools and mountain hiking areas the options are endless! A very popular part of Iceland for wellness activities is Myvatn Nature Baths, where the alkaline in the water has a lot of minerals and is incredibly beneficial for the treatment of skin conditions. Because of this, it can also be seen as a destination which works for medical purposes – making it a dead cert for health tourism.

Ever heard of the saying ‘Turkey teeth’? It doesn’t come from nowhere! The reason this term exists is because many people (particularly younger people, celebrities, and influencers) flock to Turkey to have dental treatment done for cosmetic purposes. They want straighter, whiter and brighter teeth. Something like this might cost double or triple in the UK, for example, than what it would in Turkey. Plus, visitors get to combine their trip with sun, sea and sand!

India is a big one for health tourism as it has a big wellness tourism industry combined with many options for medical tourists to have cheaper procedures done. Being such a spiritual country, it is no wonder that people come here for wellness purposes. The Indian government readily promotes the country as a hub for yoga, Sidha, naturopathy and Ayurveda – citing the ‘spiritual philosophy that has been integral to the Indian way of life’. There are retreats right across the country, particularly in countryside areas but also in the bustling cities which mean it works for both primary AND secondary wellness tourism.

Primary wellness tourism is when someone’s whole trip is focused on wellness; it is their sole reason for travel, and the major component of their trip. Every aspect of their holiday is tailored to wellness. Secondary wellness tourism is when general tourists incorporate some aspect of wellness (a massage on the beach during an all-inclusive Mexican vacation) into their holiday.

India is also a huge destination when it comes to medical tourism. Locations such as Chennai, Maharashtra and Kerala are really popular for medical procedures, with costs being about one tenth of those in either the UK or the USA. Medical tourists travel to India for alternative medicine, cardiac procedures, bone-marrow transplants, eye surgery and hip replacements in particular.

Beautiful Hawaii is like one big spa in itself. Primary wellness tourists visit here in droves to experience the therapeutic salt water, the laid back atmosphere, the glorious sunshine and the traditional practices of omilomi massage and pohaku (hot stone treatment). With scenery that will leave you lost for words, it is one of the most relaxing places in the world which is why wellness tourism is so big here – and so, by extension, is health tourism.

This stunning country has cutting edge technology and beautiful spaces to relax – making it ideal for health tourism encompassing both wellness and medical tourism. People tend to head here for small elective surgeries, choosing to get the procedure done for a lower price and recover somewhere beautiful! And there are so many options for wellness tourists, too. From Thai massage parlours to serene meditation retreats on beaches where the sunsets are bright pink and shiny gold, you couldn’t ask for somewhere more suited to a relaxing wellness trip.

If you enjoyed this article on health tourism, I am sure that you will like these too-

• What is birth tourism and is it legal?
• What is special interest tourism and why is it so popular?
• What is alternative tourism and why is it growing so fast?
• What is dental tourism and why does it exist?

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Health Tourism: Exploring the Industry, Types, and Top Destinations

April 23, 2023.

Health tourism, also referred to as medical tourism or wellness tourism, is a rapidly growing sector within the global tourism industry. It encompasses a diverse range of activities and services, all aimed at improving or maintaining an individual's health and well-being. This article presents an overview of the health tourism industry, discusses different types of health tourism, examines the top 100 destinations, and provides insights into the number of travelers engaging in health tourism. ‍

Definition of Health Tourism

Health tourism is broadly defined as the practice of individuals traveling outside their country of residence to seek medical treatments, procedures, or wellness experiences. The motivations behind such travel may vary but often include factors such as cost savings, access to specialized treatments, shorter waiting times, or the opportunity to combine medical procedures with leisure travel. ‍

Types of Health Tourism

• Medical Tourism: This category of health tourism focuses on individuals that travel for medical treatments and procedures abroad. Common medical treatments sought by medical tourists include elective surgeries, dental treatments, fertility treatments, and cosmetic procedures. Often, providers offer medical tourism packages that include treatment costs, physician fees, ground transportation and, in some cases, hotel accommodation.
• Wellness Tourism: Wellness tourism, on the other hand, emphasizes the pursuit of well-being through activities and experiences that promote physical, mental, and spiritual health. Examples include spa treatments, yoga retreats, and mindfulness workshops.
• Preventative Healthcare Tourism: This type of health tourism revolves around the concept of proactive health management. Travelers in this category may seek routine medical check-ups, diagnostic tests, or alternative medical treatments to prevent potential health issues.

Top Destinations for Health Tourism

While it is beyond the scope of this article to provide an exhaustive list of the top health and medical tourism destinations; some notable countries and regions have emerged as leaders in this industry, particularly for combining medical and wellness services. These include:

• Thailand: Renowned for its state-of-the-art medical facilities and cost-effective treatments, Thailand has become a popular destination for medical tourists from around the world.
• India: With its combination of advanced healthcare infrastructure, skilled medical professionals, and affordable treatment options, India has emerged as a prominent player in the health tourism sector.
• Singapore: Known for its high-quality healthcare system, Singapore attracts health tourists seeking top-notch medical treatments and wellness experiences.
• Turkey: Offering high-quality medical care at competitive prices, Turkey has become a preferred destination for health tourists, particularly for cosmetic procedures and dental treatments.
• Hungary: Hungary is well-known for its dental and medical spa tourism, thanks to its high-quality services and natural thermal springs.
• Costa Rica: This Central American country has made a name for itself in the medical tourism industry by providing affordable, high-quality healthcare services in a beautiful natural setting.
• South Korea: Boasting world-class healthcare infrastructure and cutting-edge medical technology, South Korea is a top destination for cosmetic surgery and advanced medical treatments.
• Malaysia: Offering a range of healthcare services at competitive prices, Malaysia has become a popular destination for medical and wellness tourism in     Southeast Asia.
• Brazil: With its expertise in cosmetic surgery and dental treatments, Brazil attracts health tourists from across the globe.
• Spain: Spain's modern healthcare infrastructure and affordable treatment options make it an attractive destination for European health tourists.

Travelers Engaging in Health Tourism

The number of travelers engaging in health tourism has been steadily increasing in recent years. According to the Medical Tourism Association, the global medical tourism industry was valued at $58.6 billion in2020, with an estimated 14 million patients traveling for medical treatments each year. This figure is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR)of 12% through 2025, reaching an estimated market value of $142.2 billion.

Wellness tourism, on the other hand, has also witnessed significant growth in recent years. According to the Global Wellness Institute, the wellness tourism market was worth $639 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5%, reaching $919 billion by 2022. This growth is driven by the increasing global demand for health and wellness experiences, as well as the rise in disposable incomes and greater awareness of preventive healthcare measures.

Several factors have contributed to the growth of health tourism. Some of these include:

Cost Savings: One of the main driving forces behind the growth of health tourism is the potential for significant cost savings. The cost of medical treatments and procedures can vary dramatically between countries due to factors such as labor costs, government subsidies, and differences in the cost of living. By traveling to countries with lower healthcare costs, health tourists can save a considerable amount of money. For example, a heart bypass surgery in the United States may cost around $100,000,while the same procedure in India could cost approximately $7,000. These cost savings can be particularly attractive for patients who are uninsured, underinsured, or require elective procedures that are not covered by insurance.

Access to Specialized Treatments: Another factor driving health tourism is the opportunity to access specialized treatments that may not be available or have limited availability in one's home country. This can be due to a lack of cutting-edge medical technology, a shortage of medical professionals with specialized skills, or restrictive regulations on certain treatments. Health tourists may choose to travel abroad to receive state-of-the-art care or treatments that are considered experimental or unapproved in their home country.

Shorter Waiting Times: In some countries, patients may face long waiting times for certain medical treatments or procedures due to factors such as limited healthcare resources or high demand. These waiting times can be particularly challenging for patients with chronic pain, deteriorating conditions, or urgent medical needs. Health tourism offers the opportunity for patients to bypass these waiting times and receive the necessary treatments more quickly. For example, a patient in the United Kingdom may face a waiting period of several months for a hip replacement surgery, while the same procedure could be readily available in countries such as Spain or Turkey.

Higher Quality of Care: Some health tourists perceive that the quality of care in another country may be higher than what is available in their home country. This perception can stem from factors such as the reputation of the destination country's healthcare system, the use of advanced medical technology, or the expertise of the medical professionals. For example, Singapore is renowned for its world-class healthcare system, attracting health tourists seeking top-notch medical treatments and wellness experiences. Additionally, countries like South Korea have gained a reputation for excellence in cosmetic surgery, drawing patients from around the world to receive high-quality care from skilled surgeons.

Combining Medical Procedures with Leisure Travel: Health tourism also offers the unique opportunity for individuals to combine medical treatments or wellness experiences with leisure travel. Many health tourists choose to extend their stay in the destination country to explore the local culture, visit tourist attractions, or simply relax and recuperate in a beautiful setting. This combination of medical and leisure travel can contribute to the overall well-being of the patient and enhance their recovery process. For example, a patient undergoing dental treatment in Costa Rica might also take the time to visit the country's beautiful beaches, rainforests, and national parks during their stay.

Health tourism has emerged as a significant sector within the global tourism industry, fueled by factors such as cost savings, access to specialized treatments, and a growing focus on wellness and preventative healthcare. As the industry continues to expand, more countries are investing in their healthcare infrastructure to attract health tourists, offering a wide range of medical and wellness services to meet the diverse needs of these travelers. With the increasing popularity of health tourism, it is essential for healthcare providers, governments, and tourism organizations to work together to ensure the highest standards of care and services for health tourists while promoting sustainable and responsible practices within the industry.

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Gha standards accredited by isqua.

A Global Authority in Medical Tourism Accreditation

Medical travel facilitator certification.

GHA’s Medical Travel Facilitator Certification is conducted online and focuses on validating the capacity of facilitator companies to provide appropriate services to clients that enhance safety and patient experience along the entire Medical Travel Care Continuum (patient journey) as appropriate to the to the particular healthcare provider and the facilitator company’s business model.

Medical Tourism: What Is Health Tourism & Where Is It Popular?

William Cooper

Marketing Director

Medical tourism – also called health tourism – is a huge and booming industry spanning the entire globe. In 2020, the value of the global health tourism sector was around US$54 billion , but by 2027 it is expected to almost quadruple in size to US$207 billion .

But what should you expect if you are thinking of becoming a medical tourist yourself? Where are the best places for medical tourism in the world right now? In this article, we’ll go through everything you need to know about medical tourism.

In this article

• What is medical tourism?

What are the best countries for medical tourism?

What’s the difference between medical tourism and travelling for treatment.

What is medical tourism and what are the best countries for medical tourism?

Medical tourism is as old as time itself. People in ancient societies were known to travel great distances to seek the expertise of physicians and spiritual healers in other parts of the world. In early modern society, patients would make long journeys to spa towns, where they could receive medical treatments in hospitals and recover in peace.

Today, here are many reasons someone might become a medical tourist, from the cost and quality of treatment , to gaining access to treatments that are not widely available in your home country. Medical tourism can combine medical procedures with a holiday, and many are now also choosing to spend their time working abroad as digital nomads .

So, what is medical tourism?

Medical tourism , otherwise known as health tourism , is when people travel for medical treatment to another country. It’s a trend that has been growing rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the global medical tourism market projected to grow at a rate of 15–25% year-on-year over the next decade.

Medical tourism is often associated with people from lesser-developed countries with poorer health systems travelling to more advanced countries to receive high-quality medical care. Patients may also choose to travel to countries that specialise in the type of treatment they need.

That said, with the cost of healthcare increasing exponentially in recent years, medical tourism has started to become more common for people in developed countries, who travel to less-developed countries to receive low-cost medical treatments.

Indeed, patients from countries that don’t have a universal health system can often save thousands of dollars on medical treatments by travelling abroad, making medical tourism an attractive option for people who are uninsured or underinsured , as well as for those who have reached their insurance coverage limit in their home country.

Is healthcare ever really ‘free’?

We look at which countries provide healthcare to all citizens.

Many medical tourists now also go in search of elective and cosmetic treatments such as plastic surgery , hair transplants , breast reductions or cosmetic dental procedures . Fertility treatment is also becoming a common reason for people to become medical tourists.

One of the biggest markets for medical tourism is the United States. Due to the high cost of medical treatments in the US, more than 2 million Americans travel abroad for medical tourism every year (accounting for roughly 9% of all medical tourists worldwide ). The cost savings speak for themselves – the OECD points out that a heart valve treatment costing US$150,000 in America may only cost US$9,250 in Poland.

In 2019, Patients Without Borders estimated there to have been around 21–26 million cross-border patients worldwide, each spending an average of US$3,500 per visit.

There is now a large and ever-growing number of medical tourism companies around the world. Many provide initial consultations in the patient’s home country before flying them out to a foreign country for treatment.

The patient can often expect to stay in luxurious accommodation while they are undergoing treatment, and some companies will also provide medical professionals from the patient’s country of origin. The price of the patient’s flights and hotel are often included in the price, and the patient may even have an opportunity to enjoy a short holiday while receiving their care.

Healthcare differs abroad and prices vary significantly

Do you know how much medical treatment costs abroad.

Choosing the right destination for a medical tourism trip will depend on several factors. These include:

Quality of care

According to McKinsey , 40% of people who travel for medical tourism go in search of higher quality treatment than they can find at home . For this reason, medical tourists often look for countries with highly-developed healthcare systems, access to the best quality doctors and medical equipment, and easy access to treatment (for instance, short waiting lists). Different countries may specialise in certain types of treatment, making it hard to say which countries are the definitive ‘best’ for all types of medical tourists.

Naturally, medical tourists tend to choose countries where healthcare is cheaper . Many medical tourists specifically seek private healthcare in foreign countries to guarantee their quality of care, but this will usually incur a cost . Even so, with access to shorter waiting times and higher-quality treatment, many medical tourists consider these costs to be worthwhile, especially when compared to the cost of treatment in their own country.

Tourism opportunities

As a medical tourist, you may end up spending several weeks or even months in a foreign country while you undergo treatment and recovery. For this reason, medical tourists tend to opt for countries that are safe , pleasant and perhaps even offer opportunities for them to work abroad . Medical tourists will often combine their medical treatment with a holiday , leading many to choose tourism hotspots as their medical tourism destinations.

With that said, according to data from the International Medical Travel Journal , these countries rank as the top 10 medical tourism destinations in the world:

Medical tourists per year (2019)

Medical care can vary widely between countries

We look at the countries with the best healthcare in the world.

Other countries that ranked highly for medical tourism in 2019 included Russia (200,000 visitors), USA (200,000), Belarus (150,000), Spain (140,000), Poland (100,000) and Germany (100,000).

However, it is important to remember that the most popular countries are not necessarily the best . Different countries offer different standards of healthcare, and may specialise in different types of treatment.

The best places for medical tourism are those that can offer the best treatment for you at the best price .

In a 2011 report on medical tourism, the OECD gave the following figures as an illustration of the price medical tourists could expect to pay for treatment in foreign countries. Notice how certain treatments are especially cheap in some countries.

Cost per treatment (USD$)

Heart valve replacement

Hip replacement

Gastric bypass

Breast augmentation

Breast reduction

Nose job (rhinoplasty)

Dental implants

Just because you are travelling to another country or region for medical or wellness reasons doesn’t necessarily mean you are taking part in medical tourism .

Medical tourism is defined as travelling to another country specifically for cheaper, more accessible treatment . The majority of medical tourists travel for elective treatments (for instance, plastic surgery or dental work) that are available in their home country, albeit at a higher cost. Some medical tourists also travel to receive higher-quality treatment than they would find in their own country.

‘ Travelling for treatment ’ is different to medical tourism in the sense that those travelling for treatment are more likely to be referred by doctors in their home country.

For instance, as an expat you may at some point require specialist treatment that is not available in your home country. In these instances, you may be referred by your doctor to a hospital in a different city or region, a different country, or perhaps your home country, in order to undergo this treatment.

This is a common practice, even in highly-developed countries. It is especially common if you are living in a remote area with limited access to hospitals, a small country with limited health facilities such as Andorra, or if you are living in a poorer or less-developed country where access to healthcare is limited .

While it is becoming hard to separate the statistics for the number of people who travel for essential treatment vs. medical tourists , there are several key differences between travelling for treatment and medical tourism :

Medical tourism

Travelling for health

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How can international health insurance help?

If you are covered by international health insurance , you may be entitled to receive treatment at private medical facilities . This is to ensure you receive the best-quality treatment and care, and so that you are more likely to find medical professionals who speak your native language .

These medical facilities may not always be in the country or region you are living in. In these cases, your insurer may arrange a ‘ medical evacuation ’ or Medevac for emergency life or limb-threatening medical treatment when it is not available locally.

As an expat or digital nomad with international health insurance, you may also find that your policy covers you not just in one country, but within a much wider ‘ coverage zone . This is to ensure you can receive high-quality medical treatment wherever you move in the world.

Some international health insurance policies offer you worldwide coverage, while others cover specific continents or regions. (Expats in the United States may need special USA-only policies, as the healthcare system is very different there.)

Unsure which insurance product you need?

We compare domestic, international and travel insurance.

What you should know about travelling abroad for medical care

Undergoing medical treatment is stressful at the best of times . For patients who need to travel to another country for treatment, the stress is likely to be significantly greater.

That’s why it’s important to remember these things when travelling abroad for medical care, whether you are travelling for essential care or for medical tourism:

Bring a spouse or relative

Travelling for any medical procedure can be extremely nerve-wracking , so you will want to have someone you love nearby. Many medical tourism operators are accommodating of guests, and if you are covered by international health insurance your insurance provider will usually cover at least one person to travel with you.

This person can support you while you are recovering , both emotionally and when it comes to running errands – this will be extra-essential when you are recovering in a foreign country.

Choose a reputable operator

If you are travelling abroad for medical tourism, it’s essential to choose a provider with a strong reputation .

These operators are more likely to have access to the best hospitals and medical professionals, and a good track record with plenty of patient testimonials under their belts. They should also be able to find doctors who speak your native language. And they will be responsible for keeping you safe while you are abroad, so it’s important to know their patient duty of care .

If you are covered by international health insurance, you won’t need to worry – your provider will be able to connect you with a medical facility within their own network . At William Russell, we have 40,000 such facilities in our own global network who have helped people get the best possible experience when seeking medical assistance abroad.

Always consult your insurance provider

If you are an expat or digital nomad with international health insurance and considering getting surgery abroad as a medical tourist, it’s important to speak to your insurer.

Undergoing elective treatment in a foreign country, especially if it is one outside your coverage zone, may jeopardise your insurance policy. If something goes wrong while you are abroad – either as a result of your treatment or in any other context – you may not be able to make a claim through your insurance provider. If you develop complications while in your coverage zone as a result of your treatment abroad, these may also not be covered.

The silver lining is that your insurance provider may be able to help you seek and fund the cost of treatment through your existing policy. That’s why it’s always best to consult your insurer first.

Where are the best places in the world to live and work?

We look at the 5 best countries for expats and digital nomads, coverage that travels with you.

For expats and digital nomads living abroad, international health insurance can give you total peace of mind when it comes to seeking medical care.

With international health insurance you’ll benefit from our global network of 40,000 private medical facilities, with doctors who speak your language and medical evacuation cover included in case you need life or limb-threatening emergency treatment that is not available locally.

Speak to William Russell today to learn more about how international health insurance could help to access high-quality medical treatment worldwide.

Looking for international health insurance?

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DESTINATION

United States

1. Overview

Brief introduction to the country and its reputation in medical tourism.

The United States of America is known around the world for its cutting-edge medical research, highly qualified healthcare professionals, and state-of-the-art medical facilities. As a result, it has become a leading destination for medical tourism, attracting patients from various countries seeking specialized treatments and procedures not readily available or affordable in their home nations. The U.S. healthcare system is renowned for its high standard of care and offers a broad range of treatments from elective surgeries to life-saving interventions.

Historical and Cultural Significance in Medicine

Historically, the United States has been a pioneer in medical research and innovation. From the discovery of insulin to groundbreaking work in genomics and robotics, the nation has long been at the forefront of medical advancements. Furthermore, American institutions have been the recipients of numerous Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, signifying its pivotal role in the medical landscape. Culturally, the U.S. is often viewed as a melting pot of diverse medical philosophies, blending various global perspectives to create a comprehensive healthcare system.

Diverse Medical Landscape

One of the unique aspects of medical tourism in the United States is the diversity of treatments and healthcare options available. Whether it's world-class cancer centers, renowned cardiac care facilities, or holistic wellness retreats, the U.S. caters to a wide array of medical needs and preferences. Patients can expect a high level of customization and a patient-centric approach, designed to provide the best possible outcomes.

Access to Pioneering Technologies

The U.S. is home to some of the world’s most advanced medical technologies, many of which were developed within its borders. From the latest MRI and surgical robotics to innovative drug therapies, the country offers medical tourists access to cutting-edge treatments that may be unavailable or unaffordable in their home countries.

2. Popular Medical Procedures

List of procedures.

Medical tourists often visit the United States for specialized treatments that include, but are not limited to:

• Oncology services
• Cardiac surgeries
• Orthopedic procedures
• Cosmetic surgeries
• Transplant surgeries
• Neurological treatments

Specializations and Pioneering Treatments

The United States specializes in precision medicine, genomics, and robotic-assisted surgeries among other advanced treatments. It is also a leader in pioneering minimally invasive surgical techniques and targeted cancer therapies. These innovations not only improve success rates but also reduce recovery time and increase the overall patient experience.

3. Top Hospitals & Clinics

List of renowned hospitals.

• Mayo Clinic
• Cleveland Clinic
• Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Massachusetts General Hospital

Accreditation and Affiliations

Most top hospitals in the United States are accredited by organizations such as the Joint Commission or the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP). These organizations ensure that healthcare providers maintain high standards of patient care and safety.

Special Features, Awards, or Recognitions

Many American hospitals are recognized globally for their clinical excellence, patient safety, and cutting-edge medical research. Awards such as the Magnet Recognition for Nursing Excellence are often indicators of a high standard of care.

4. Cost Comparison

Comparative data.

Medical procedures in the United States are often more expensive than in other countries. For example, a hip replacement may cost between $30,000 and $40,000 in the U.S., compared to $10,000 to $15,000 in countries like India or Thailand. However, the quality of care and access to advanced technologies can justify the higher costs for some patients.

Price Ranges

Prices for medical procedures can vary widely depending on the hospital and the state. It is crucial to consult various sources and get multiple quotes before making a decision.

5. Quality & Safety

Medical standards and practices.

The United States adheres to some of the strictest medical standards in the world, enforced by federal and state laws. These regulations are designed to ensure the highest quality of patient care and safety.

Accreditation Systems, Regulatory Bodies, and Quality Checks

Organizations like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) play pivotal roles in ensuring the safety and efficacy of medical treatments and devices.

Patient Safety Protocols and Patient Rights

Patient safety is a high priority, with protocols in place for everything from sanitation and infection control to patient confidentiality. Patients also have the right to informed consent and the right to seek a second opinion.

6. Medical Visa Information

Guidelines and requirements.

For medical treatment in the United States, foreign nationals generally require a B-2 visa. Requirements for this visa include proof of medical appointment and financial ability to pay for treatments.

Duration, Documentation, and Application Process

Typically, a B-2 visa allows for a stay of up to six months, extendable in certain situations. Necessary documentation includes valid passports, medical records, and proof of financial ability to pay for treatments.

Other Travel-related Advisories or Restrictions

It’s important to consult the U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country for the most current travel advisories or restrictions related to health and safety.

7. Cultural Considerations

Local customs and etiquette.

While the United States is generally accommodating and tolerant, it is advisable to understand some basic social norms, such as tipping service providers and respecting personal space.

Language(s) Spoken

English is the primary language spoken in healthcare facilities. However, interpreters are often available for non-English-speaking patients.

Dietary Considerations or Restrictions

Hospitals generally offer a variety of meal options, including those that cater to specific dietary needs or religious restrictions.

8. Travel & Accommodation

Popular and recommended areas to stay.

Major cities with top healthcare facilities often have a range of accommodation options, from budget hotels to luxury resorts.

Proximity to Medical Facilities

Accommodations are often available within close proximity to medical facilities, and some hospitals even offer on-site lodging options for patients and families.

Transportation Facilities and Infrastructure

The United States has a well-developed public and private transportation network, making it convenient for medical tourists to move between accommodations, healthcare facilities, and tourist spots.

Recommendations for Post-procedure Relaxation and Recuperation

Depending on the nature of the treatment, locations near natural reserves, beaches, or wellness retreats are often recommended for relaxation and recovery.

9. Legal & Ethical Considerations

Information about legal rights.

Patients have the right to informed consent, confidentiality, and to seek a second opinion. Legal avenues exist for cases of medical malpractice.

Details About Medical Malpractice Laws

Medical malpractice laws vary by state, but generally, patients have the right to compensation if harmed due to negligence.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical guidelines are strictly adhered to, particularly in sensitive matters like organ transplantation and experimental treatments.

10. Benefits & Risks

Medical tourists can expect high-quality care, access to advanced technologies, and a wide range of specialized treatments.

Potential risks include higher costs and the complexities related to travel, such as the physical stress of long flights.

11. Post-procedure Care

Post-operative care.

American hospitals offer comprehensive post-operative care, including follow-up appointments and access to rehabilitation services.

Availability and Quality of Rehabilitation Centers

Rehabilitation centers, often affiliated with top hospitals, provide specialized care designed to accelerate recovery and improve outcomes.

12. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Typical questions.

• What are the visa requirements for medical treatment in the U.S.?
• How can I verify the credentials of a U.S. healthcare provider?
• What are my rights as a patient?
• How do I plan my stay for medical treatment and recovery?

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As a huge country, the contiguous United States is home to a wide variety of climates. However, in general, it has a continental climate, with cold winters (often frigid) and hot summers (sometimes very hot), with a different season duration depending on latitude and distance from the sea. There are, however, some exceptions: on the west coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the climate is cool and damp in the northern part and Mediterranean in the southern part. On the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the climate is mild in winter and hot and muggy in summer. In Florida, the weather is near-tropical. Ruggid settings like the Rocky Mountains are cold in winter and often cool, even in summer. The southwest features deserts which are mild in winter and scorchingly hot in summer.

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Medical tourism and national health care systems: an institutionalist research agenda

Daniel béland.

Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, 101 Diefenbaker Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B8 Canada

Amy Zarzeczny

Although a growing body of literature has emerged to study medical tourism and address the policy challenges it creates for national health care systems, the comparative scholarship on the topic remains too limited in scope. In this article, we draw on the existing literature to discuss a comparative research agenda on medical tourism that stresses the multifaceted relationship between medical tourism and the institutional characteristics of national health care systems. On the one hand, we claim that such characteristics shape the demand for medical tourism in each country. On the other hand, the institutional characteristics of each national health care system can shape the very nature of the impact of medical tourism on that particular country. Using the examples of Canada and the United States, this article formulates a systematic institutionalist research agenda to explore these two related sides of the medical tourism-health care system nexus with a view to informing future policy work in this field.

In this era of globalized medicine, when international travel and access to online health information are readily accessible, medical tourism is an important issue both for national health care systems and from a global health perspective [ 1 – 3 ]. Patients from countries around the world are exercising increasing degrees of autonomy over their health care options by obtaining information from sources other than their regular health care providers and, in some cases, by electing to pursue care alternatives outside their domestic medical system. Medical tourism is a broad and inclusive term that captures a wide range of diverse activities [ 3 ]. It has been defined as “the practice of travelling to another country with the purpose of obtaining health care (elective surgery, dental treatment, reproductive treatment, organ transplantation, medical checkups, etc.),” and is generally distinguished from both care sought for unplanned medical emergencies that occur abroad and from formal bi-lateral medical trade agreements [ 4 , 5 ]. Individual motivations for engaging in medical tourism vary widely and may include imperatives such as avoiding wait times, reducing costs, improving quality, and accessing treatments not available or legal in the home jurisdiction, or for which the individual is not eligible [ 5 – 8 ].

While medical tourism is far from new, shifting patient flow patterns and a growing recognition of the complex ethical, social, economic, and political issues it raises are underscoring renewed efforts to understand this phenomenon and its future [ 3 , 9 , 10 ]. Some of the current attention focused on medical tourism concerns its implications and potential risks for individual patients and health care systems [ 11 – 13 ]. Medical tourism impacts both importing and exporting health care systems, albeit in different ways [ 14 ]. Various terms exist to describe trade in health services [ 15 ]. For the purpose of this discussion, we will use importing or destination to describe systems whereby patients come from other jurisdictions to receive care, and exporting to describe the departure of individuals from their domestic medical system to pursue health services elsewhere. Recognizing that there are important knowledge gaps and a need for definitional clarity and further empirical work to understand the effects of medical tourism on the countries involved [ 16 ], concerns for importing or destination systems include, though are not limited to, ethical questions about inequity of access for local residents versus high paying visitors and about the “brain drain” of local talent into private, for-profit organizations focused on non-resident care [ 15 ]. Conversely, the issues exporting systems face often revolve around implications for domestic health care providers, the potential for patients to avoid domestic wait lists, and the costs of follow-up care upon patients’ return [ 12 ]. For example, research from Alberta, Canada, suggests that the financial costs associated with treating complications from medical tourism for bariatric surgery are substantial, and complication rates are considerably higher than similar surgeries conducted in Alberta (42.2–56.1% versus 12.3% locally) [ 6 ].

Although a growing body of literature has emerged to study medical tourism and address the policy challenges it creates for health systems [ 3 , 16 ], the comparative scholarship on medical tourism remains too limited in scope, a remark that should not hide the existence of a number of recent comparative studies in the field [ 17 – 19 ]. These studies demonstrate that comparative research is helpful in identifying both the unique and the most common policy challenges facing each country [ 20 ] and can, if done appropriately, offer learning opportunities [ 21 ]. Indeed, this process can facilitate policy learning (related terms include lesson drawing, policy transfer, diffusion, and convergence) whereby ideas, policies, or practices (e.g., regulatory tools) in one jurisdiction inform or shape those in another [ 22 , 23 ].

With a view to ultimately informing policy related to medical tourism, this article discusses the value of a comparative research agenda about medical tourism that stresses the multifaceted relationship between medical tourism and the institutional characteristics of national health care systems. On the one hand, these characteristics may shape the content of the demand for medical tourism among the citizens of a particular country [ 24 ]. From this perspective, as argued, existing typologies of health care systems can shed light on the varying features of the demand for medical tourism across countries. In other words, different types of health care systems are likely to produce different configurations of demand for medical tourism, which influences the range of policy instruments available to governments and other actors seeking to influence decision-making and behavior within their particular context [ 25 ]. On the other hand, the institutional characteristics of each national health care system may also shape the very nature of the impact of medical tourism on that system. Accordingly, the institutional characteristics of health care systems, such as insurance structures [ 26 ], may impact both citizens’ demand for medical tourism and the ways in which medical tourism affects each country. Obtaining a better understanding of these relationships may inform new ways of thinking about both the challenges and opportunities medical tourism presents. As medical tourism markets continue to grow and diversify, and as domestic health care systems increasingly feel the stress of limited resources, this kind of work will be critical to support policymakers and health system leaders in their efforts to mitigate the potential harms of medical tourism while, at the same time, responding to the needs of the citizens they serve [ 3 ].

Using the examples of Canada and the United States (US), this article proposes the use of an institutionalist research agenda to explore these two related sides of the medical tourism-health care system nexus as a central element of future policy strategies. We first take a comparative perspective on medical tourism and present what we see as key aspects of the issue from a policy perspective. Drawing on current evidence and leading literature in the field, we highlight ways in which national health care systems shape the demand for medical tourism and then, in turn, how medical tourism impacts national health care systems. From this discussion, we identify four key lines of enquiry that we suggest are of critical importance in the medical tourism policy landscape and propose an agenda for future comparative research on medical tourism and national health care systems that could play an important role in informing future policy decisions in this area.

Medical tourism in comparative perspective

Although gathering robust data on the magnitude of medical tourism continues to be a challenge and more empirical work in this area is needed [ 3 , 5 , 10 , 12 ], a strong body of literature addresses different aspects of the issue. For example, research is improving understandings of how medical tourism impacts destination and departure jurisdictions [ 16 , 27 ], affects relationships with domestic health care providers [ 28 ], relates to economic factors including health system costs [ 29 ], and impacts clinical outcomes for patients [ 30 ], among other important lines of enquiry. However, much of this valuable scholarship focuses on particular forms of medical tourism in specific contexts (bariatric surgery [ 31 ], dental care [ 32 ], reproductive services [ 33 ], etc.) or on the policy and health system implications for individual jurisdictions [ 13 ]. There is an increasing amount of comparative research exploring how different features of health care systems may in some cases help drive demand for medical tourism and in other cases constrain it (i.e., push/pull factors), and how they relate to the impact of medical tourism [ 24 ], but more work remains to be done in this important area [ 4 , 10 ]. The potential value of data on the impact of medical tourism in one jurisdiction to structurally- similar systems (e.g., other universal public health care systems) has already been recognized [ 34 ]; we agree and suggest that going further with an associated analysis considering the role of their institutional features is critical. This approach is particularly valuable from a policy perspective, especially when it comes to maximizing opportunities for policy learning from other jurisdictions and to identifying and evaluating the respective strengths and limitations of different policy options for decision-makers seeking to, for example, discourage particular forms of medical tourism (e.g., organ transplant tourism [ 35 ]).

The governance of medical tourism in its various forms is complex and highly fragmented given its broad range of influential stakeholders (both state and non-state, individual and institutional), its international market-based nature, and its engagement of vastly different and often competing priorities and interests (e.g., profit-driven, patient care, autonomy, ethics, etc.). As a result, policy makers and health system leaders face considerable challenges when it comes to seeking to influence medical tourism markets, whether by encouraging their development or restricting access to them. Obtaining a better understanding of the institutional forces that shape the demand for, and impact of, medical tourism—and connecting those forces to the policy context—may help identify a broader range of tools and options decision- makers can employ to achieve their particular objectives with respect to medical tourism.

Looking at Canada and the US is an appropriate starting point for this comparative work and we use this comparison to ground our analysis of the value of an institutional research agenda as a policy strategy for addressing potential concerns and opportunities associated with medical tourism. While these neighboring countries are similar in many ways, there are dramatic differences in important institutional features of their respective health care systems, including funding and delivery models. The US is both an established importer and exporter of medical tourists, the latter supported in part by insurers offering medical tourism coverage in an effort to reduce the high costs associated with domestic health care services [ 11 , 36 ]. In contrast, the structure of Canada’s largely publicly-funded, single-payer medical system limits foreign access to non-emergent care and makes it challenging for Canadians to be reimbursed for care received abroad via medical tourism [ 7 ]. It also makes the current involvement of Canadians in medical tourism [ 37 ] a public policy issue because of its implications for the public purse.

How national health care systems shape demand for medical tourism

Because health care systems can be understood as relatively stable institutional settings that shape human behavior [ 38 , 39 ], their features are likely to impact the demand for medical tourism in a particular country or even, in the case of decentralized health care systems subject to considerable regional variation, in a particular region. Health care systems can vary greatly from one country to the next, or even from one region to the next within the same country. Accordingly, what citizens might be looking for when they seek medical treatment abroad is likely to fluctuate based on the nature of health care coverage, financing, and regulation they have at home. Research about these and other drivers is growing but important gaps in knowledge remain [ 5 ]. In other words, alongside factors like geographical mobility and travel costs, the institutional configurations of health care systems likely shape, at least in part, the types of services people are looking for based on what health services they can access in their home country, with what degree of quality and timeliness, and at what cost [ 24 ].

A comparison between Canada and the US is illustrative here. Starting with the Canadian context, universal coverage has existed in Canada since the early 1970s [ 40 , 41 ]. Under this framework, regardless of the province or territory in which they live, Canadian citizens and permanent residents are entitled to medically necessary health care services with no user fees, which are strictly prohibited under the 1984 Canada Health Act (CHA). Yet, although the CHA mandates comprehensive coverage for “all insured health services provided by hospitals, medical practitioners or dentists,” many services do not fall under this umbrella and the Canadian health care system has long waiting lists for many non-emergency surgeries like hip replacement [ 40 , 42 ]. Wait times vary from province to province but they are a source of frustration for many Canadians, some of whom elect to go abroad to get their non-emergency procedure done faster, even if they have to pay for it themselves, instead of relying on the slower public system back home [ 7 ]. Gaps in coverage within the single-payer system in important areas such as prescription drugs [ 43 ] and dentistry [ 44 ] also sometimes push Canadian citizens and permanent residents to go elsewhere for care to reduce costs. There are also a wide variety of medical treatments and health-related interventions offered in private markets that are either not available or not publicly funded in Canada. There are a variety of reasons for this lack of public funding, including those related to evidence (or, more precisely, the lack thereof) regarding safety and efficacy. For example, there is a large international market for unproven stem cell interventions that are not part of the approved standard of care in Canada or available in the publicly funded health care system [ 45 ]. Therefore, key motivations underlying the pursuit of Canadian medical tourism often relate to a desire to access care faster, to reduce out of pocket costs for care not covered by provincial health insurance, and/or to access options that are not available in Canada [ 7 ].

In the US healthcare system, where about 9% of the population remains uninsured despite the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 [ 46 ], people who lack insurance coverage but who face a medical need might go abroad to seek cheaper treatment. In fact, the high cost of care in the US has been recognized as a major factor pushing Americans to seek care at lower cost outside the US, an option that is facilitated by health care globalization [ 2 ]. For example, there is research documenting the strong market in the Mexican border city of Los Algodones for Americans seeking dentistry, optometrist, and pharmacy services [ 47 ]. Others may be motivated to return to systems with which they are more familiar, as is the case with the Mexican diaspora [ 24 ]. In the US, in contrast to Canada where universal coverage prevails, the lack of health care coverage is likely to be a key factor driving the demand for medical tourism. At the same time, waiting times are much less likely to drive the demand for medical tourism in the US, where waiting lists are less of an issue [ 40 ].

These brief remarks highlight how key institutional features in both Canada and the US shape patterns in the demand for medical tourism in these two countries, creating both similarities and differences between them. At the same time, regional differences in health system institutions within the two countries can also shape the demand for medical tourism within their borders. For instance, in states like Texas, where elected officials have thus far refused to expand Medicaid as part of the ACA [ 48 ], more people live without health care coverage than elsewhere (about 18% of the population as of March 2016 [ 49 ]), which may push them to look to Mexico for cheaper health care. Here the institutional characteristics of a state’s health care system and the geographical proximity to Mexico, coupled with the presence of a large population of Mexican descent who speak Spanish, are likely to favor cost-saving medical tourism from Texas to Mexico. This example highlights how geographical and even ethno-cultural factors can shape medical tourism alongside and even in combination with the institutional features of a particular health care system. This is also the case when we deal with issues such as dental care and cosmetic surgeries, which are not covered by many US public and private insurance plans [ 50 ].

How medical tourism impacts national health care systems

At the most general level, existing national and sub-national institutions may mediate the impact on particular countries of transnational processes stemming from globalization [ 20 , 51 ]. This general remark also applies to global medical tourism, which is unlikely to affect all national health care systems in the same way. Put bluntly, systems will react differently to external pressures, based in part on their own institutional characteristics. Those same institutional characteristics also form part of the policy matrix that shapes the options available to decision makers.

There are two central aspects to this story. First, we can look at how domestic health care institutions are specifically impacted by inbound medical tourism (i.e., destination countries at the receiving end of medical tourism). Research suggests that the way in which health care systems cope with foreign users, and what impact those foreign users have on the system, will vary according to the institutional characteristics of that system [ 16 ]. For instance, countries that attract many medical tourists could witness price increases and the diversion of services away from their less-fortunate citizens [ 1 ]. At the same time, the institutional features of national health care systems can explain why some countries attract more medical tourists than others. The comparison between Canada and the US is particularly revealing here. On the one hand, although some provinces have considered alternate approaches that would encourage inbound medical tourism as a source of revenue generation [ 52 ], at present the limited scope of private health care in Canada restricts the availability of medical tourism opportunities for wealthy foreigners seeking treatments. On the other hand, the large scope of private health care in the US makes that country an obvious target for wealthy medical tourists who can afford its high medical costs.

Second, and more important for this article, national health care institutions may also shape the way in which each country is affected by outbound medical tourism. For example, in a single-payer health care system such as Canada’s, both routine follow-up care and complications resulting from medical acts performed abroad are typically dealt with within the public system, engendering direct costs to taxpayers and potentially impacting access for others in the system (i.e., if physicians’ time is diverted to attend to emergent issues) [ 6 ]. The extent of these concerns varies depending on the urgency of the issue and whether it falls within hospital and physician services covered by the universal system (versus, for example, dental care where public coverage is more limited) [ 52 ]. By comparison, within the fragmented public-private US health care system, public programs may only absorb a fraction of the costs of complications related to outbound medical tourism, thus reducing their direct negative impact on taxpayers, whereas private insurance companies or individuals themselves might bear the majority of these costs.

The potential savings for outbound countries medical tourism generates are also likely to depend on the institutional features of each national or sub-national health care system [ 16 ]. In Canada, for instance, people who decide to go abroad for non-emergency surgeries might help reduce the length of waiting lists, although this positive impact might be limited by the fact that some of these surgeries are simply not available in Canada or, at least, not available to the individuals who seek treatments abroad (e.g., because of their age or health status). Because waiting lists are much less of an issue in the US [ 40 ], this potential benefit of medical tourism to domestic health care systems may be less relevant there.

Conversely, the prospect of affordable medical tourism may convince people in the US who do not have access to Medicaid, Medicare, or employer-based coverage that they do not need coverage at all, because they can always go abroad and save money should they need medical treatment. In this context, global medical tourism could interact with the question of whether people will seek coverage or not. At the same time, to save money, “US companies, such as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and United Group Programs, are now exploring the idea of including medical tourism as a part of their coverage,” a situation that could increase their administrative burden and create further complications along the road [ 53 ].

Policy implications

Our aim with the preceding high-level overview was to draw on existing knowledge to highlight not only that national health care institutions may shape the demand for medical tourism in a particular country or region, but also that the consequences of such tourism for national health care systems are likely similarly mediated by the institutional features of these systems. These connections have a number of important potential implications for health system governance of medical tourism and, more specifically, for the options available to policy makers seeking particular objectives. For example, depending on the jurisdiction, efforts to reduce demand for medical tourism could include a range of options such as investing resources targeted at reducing domestic wait times, expanding public health insurance, limiting public coverage for follow-up care needs, or educating the public about the potential risks associated with medical tourism [ 2 ], among other options. Conversely, efforts to encourage the development of a medical tourism industry within a particular jurisdiction might involve regulatory change to expand options for private system offerings and targeted marketing campaigns, again among other possibilities [ 5 , 17 ].

In fact, it has long been recognized the governments have a variety of tools or policy levers at their disposal when they seek to influence behavior [ 54 ]. Identifying which tool (or combination of tools) is likely to be most effective in a particular set of circumstances, such as medical tourism, requires a nuanced understanding of relevant institutional characteristics and situational factors. Accordingly, we propose that a comparative research agenda should be a key element of future analysis and decision-making efforts in this field. Such an agenda would not only help empirically test the above hypotheses about the institutional-medical tourism nexus, it could also help facilitate lesson drawing between jurisdictions that have attempted different approaches by helping pinpoint salient commonalities and points of difference between the systems that might initially explain, and ideally ultimately even predict, the likely results of particular policy initiatives.

Research agenda

We propose a comparative research agenda that aims to explore the relationship between medical tourism and key institutional features of national health care systems. Although some aspects of our research agenda are already present in the existing literature, we think studying these elements together and with a comparative policy lens would be of tremendous value to health system decision -makers seeking to navigate different objectives including, for example, avoiding “brain drain” from public to private health care, minimizing added costs to publicly funded systems, protecting vulnerable individuals, and facilitating patient autonomy.

Drawing on our review of the health care systems in Canada and the US, we have identified three key institutional features that we suggest are particularly relevant to medical tourism and its broader policy context. These key features are health care funding models, delivery structures (e.g., public/private mix, provider payment models, role of user choice, and competition between providers), and governance systems (e.g., location of authority, health care provider regulation, liability systems). Future empirical research may identify other more salient features and certainly an iterative approach may be valuable. Nonetheless, we suggest that these features would provide a useful starting point for the next step, which we propose be an exploration of how these institutional features relate to the following areas:

• (i) Patient flow patterns – e.g., inbound versus outbound, treatment destinations, types of treatment sought.
• (ii) Patient motivations – e.g., cost reduction, wait list avoidance, pursuit of quality, circumvention tourism.
• (iii) Health system interactions – e.g., costs and options for follow-up treatment, roles of domestic health care professionals.
• (iv) Existing policy levers – e.g., public and private insurance structures, incentive schemes, information campaigns, regulation.

These four areas are not intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all relevant lines of enquiry. However, they present a valuable starting point, particularly because of their relevance to policy instrument selection processes. Having said that, and although it is beyond the scope of this piece to go further than laying a foundation for this proposed research agenda, we suggest that future research take a broad and scoping approach to draw on existing data and information and, where possible, conduct new empirical work addressing these critical areas. With a view to identifying patterns and generating hypotheses, researchers will likely need to continually refine the initial assumptions, outlined above, about the relationships between different institutional features and aspects of medical tourism. Doing so will require careful thought regarding the selection of an appropriate scientific paradigm, with a view to research validity and reliability [ 55 ].

We also anticipate that end-users and important stakeholders, including elected officials, civil servants, health care providers, and patients and families, would have an important contribution to make to the research design and with respect to interpreting the findings, particularly as they relate to the identification and evaluation of policy options. One important limitation in this type of work will relate to data availability. We expect that comparative work of this nature and any future empirical analyses it includes will highlight gaps in knowledge and potentially trigger future research agendas. Overall, the research envisioned here should complement and augment ongoing efforts in the field to improve understandings of important factors including patient flows, expenditure trends, system impacts, and individual decision-making determinants, among others.

Conclusions

This article discussed the relationship between medical tourism and key institutional aspects of national health care systems with a view to highlighting the value in a comparative research agenda focused on identifying and evaluating policy options. First, we argued that these characteristics directly affect the demand for medical tourism in each country. Second, we suggested that such institutional characteristics shape the actual impact of medical tourism on that particular country . This discussion led to the formulation of an institutionalist research agenda about medical tourism. It is our hope that this proposed agenda will trigger discussion and debate, help develop future research, and inform new ways of thinking about medical tourism in the global landscape. Medical tourism is a complex phenomenon and we suggest that applying a comparative, institutional lens will shed new light on its drivers, constraints, and impacts and, in so doing, ultimately help inform policy development in this area.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Rachel Hatcher for the copy-editing support and anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions. DB acknowledges support from the Canada Research Chairs Program, and AZ funding from the Canadian National Transplant Research Program.

Authors’ contributions

DB wrote the theoretical paragraphs and AZ the paragraphs focusing more directly on medical tourism. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Authors information

DB has published extensively on institutionalism and on health care systems, and AZ has published extensively on health law and policy issues, including topics related to medical tourism.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Competing interests.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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S Africa proposes ‘innovative’ medical tourism plan allowing use of rhino horn

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South Africa is proposing allowing tourists to use rhino horn powder within its borders for its claimed medicinal effects as part of a wider strategy designed to extract more economic value from the country’s wildlife.

The government is also pushing a six-fold increase in the consumption of game meat, such as antelope, to R28bn ($1.5bn) by 2036 and a similar increase to R11.6bn of plant trade and bioprospecting, which involves the use of plants for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

The revamped 10-year plan, known as the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy, envisages particular financial benefits for Black communities historically excluded from the white-dominated wildlife and conservation industries.

It will include the expansion of game ranches and hunting on communal and traditionally held lands. Another goal is to increase the amount of land set aside for conservation from 20mn hectares to 34mn hectares by 2040, while enabling primarily Black communities to benefit economically.

Barbara Creecy, the environment minister, told the Financial Times that the proposals were a way of ensuring that “people in rural areas have an incentive for conservation”. If poorer South Africans living around game reserves were simply excluded, some would resort to land invasions and poaching, she said.

Annette Hübschle, an expert on wildlife conservation at the University of Cape Town, said the proposals challenged what she called a “fences and fines” approach to conservation that was in part a legacy of apartheid. She said the strategy looked “interesting on paper, but the proof of the pudding will be whether it translates into workable solutions”.

South Africa is home to roughly 80 per cent of the world’s wild rhinos, including some black rhinos which are classified as “critically endangered”. Creecy said 450 rhinos were poached last year.

The controversial plan acknowledges international support for a ban on the trade of rhino horn and elephant tusks under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), but says that South Africa should explore “innovative approaches” to domestic trade.

The strategy document includes allowing initiatives such as “health clinics to administer traditional remedies using rhino horn for health tourists from the Far East, or ivory carving being done locally for local sale and export for personal use”.

The plan, which has been approved by South Africa’s cabinet but is out for public consultation prior to its implementation, has sharply divided opinion.

Creecy said she was unsure if the proposal on rhino horn would “survive the public comment process”. There was a potential contradiction, she conceded, between South Africa’s position that rhino horn had no medicinal properties and its proposal to market it for medical tourism.

Rhino horn is made of keratin, which is the same protein that helps form human hair, nails and skin. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed to be a cure for fevers and snake bites and, more recently, has even been proposed as treatment for some forms of cancer.

Critics have branded South Africa’s plan a crude form of “extractive conservation” and say it applies a “farming ethic” to wild animals. Don Pinnock, a lecturer in criminology, said in an article in the Daily Maverick that the emphasis on “consumptive use” and game hunting risked permitting “poaching to be laundered within the legal framework”.

But there has also been strong support. Wandile Sihlobo, an agricultural economics lecturer at Stellenbosch university, said: “What the government is saying is, ‘Let’s give the communities an economic incentive to take care of these lands and assets.’ Having an environment that is pristine and people who are hungry is not fair. We have to find a balance.”

Sihlobo added that a large stock of horns had been created mainly from rhinos who had been trimmed to discourage poaching. “We have spent decades fighting poachers, so we should be open to this economic solution,” he said.

Kevin Leo-Smith, a director at Rhino Revolution, which advocates for “any positive approach” to conservation, including sustainable use of rhino horn from live animals, said the overall biodiversity strategy was an important step in applying an economic lens to conservation.

The medical tourism component was “creative”, he added, emphasising that the key was to make “a live rhino worth more than a dead rhino”.

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What is Sleep Tourism? Here's Everything You Need to Know About a Sleep Vacation

F ew things feel better after a long day of travel than sinking into the perfect bed. Depending on where you're headed, that refreshing mattress may be a given. However, not every bed is made the same, and some hotels are known for more comfortable sleeping arrangements than others. If a long night of rejuvenating sleep is your goal, then making sure your accommodations have the perfect mattress can be a game-changer. For many, the opportunity to rest and recharge is at the forefront of destination goals. And hotels are beginning to catch on, with some redoubling their efforts to appeal to sleep tourists and all those who prize an excellent night's sleep.

What is sleep tourism?

Poor sleep and lack of rest and recovery can be linked to poor health outcomes and lower rates of happiness. With that in mind, it's not surprising that people are increasingly booking vacations to deal with precisely these things. Imagine, instead of going sightseeing and shopping, you visit a place that offers top-of-the-line mattresses and every conceivable sleep amenity one can imagine. Some hotels might have hypnotherapists on hand, and others might include guest access to a sensory deprivation chamber. Increasingly, if you can imagine a sleep amenity, there's a business out there working to meet that need.

Sleep tourism isn't happening in a vacuum, however. Research has shown that many Americans aren't getting enough sleep and that it isn't of good quality when they are. If sleep were less important, this might be less problematic, but sleep is essential for good health and well-being. With great sleep becoming increasingly rare yet consistently important, sleep tourism has become a quickly booming industry.    

Everything a sleep hotel has to offer

Travel can be exhausting , so what's waiting for you when you arrive matters. Sleep trends and amenities can vary significantly between hotels, even among those specializing in sleep tourism. Depending on where you stay, you may expect to see some or many of the following amenities:

• Advanced smart bed mattresses
• Soft colors
• In-house sleep hypnotists
• Sleep masks
• Ambient sound generators
• In-house masseuse
• Personalized pillows
• Aromatherapy
• Smart lighting
• Teas and other soothing beverages
• Heated flooring

Some amenities, like spas and saunas, may be separate from the room, although not always. Hotels that offer masseuses and hypnotists may provide these services in your room.

Best sleep hotels

Not every hotel is well equipped for sleep tourism. More and more, however, are working to make themselves stand out as proper sleep hotels, perfect for the modern sleep tourist. These locales will help you counter jet lag from travel , but that's only the tip of the iceberg. While the list below is far from comprehensive, these hotels have earned a name for themselves as some of the best locations to sleep travel.

The Park Hyatt

This New York five-star hotel offers a handful of Restorative Sleep Suites among its many rooms. Included in the Hyatt's sleep amenities in these rooms are specialized AI mattresses made by Bryte. These rooms also have an aromatic diffuser and sleep-focused essential oils, among other amenities.

The Little Nell

This sleep hotel in Aspen, Colorado, has earned five stars and five diamonds. The Little Nell won the Reader's Choice award from 2017 to 2023 (barring 2022). Sleep-focused amenities include a Bryte Balance mattress, comfortable and relaxing décor, down comforters and pillows, steam showers, heated marble floors and walls, jacuzzi tubs, and more.

Four Seasons One Dalton

This five-star sleep hotel in Boston includes a specialized sleep ritual package for customers seeking rest and rejuvenation. This package includes guided breathing exercises, massage and aromatherapy. The hotel also includes an entire wellness floor, a gym, 24-hour room service and an indoor pool.

Lotte New York Palace

This New York hotel in midtown Manhattan offers its Hastens Ultimate Sleep Suite, which includes a top-of-the-line Hästens Vividus king-size bed and two queen-size Hästens beds in the guest bedroom. These luxurious suites also include deep soaking tubs, a library, a powder room, a dining room, a kitchen and more. The hotel offers a gorgeous view from its tower over Manhattan.

Hotel Figueroa

In business since 1926, this iconic Los Angeles hotel offers its signature Rest and Recovery Suite. The suite includes sleep amenities like a personal Pluto pillow, an Eight Sleep smart mattress with customizable settings, in-room fitness training, hyperice compression massage technology, specialized therapeutic lighting for sleeping and waking, advanced earplugs, air purifiers and access to guided meditation apps.

This Las Vegas hotel has many sleep amenities to help those visiting the City of Lights find rest and rejuvenation. Among these amenities are aromatherapy options, advanced air purification, a Stay Well memory foam mattress, specialized lighting to augment morning and night and more. The MGM Grand offers Stay Well rooms and suites, with some of the suites having extra amenities like spas or sweeping city views.

5 tips for sleeping in luxury

If you're having trouble sleeping but aren't ready to foot the bill for a sleep vacation, you may be interested in sprucing up your arrangements at home. With a little effort and insight, you can make your bedroom feel like a rejuvenating luxury hotel. The tips below may help you find deep, restful sleep at home :

Consider a mattress topper

One relatively quick, easy and inexpensive way to improve your bed's sleeping comfort is to add a mattress topper . These cushioned additions provide extra padding and support to the top layer of your mattress and can help with beds that are feeling worn out or excessively firm.

Upgrade your bedding

While the mattress is crucial to comfort, so is the bedding you put on it. Buying new sheets , blankets and pillows can go a long way toward improving your comfort at night.

Ensure your pillow fits your sleeping position

People sleep differently. Most people generally sleep on their side, back or stomach. Some people shift between these positions regularly, while others are more consistent. How you sleep can help determine what kind of pillows work best for you. For instance, people who sleep on their stomachs tend to benefit from low, thin pillows, while side sleepers often prefer loftier pillows. The trick is finding an arrangement that doesn't misalign your neck and spinal posture while you sleep.

Try pillow mist or a sleep mask

Many people find that aromatherapy can help with sleeping comfort, so they use pillow mists, a gentle blend of essential oils and water to be spritzed on the pillow. Sleep masks are another great amenity that can help one to let go of the day and drift into sleep. The mist helps your olfactory sense recognize comfort and rest, while the mask blocks light and informs the eyes that it's time to slumber.

Put up blackout curtains

One way that hotels provide a rest-ready environment is by carefully controlling the lighting with items like blackout curtains . Reducing the light entering the room creates an atmosphere of gentle darkness and quiet. These curtains can be added easily at home to provide the same restful benefit. 

Our Response to COVID-19 →

Wellness Travel & Tourism

Covid-19 and medical tourism in the united states.

In 2017, more than 1.4 million Americans sought healthcare outside the country, up from 750,000 a decade before. Fast forward to 2019, and the number rose by more than 25 percent to 1.9 million. Millions of Americans keep traveling every year to access quality and timely healthcare at a fraction of a cost in the US. But as the pandemic dealt a blow to the travel industry, the number dwindled substantially, raising a lot of uncertainty about the future of health travel in the country.

In the last decade, millions of Americans traveled abroad to access less expensive healthcare. Countries such as Costa Rica, India, Malaysia, South Korea, and Mexico were medical travel hub spots for a lot of Americans, many of whom lack health insurance or have health insurance plans that do not cover certain conditions and procedures. Americans who were uninsured could readily access these services for less than half the cost in the US, plus fun getaways and the beautiful travel experience that these destinations offer.

For instance, a dental implant procedure, which costs about $2,500 in US hospitals can be done at less than half the price in Costa Rica. Also, total hip replacement surgery, which costs $33,162 in the US can be done at Malaysian hospitals with comparable quality standards at $5,400. 

This cost disparity, coupled with the comparable quality of healthcare in these countries and the long wait times to access healthcare services in the US, drove many Americans to these countries for medical care. US companies and organizations also invested in this model of healthcare, sending patients through direct contract programs to specialist centers and renowned hospitals in these countries for affordable care. According to Medical Tourism CEO Jonathan Edelheit, many companies reported saving more than $20 million in five years by sending their employees to these medical travel hubs for orthopedic and bariatric surgeries.

These destinations further enjoyed an upswing of medical travel from the US as they began to secure international accreditations and retain US-trained experts in various medical specialties, assuring international patients of the quality of their healthcare delivery. By 2017, more than 800 hospitals had been accredited by the Joint Commission, with the number growing by 20 percent yearly, expanding the market for outbound medical travel in the US.

However, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, inbound medical travel ceased as governments implemented travel restrictions and bans across the world. The global hospital workforce was overstretched, leading many healthcare providers to suspend elective surgeries and procedures - which are the drivers of health travel.

As a result, US hospitals recorded massive revenue losses, with a bleak outlook as the outbreak resurges across the country and governments reintroduce travel restrictions. Mayo Clinic, for example, estimates a revenue loss of over $900 million for this year, as it records fewer elective surgeries and procedures, which make up more than half of its revenue. The decline in elective procedures has also ebbed down income by almost $70 million for Grady Health, Atlanta, a major player in the health travel business.

International travel restrictions are not the only factors limiting medical travel in the wake of the pandemic; interstate travel bans have also limited domestic medical travel, which was soaring in the US before the pandemic.

Walmart was one of the employers pushing domestic medical travel in the US. The company encouraged some of its employees to access medical care in centers of excellence in other parts of the US, covering their medical costs and travel expenses. Through this direct contracting initiative, Walmart employees could access cardiac procedures, transplant surgeries, and hip replacements in other locations in the US.

According to the American Hospitals Association, the drastic drop in both international and domestic patient inflow has led to hospitals losing an estimated $50 billion a month.

The future, therefore, looks very complex for medical tourism in the United States. With the largest number of confirmed cases globally and the recent resurgence in parts of the country up to record highs, the US may be heading for a further decline in medical travel, and a challenging recovery afterward. And experts say the industry may not begin to recover until 2022.

Multiple factors will determine the future of the medical travel market in the country, both on the supply and demand angles. The future may be met with a demand-supply mismatch that may cause the industry to implode further.

On the supply side, the American Hospital Association released a report in May, describing the financial impacts of the pandemic on hospital systems. First, the pandemic has increased the operational costs of many hospitals. Treatment costs and costs of medical equipment soared during the pandemic as a result of both the high demand for the equipment and disruptions to the supply chains caused by the travel restrictions. 

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the cost of treating a COVID-19 patient could be as high as $20,000, and up to $90,000 for those that require ventilators. Also, hospitals in New York City reported paying four times the usual price for medical gloves and over 15 times the usual cost of face masks. According to the Society for Healthcare Organization Procurement Professionals (SHOPP), the costs of the items went up by more than ten tens since the pandemic began.

Some of these hospitals also incurred additional costs to address medical staff shortages and meet surge demand in the wake of the outbreak. Coupled with the financial losses from canceled elective procedures and treatments, these rising costs caused intense financial strain on many providers, many of whom are beginning to run into debt.

This financial burden may, no doubt,  impact negatively on medical travel recovery in the country.

Resumption of air and cruise travel and the persistence of travel restrictions will impact medical travel recovery in the US. With dropping household incomes and unemployment induced by the pandemic and the looming shortage of healthcare providers in the countries, more tourists will prefer to seek healthcare outside the country for their pent-up medical needs. Incidentally, these countries, including Latin American and Southeast Asian nations, have opened their borders to US tourists as a strategy to revive their tourism industry. However, the US is still closed to many countries from which medical tourists travel, including the European Schengen area, the UK, and Brazil.

These visa restrictions and travel bans may reduce consumer confidence in the US, potentially impeding recovery for the industry. Strategies to rein in further spread of the outbreak, foster international collaborations, and ramp up medical capacities to meet the pent-up medical demand of medical tourists may pave the way for the rejuvenation of US medical travel.

These strategies will rely on concerted efforts by all stakeholders in the medical travel business, including the airline industry and logistics companies. These pull-and-push factors will determine the growth of the industry going forward and its position in the post-pandemic era.

Informed Decision-Making in Medical Tourism: The Significance of Clinical Outcome Reports

The synergy between telemedicine services and medical tourism marketing, elevating visibility: advanced seo strategies for medical tourism websites, crafting success: building an effective content marketing plan for medical tourism, navigating the future: emerging trends in medical tourism and their marketing implications, crafting a winning brand strategy for medical tourism facilities, the benefits of multi-language marketing in medical tourism, revolutionizing customer service in medical tourism with ai: a paradigm shift, exploring niche markets in medical tourism, continue reading, wellness korea: the landmark of korea’s largest medicinal herb market, wellness travel will be the focus in the post-pandemic era, america outbound: the free world has employees finding healthcare abroad, featured reading, medical tourism events and conferences: a marketing goldmine, navigating cultural competence in medical tourism marketing: a global approach, medical tourism magazine.

The Medical Tourism Magazine (MTM), known as the “voice” of the medical tourism industry, provides members and key industry experts with the opportunity to share important developments, initiatives, themes, topics and trends that make the medical tourism industry the booming market it is today.

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E.P.A. Says ‘Forever Chemicals’ Must Be Removed From Tap Water

The rule applies to a family of chemicals known as PFAS that are linked to serious health effects. Water utilities argue the cost is too great.

By Lisa Friedman

For the first time, the Biden administration is requiring municipal water systems to remove six synthetic chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems that are present in the tap water of hundreds of millions of Americans.

The extraordinary move from the Environmental Protection Agency mandates that water providers reduce perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS, to near-zero levels. The compounds, found in everything from dental floss to firefighting foams to children’s toys, are called “forever chemicals” because they never fully degrade and can accumulate in the body and the environment.

The chemicals are so ubiquitous that they can be found in the blood of almost every person in the United States. A 2023 government study of private wells and public water systems detected PFAS chemicals in nearly half the tap water in the country .

Exposure to PFAS has been associated with metabolic disorders, decreased fertility in women, developmental delays in children and increased risk of some prostate, kidney and testicular cancers, according to the E.P.A .

Michael S. Regan, the E.P.A. administrator, called the new regulation “life changing.”

“This action will prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses,” Mr. Regan said on a call with reporters on Tuesday. He described the rule as the most significant action the federal government has ever taken to reduce PFAS exposure in drinking water.

“We are one huge step closer to finally shutting off the tap on forever chemicals once and for all,” he said.

The E.P.A. estimated it would cost water utilities about $1.5 billion annually to comply with the rule, though utilities maintain that the costs could be twice that amount and are worried about how to fund it. States and local governments have successfully sued some manufacturers of PFAS for contaminating drinking water supplies, but the settlements awarded to municipalities have been dwarfed by the costs of cleaning up the chemicals, municipal officials said.

Industry executives say taxpayers will ultimately foot the bill in the form of increased water rates.

The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law provides $9 billion to help communities address PFAS contamination and the E.P.A. said $1 billion of that money would be set aside to help states with initial testing and treatment.

Mr. Regan is expected to formally announce the regulation on Wednesday in Fayetteville, N.C., near the site where, in 2017, a Chemours chemical plant discharged water contaminated with PFAS into the Cape Fear River, making the local drinking water unsafe.

Mr. Regan, who previously served as North Carolina’s top environmental regulator, oversaw the Cape Fear PFAS investigation at the time and forced Chemours to clean up the air, soil and water in the lower Cape Fear River basin communities.

In 2022, the E.P.A. found the chemicals could cause harm at levels “much lower than previously understood” and that almost no level of exposure was safe.

Under the new rule from the E.P.A., water utilities must monitor supplies for PFAS chemicals and would be required to notify the public and reduce contamination if levels exceeded the new standard of 4 parts per trillion for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Previously, the agency had advised that drinking water contain no more than 70 parts per trillion of the chemicals.

Public water systems have three years to complete their monitoring. If those samples show that levels of PFAS exceed the new E.P.A. standards, the utilities would have another two years to purchase and install equipment designed to filter out PFAS.

In a 2020 peer-reviewed study , scientists at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization, estimated that more than 200 million Americans had PFAS in their drinking water.

Public health advocates and scientists said the new regulation was overdue.

“A growing body of scientific research shows that PFAS chemicals are more harmful to human health than previously thought, and at extremely low levels,” said Anna Reade, director of PFAS advocacy at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group.

In just the past year, more than a dozen peer-reviewed studies have found evidence of additional health effects of PFAS exposure, including a delay in the onset of puberty in girls, leading to a higher incidence of breast cancer, renal disease, and thyroid disease; a decrease in bone density in teenagers, potentially leading to osteoporosis; and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes in women.

Dr. Susan M. Pinney, the director of the Center for Environmental Genetics at the University of Cincinnati, led a longitudinal study of young girls who had been exposed to PFAS after an industrial plant in West Virginia released the chemicals into the Ohio River.

She called the number of people exposed to PFAS around the country “mind boggling.”

Robert A. Bilott, an attorney who has spent more than two decades litigating the hazardous dumping of PFAS chemicals, said he had alerted the E.P.A. to the dangerous posed by the chemicals in drinking water as early as 2001. “It has taken far too long to get to this point, but the scientific facts and truth about the health threat posed by these man-made poisons have finally prevailed,” Mr. Bilott said.

The E.P.A. calculated the health benefits of the new regulation at about $1.5 billion annually from reductions in cancer, heart attacks and strokes and birth complications.

But Republicans and industry groups, along with many mayors and county executives, said the Biden administration had created an impossible standard that would cost municipal water agencies billions of dollars.

Several questioned E.P.A.’s accounting as well as the science used to develop the new standard.

The American Water Works Association, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and other groups representing water utilities estimated that the cost of monitoring and remediation of PFAS could be as much as $3.2 billion annually. The figure is based on an analysis conducted for the American Water Works Association by Black & Veatch, a firm of consulting engineers.

Communities with limited resources will be hardest hit by the new rule, they said.

“When regulations are set near zero, that is not something manufacturers or water systems can economically achieve,” Brandon Farris, the vice president of energy policy at the National Association of Manufacturers, wrote in a letter to the E.P.A. “Regulations that are not economically achievable will lead to critical substances being manufactured outside of the U.S. where environmental protections are often less stringent.”

Christina Muryn, the mayor of Findlay, Ohio, a town of about 50,000 people, said that, while clean drinking water is an imperative, the E.P.A. was requiring municipalities to meet new mandates without adequate support.

“That is very frustrating to me as a citizen, as a mayor, and as someone who is responsible for our water treatment system,” Ms. Muryn said.

Public health advocates said the costs of the new rule were outweighed by the growing body of evidence of the dangers posed by PFAS.

Widely used since the 1940s, the chemicals are useful in repelling water and oil. Nonstick pans have been most famously associated with PFAS but the chemicals can be found in water-repellent clothes and carpets, certain shampoos, cosmetics and hundreds of other household items.

Lisa Friedman is a Times reporter who writes about how governments are addressing climate change and the effects of those policies on communities. More about Lisa Friedman

Learn More About Climate Change

Have questions about climate change? Our F.A.Q. will tackle your climate questions, big and small .

“Buying Time,” a new series from The New York Times, looks at the risky ways  humans are starting to manipulate nature  to fight climate change.

Big brands like Procter & Gamble and Nestlé say a new generation of recycling plants will help them meet environmental goals, but the technology is struggling to deliver .

The Italian energy giant Eni sees future profits from collecting carbon dioxide and pumping it  into natural gas fields that have been exhausted.

New satellite-based research reveals how land along the East Coast is slumping into the ocean, compounding the danger from global sea level rise . A major culprit: the overpumping of groundwater.

Did you know the ♻ symbol doesn’t mean something is actually recyclable ? Read on about how we got here, and what can be done.

Disney is changing its DAS program: What guests with disabilities should know

Walt Disney World and Disneyland are changing their policies for guests with disabilities .

The Florida and California resorts will keep their popular Disability Access Service (DAS), but adjust qualifications, registration procedures, and length of validity to help ensure guests receive the accommodations they need.

“Disney is dedicated to providing a great experience for all guests, including those with disabilities, which is why we are so committed to delivering a wide range of innovative support services aimed at helping our guests with disabilities have a wonderful time when visiting our theme parks,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement.

Here’s what travelers with disabilities should know.

What is DAS? 

Disney World and Disneyland previously described their Disability Access Service as a program “to assist guests who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability.”

Guests who qualify for and enroll in DAS wait just as long as guests in the standby line, sometimes a little longer, but they don’t have to physically stay in the queue. Instead, they can join the line virtually, wait out the designated time elsewhere in the park, then return to the attraction for a shorter wait in person.

Who qualifies for DAS at Disney?

Not all disabilities impact the ability to tolerate long waits in traditional queues. For example, guests in wheelchairs or electric conveyance vehicles may still be able to wait in many lines in their mobility devices. 

New updates to the resorts’ accessibility webpages further clarify DAS’ intended audience: “Guests, who due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.”

How do you qualify for a Disney disability pass?

Registering for DAS involves meeting with a specially trained cast member, who can determine if DAS is the right fit.

In the past, that could be done in advance online or in person at both resorts. The conversation itself lasts just minutes, though online waits have historically taken longer.

Need accomodations? Travelers with disabilities will need this card at some theme parks

How is DAS changing?

Starting May 20 for Disney World, guests may only enroll in DAS with a virtual video meeting, not in person at the parks. It’s highly recommended to do so in the planning stages of the trip, but virtual chats will also be available on the day of visits. Again, they will no longer be available in person at Disney World.

Disneyland guests may continue to register for DAS with a virtual video call ahead of their trip, which is strongly encouraged, or in-person on the day of visits, but starting June 18, the location for registration will move from Guests Services inside the parks to the outside esplanade area between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

Virtual video calls will be similar to what existing and past DAS enrollees are used to having with cast members, but Disney is also partnering with Inspire Health Alliance , whose experts may be brought in.

DAS may be used by the enrollee and up to four companions (or more if there are more than four immediate family members who all want to experience an attraction together).

How long is DAS at Disney good for?

Guests who are previously enrolled in DAS may use it for 60 days from their date of registration, with no changes required.

New enrollees registering between now and May 19 at Disney World or June 17 at Disneyland will have up to 30 days to use the service, starting from their date of registration.

Beginning May 20 at Disney World and June 18 at Disneyland, new DAS enrollments will be valid for 120 days, double the previous 60.

Why is Disney making these changes?

DAS has become the most requested service at Disneyland and Disney World in recent years, with the volume of users eclipsing the program’s intended audience and numbers only expected to grow. That in turn impacts waits and experiences for those who need the accommodations. 

The changes are designed to help ensure DAS reaches its intended audience. Meanwhile, Disney is also increasing the number of specially trained cast members to help guests with other access needs find the right accommodations for them. 

Those may include American Sign Language interpretation, Disney Handheld Devices that provide captions and visual descriptions for guests with hearing impairment, braille guidebooks and maps, sensory guides for attractions, and at Disneyland, Location Return Times for guests with mobility devices or other physical needs that can’t be accommodated by older, non-wheelchair accessible attraction queues.

What does Disney consider a disability? 

Disney recognizes all kinds of disabilities and access needs, many of which are invisible.

While guests won’t find an exhaustive list of disabilities on Disney’s websites, their newly updated accessibility pages serve as a first stop in navigating accommodations.

Cast members are also available to answer questions in staffed virtual chats. 

Does Disney request proof of disability?

Disney does not require documentation proving disability or access needs, nor will they be required with these upcoming changes.