United States
Medical Tourism in the United States
A Trusted Destination for Medical Treatment
Although much attention has been given to the growing trend of uninsured or underinsured Americans traveling to foreign countries to seek medical treatment, a McKinsey and Co. report from 2008 found that an estimated 60,000 to 85,000 medical tourists traveled to the United States for the purpose of receiving in-patient medical care. The availability of advanced medical technology and sophisticated training of physicians are cited as driving motivators for growth in foreigners traveling to the U.S. for medical care. Also, it has been noted that the decline in value of the U.S. dollar is offering additional incentives for foreign travel to the U.S.
Several major medical centers and teaching hospitals in the U.S. offer international patient centers that cater to patients from foreign countries who seek medical treatment in the U.S. Many of these organizations offer service coordinators to assist international patients with arrangements for medical care, accommodations, finances, and transportation including air ambulance services.
Medical Innovation in the United States
In the U.S., the manufacture and production of pharmaceuticals and medical devices is carried out by private companies. The research and development of medical devices and pharmaceuticals is supported by both public and private sources of funding. In 2003, research and development expenditures were approximately $95 billion with $40 billion coming from public sources and $55 billion coming from private sources. These investments into medical research have made the United States the leader in medical innovation, measured either in terms of revenue or the number of new drugs and devices introduced. In 2006, the U.S. accounted for three quarters of the world’s Biotechnology revenues and 82% of world R&D spending in Biotechnology. According to multiple international pharmaceutical trade groups, the high cost of patented drugs in the U.S. has encouraged substantial reinvestment in such research and development. This greatly helps the United States stay ahead in the advancement of medical innovation.
Best Hospitals in the United States
The U.S. News & World Report magazine evaluated nearly 5,000 hospitals to rank the best in 16 adult specialties from cancer to urology. Death rates, patient safety, and reputation with more than 9,000 specialists went into the 2010-11 rankings. Of 152 hospitals ranked in at least one specialty, 14 of them were featured in an Honor Roll for landing near the top in at least six specialties.
Rankings by Specialty:
- Cancer
- Diabetes & Endocrinology
- Ear, Nose & Throat
- Gastroenterology
- Geriatrics
- Gynecology
- Heart & Heart Surgery
- Kidney Disorders
- Neurology & Neurosurgery
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopedics
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonology
- Rehabilitation
- Rheumatology
- Urology
Cancer
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
1.) University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center - Houston, TX
2.) Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center - New York, NY
3.) Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN
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Diabetes & Endocrinology
Massachusetts General Hospital
1.) Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN
2.) Massachusetts General Hospital - Boston, MA
3.) Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
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Ear, Nose & Throat
UPMC-University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
1.) Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
2.) Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital - Boston, MA
3.) UPMC-University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - Pittsburgh, PA
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Gastroenterology
Mayo Clinic
1.) Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN
2.) Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
3.) Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
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Geriatrics
Mount Sinai Medical Center
1.) Mount Sinai Medical Center - New York, NY
2.) Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center - Los Angeles, CA
3.) Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
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Gynecology
Brigham and Women's Hospital
1.) Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
2.) Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN
3.) Brigham and Women's Hospital - Boston, MA
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Heart & Heart Surgery
Cleveland Clinic
1.) Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
2.) Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN
3.) Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
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Kidney Disorders
Mayo Clinic
1.) Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN
2.) Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
3.) Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
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Neurology & Neurosurgery
Johns Hopkins Hospital
1.) Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
2.) Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN
3.) Massachusetts General Hospital - Boston, MA
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Ophthalmology
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami
1.) Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami -Miami, FL
2.) Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
3.) Wills Eye Hospital - Philadelphia, PA
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Orthopedics
Hospital for Special Surgery
1.) Hospital for Special Surgery - New York, NY
2.) Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN
3.) Massachusetts General Hospital - Boston, MA
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Psychiatry
McLean Hospital
1.) Massachusetts General Hospital - Boston, MA
2.) Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
3.) McLean Hospital - Belmont, MA
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Pulmonology
National Jewish Health
1.) National Jewish Health - Denver, CO
2.) Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN
3.) Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
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Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
1.) Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago - Chicago, IL
2.) Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - West Orange, NJ
3.) University of Washington Medical Center - Seattle, WA
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Rheumatology
Hospital for Special Surgery
1.) Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
2.) Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
3.) Hospital for Special Surgery - New York, NY
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Urology
Johns Hopkins Hospital
1.) Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, MD
2.) Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
3.) Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN
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Why do Individuals Come to the U.S. for Medical Treatment?
For many decades, the United States has been well known for its excellent health care system. People from all over the world have come to the United States to get major surgical procedures done or to have continuous long-term care available to them for lifetime diseases or illnesses, such as cancer. Also, there is a foreign vision insurance plan where people from other countries can buy this package for just one procedure. For example, someone from England can buy vision insurance in the U.S. only for their eye surgery or yearly eye exams and nothing else, if that is what they want. There are many reasons why people, including royalty from other nations choose to have their healthcare completed in America. Below is a list of explanations as to why people come to the U.S. for health care:
1. In the U.S., people can collaborate with their doctors about their treatment options and final decision. In many other countries, the government is involved in medical decisions, so some people do not get the proper care they need. This is why they come to the United States. This is especially true for complex surgical procedures that they may not be able to get in their own country and for long-term treatment for an illness such as cancer. It is much easier for these people to get radiation or chemotherapy in the U.S. because it is given much more readily here.
2. America has some of the best hospitals in the world. Cleveland, for example, as shown above, has one of the best heart hospitals in the world. In fact, a Saudi prince came to this hospital to have heart surgery. Also, Cincinnati has a children's hospital that is also well-known throughout the globe for its incredible work with sick children.
3. The doctors in America are very well trained. It takes six years of schooling and then more time to complete a residency program before a doctor can even think about having their own practice or joining one that is already established. The medical schools in the U.S. are really difficult to complete.
4. The United States has been known for decades for having the most advanced treatments in the world. Studies have consistently shown that cancer patients have at least tripled the chances of surviving cancer compared to any other country around the globe. The state of the art technology in the U.S. has helped it to become the best in the world as far as long-term care and many surgical procedures. There are many more reasons that are not on this list that explain why individuals choose to seek treatment for a long-term illness or to have surgery in the United States. America offers the some of the best care in the world and at a cost that can be fairly reasonable. However, this is beginning to change as developing countries are becoming more popular when it comes to minor surgical procedures, since these countries have begun to catch up with the U.S. when it comes to technology and talented doctors.
So What Are You Waiting For?
With the world’s best hospitals, doctors, and surgeons, and the most advanced medical innovation, why not make the U.S. your destination for your medical treatment?
Feel free to contact us now. If you are in the USA or Canada, call us toll free at 1.888.832.2089. If you are calling from an international location, please dial us directly at 1.949.783.6827. You can also click on CONTACT US in the menu above and submit your information in the contact form.
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