The healthcare system and hospital facilities in the USA

Healthcare in the USA has always been a controversial subject, and this controversy has reached a peak in recent years with Barack Obama’s Healthcare reforms.

The USA has no state provided healthcare system like the NHS, but rather each individual, or their employer, is expected to take out health insurance to pay for their care. There is assistance for the underprivileged and those on low incomes, called Medicaid, but this has proved to be a less than satisfactory system. The new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Acts, finally pushed through the American legislature in 2010, aims to make healthcare available to all, and to help over 50 million Americans who don’t have, or can’t afford health insurance, to get the cover they need at a price they can afford.

Unlike most medical tourism destinations, where patients are attracted by low prices, private healthcare in the USA is relatively expensive, and when combined with the cost of travel and accommodation, may actually be considerably more expensive. This is why three quarters of a million Americans travel abroad for healthcare every year.

However, the USA can offer the medical tourist the cutting edge treatments that may not be available elsewhere. High quality training and investment produces world leaders in the fields of cardiovascular surgery, neurology and oncology, who are able to offer life saving treatments that make the costs worth every penny.

In a recent report by McKinsey & Co., it was found that of the 85,000 medical tourists that visited the USA in 2008, 40% were searching for the world’s most advanced technologies and 32% were seeking treatment that was unavailable in their home country, while just 9% were seeking treatment at a lower cost.

In the USA, the medical tourist can expect the very highest standards of care, equipment and facilities during their trip, with many clinics arranging everything from flights and accommodation to concierge services.

Since around 70% of American hospitals are not-for-profit organizations, medical tourism is seen by many as an important income stream, with the total market attracting an estimated $1billion in revenue from overseas patients every year. This in turn enhances their ‘bottom line’, allowing them to offer better services to the rest of their patients, especially those on lower incomes.

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If you want to know more about the options for medical tourism in the USA, take a look at the services available: 

• Orthopaedic surgery in the USA, such as hip and knee replacement, spine surgery, hand and wrist surgery, foot and ankle surgery and shoulder and elbow surgery.

• Elective surgery in the USA, such as vascular surgery, hernia repair, and general surgery including minimally invasive or 'keyhole' techniques.

  • Heart surgery in the USA, such as coronary artery bypass grafting, angioplasty, heart valve replacement.