10000 doctors cannot be wrong!

[HERBIE1]

I would like to see info on WHY US citizens would go to the UK, Canada, or Mexico for care. I don't know, but can a noncitizen get free care in these other places? As for people coming from other countries to the US, I suspect much of the time, it is for specialty or state of the art care they cannot receive in their own countries. I do know we had the recent push in trying to import drugs from places like Canada and Mexico because they are so much cheaper there.

I do know US citizens travel to other places for things like controversial treatments who's efficacy may be questionable. I know places like Germany and Mexico offer various therapies like hormone and herbal treatments that are not sanctioned or covered by insurance here. If able, I would imagine people who are desperate enough and have the means to do it, will try anything, but I assume those are all out of pocket expenses.

[VentMedic]

I would like to see info on WHY US citizens would go to the UK, Canada, or Mexico for care. I don't know, but can a noncitizen get free care in these other places? As for people coming from other countries to the US, I suspect much of the time, it is for specialty or state of the art care they cannot receive in their own countries. I do know we had the recent push in trying to import drugs from places like Canada and Mexico because they are so much cheaper there.

Cost is the biggest issue. Many Americans do not have insurance and many of those do not qualify for assistance but may need a hip or knee replacement. Many of the corrective surgeries do not fall within our own government insurances. The cost is generally pennies on the dollar when compared with the U.S. if they paid out of pocket.

I do know US citizens travel to other places for things like controversial treatments who's efficacy may be questionable. I know places like Germany and Mexico offer various therapies like hormone and herbal treatments that are not sanctioned or covered by insurance here. If able, I would imagine people who are desperate enough and have the means to do it, will try anything, but I assume those are all out of pocket expenses.

No, these countries offer a lot more than just herbal treatments. Even many of my respiratory patients venture to Canada or Europe for meds that are not available in the U.S. The practitioners in the U.S. have followed the research for these meds but can not do anything until the U.S. conducts its own lengthy process for the FDA. Even for certain technology, which much of our high tech stuff comes from Europe, we have waited years for a new piece of equipment that has been proven to save lives especially in Neo/Peds. We waited for almost 6 years for a newer version of the Draeger vent for infants that Canada and Europe had been using for several years and finally have gotten it. But, Canada and Europe have now started using the latest model that is even better at saving lung and cerebral tissue while we have yester year's model. Thus, the U.S. is forever behind. There are also many forms of cancer therapies, not just those you read in People magazine, that could be of benefit to our U.S. patients but it will be years before they hit the markert.

For EMS, it is fascinating to read an international journal like "Resuscitation" to see what is being researched in other countries.

It is really exciting here in the U.S. when we finally get to start trialing medications, therapies and technology that we have been reading about for years in the international critical care journals. Even Cuba has access to the European pipeline of medical advancements that the U.S. does not and that makes it a popular spot for some to travel to including Amaericans.