Eleven million people worldwide travel to other countries for low-cost medical treatment. This kind of travel is known as “medical tourism.” Experts say people spend hundreds of billions of dollars on medical tourism every year. And, experts predict the industry will grow by up to 25 percent a year over the next 10 years. VISA and Oxford Economics recently studied medical tourism trends. The study found that such travel is increasing because of the rising cost of medical treatments, the aging of societies and advances in international transportation. About 340 new international airports will be built in the next 10 years, VISA says. A company called MedRepublic is connecting doctors with people around the world who need medical care. Robert Page founded the company. “Our software allows patients to use our website so they can search for doctors directly and talk to them," he said. Page says the top country for medical tourism is Thailand. The United States is second. He says the United States is “a country with a level of specialized medicine not found elsewhere.” The recent VISA study says the United States was the top destination for medical tourism, not Thailand. It also found an increasing number of people are traveling to Singapore, Germany, Korea, Spain, Britain, Canada and Israel for medical care. The VISA report predicts China will become the top destination within the next 10 years. Between 750,000 and 1.8 million Americans leave the country for medical reasons every year because of the high costs of treatments and surgeries. Page says Mexico is a common choice for American medical tourists. “For Americans, the main destination is Mexico due to its geographical proximity and the relationship between both countries. The main reason is treatment for cancer,” he said. Many Americans also travel to other countries for plastic surgery, dental surgery, gastric bypasses and orthopedic surgeries. Susy Pozo was a medical tourist. Four years ago, she traveled to Mexico for stomach surgery. “I used to weigh 194 pounds," (or 88 kilograms). I had many health issues. It’s very expensive in the U.S. I was worried because of the security in Puerto Vallarta, but four years ago I made the best decision of my life: I traveled to Mexico and had stomach surgery at the Puerto Vallarta hospital.” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that there are risks connected to less-costly medical treatments in other countries. Robert Page of MedRepublic says his company tries to lower those risks by helping patients talk directly with foreign doctors. “We are trying to resolve those issues with the right kind of information to show that a doctor and a hospital in India, for example, offer the same quality as a doctor or a hospital in the United States.”
Title: Many Americans Travel to Other Countries for Medical Care
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/medical_tourism.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Many Americans Travel to Other Countries for Medical Care' data-article-id='2105'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='7938'>Eleven million people worldwide travel to other countries for low-cost medical treatment.</span> <span data-start-time='7938' data-end-time='13313'>This kind of travel is known as “medical tourism.”</span> <span data-start-time='13313' data-end-time='22688'>Experts say people spend hundreds of billions of dollars on medical tourism every year.</span> <span data-start-time='22688' data-end-time='32542'>And, experts predict the industry will grow by up to 25 percent a year over the next 10 years.</span> <span data-start-time='32542' data-end-time='39188'>VISA and Oxford Economics recently studied medical tourism trends.</span> <span data-start-time='39188' data-end-time='53875'>The study found that such travel is increasing because of the rising cost of medical treatments, the aging of societies and advances in international transportation.</span> <span data-start-time='53875' data-end-time='62792'>About 340 new international airports will be built in the next 10 years, VISA says.</span> <span data-start-time='62792' data-end-time='71625'>A company called MedRepublic is connecting doctors with people around the world who need medical care.</span> <span data-start-time='71625' data-end-time='75229'>Robert Page founded the company.</span> <span data-start-time='75229' data-end-time='86021'>“Our software allows patients to use our website so they can search for doctors directly and talk to them," he said.</span> <span data-start-time='86021' data-end-time='92188'>Page says the top country for medical tourism is Thailand.</span> <span data-start-time='92188' data-end-time='95375'>The United States is second.</span> <span data-start-time='95375' data-end-time='104396'>He says the United States is “a country with a level of specialized medicine not found elsewhere.”</span> <span data-start-time='104396' data-end-time='114667'>The recent VISA study says the United States was the top destination for medical tourism, not Thailand.</span> <span data-start-time='114667' data-end-time='129917'>It also found an increasing number of people are traveling to Singapore, Germany, Korea, Spain, Britain, Canada and Israel for medical care.</span> <span data-start-time='129917' data-end-time='138292'>The VISA report predicts China will become the top destination within the next 10 years.</span> <span data-start-time='138292' data-end-time='153688'>Between 750,000 and 1.8 million Americans leave the country for medical reasons every year because of the high costs of treatments and surgeries.</span> <span data-start-time='153688' data-end-time='161104'>Page says Mexico is a common choice for American medical tourists.</span> <span data-start-time='161104' data-end-time='173646'>“For Americans, the main destination is Mexico due to its geographical proximity and the relationship between both countries.</span> <span data-start-time='173646' data-end-time='178479'>The main reason is treatment for cancer,” he said.</span> <span data-start-time='178479' data-end-time='191167'>Many Americans also travel to other countries for plastic surgery, dental surgery, gastric bypasses and orthopedic surgeries.</span> <span data-start-time='191167' data-end-time='195313'>Susy Pozo was a medical tourist.</span> <span data-start-time='195313' data-end-time='200667'>Four years ago, she traveled to Mexico for stomach surgery.</span> <span data-start-time='200667' data-end-time='206917'>“I used to weigh 194 pounds," (or 88 kilograms).</span> <span data-start-time='206917' data-end-time='210167'>I had many health issues.</span> <span data-start-time='210167' data-end-time='213292'>It’s very expensive in the U.S.</span> <span data-start-time='213292' data-end-time='223063'>I was worried because of the security in Puerto Vallarta, but four years ago I made the best decision of my life: </span> <span data-start-time='223063' data-end-time='230208'>I traveled to Mexico and had stomach surgery at the Puerto Vallarta hospital.”</span> <span data-start-time='230208' data-end-time='243167'>The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that there are risks connected to less-costly medical treatments in other countries.</span> <span data-start-time='243167' data-end-time='255396'>Robert Page of MedRepublic says his company tries to lower those risks by helping patients talk directly with foreign doctors.</span> <span data-start-time='255396' data-end-time='273583'>“We are trying to resolve those issues with the right kind of information to show that a doctor and a hospital in India, for example, offer the same quality as a doctor or a hospital in the United States.”</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/medical_tourism.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=7824 data-hint-location='32542' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/what_does_trend_mean.m4a'>What does trend mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a general direction of change'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/connecting_doctors_with_people.m4a'><span>connecting doctors with people</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/high_cost_of_medical_treatment.m4a'><span>high cost of medical treatment</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/a_general_direction_of_change.m4a'><span>a general direction of change</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/medical_tourism.m4a'><span>medical tourism</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=7825 data-hint-location='173646' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/what_is_the_main_reason_for_medical_tourism.m4a'>What is the main reason for medical tourism?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='cancer'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/photo_journalism.m4a'><span>photo journalism</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/weight_loss_surgery.m4a'><span>weight loss surgery</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/cosmetic_surgery.m4a'><span>cosmetic surgery</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/cancer.m4a'><span>cancer</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=7826 data-hint-location='39188' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/studies_find_that__blank__is_increasing.m4a'>Studies find that <span class='blank'>medical tourism</span> is increasing.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='medical tourism'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/international_nurses.m4a'><span>international nurses</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/available_doctors_.m4a'><span>available doctors </span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/surgical_procedures.m4a'><span>surgical procedures</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1588/medical_tourism.m4a'><span>medical tourism</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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