That the phenomenon of medical tourism and travel poses political  challenges in the United States is clear, with healthcare costs and quality among the top issues in the ‘08 presidential campaign. What may surprise some people is that, for the most part, medical tourism is not necessarily a controversial political issue.

People from all areas of the ideological spectrum recognize that medical tourism can cut costs for healthcare consumers. There is plenty of disagreement on how to fix the American healthcare system. There is very little about the fact that consumers need relief on the cost of healthcare, and that medical tourism helps with that.

Stephanie Sulger of BridgeHealth International was on the Mario Solis Marich Show the other day — a progressive talk radio program. It’s healthy that medical tourism is being addressed for what it is, in depth, in a bipartisan way. In Beauty from Afar, among my last-chapter predictions was that medical tourism would find its way into the national dialog during the 2008 presidential campaign. Without patting myself on the back too much, I’m feeling kind of “right” about that.

Here’s the first two parts of the interview. Mario is bringing Stephanie back on the show on Sunday to continue the discussion and we’ll update with more audio on Monday.

Part 1:

Part 2:

It took me a full day to decide whether or not the above headline worked for me at all. Undeniably, the European Commission, which has broad power over economic policy for most of Europe, is supporting transnational regulation for healthcare in the 27-member European Union (EU). (News link)

Almost immediately upon the announcement of the proposal, Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) was freaking out.

“Millions of patients will be able to travel abroad for free medical treatment within three years under European plans,” was the breathless lead in The Telegraph, which went on to say:

The new rules will allow patients to buy hospital, outpatient or dental treatment in any EU country and send the bill to the National Health Service.

Experts predicted that the rules could spark an exodus of patients from the NHS due to concerns about long waiting times and hospital superbugs.

Once adopted the new laws will give patients the right to claim back the cost of any medical procedure up to the amount it would have cost in their home country.

Further down in the article, the NHS had its say:

“… Health Secretary Alan Johnson is fighting for the right to make patients obtain NHS permission in advance for major operations.

The health department said: ‘We are absolutely committed to ensuring that the NHS retains the ability to decide what care it will fund.’

The proposal represents a potential boon to medical travel and tourism businesses and facilities in Eastern Europe especially, along with perhaps Portugal, Spain and those Western European countries that have lower costs than Great Britain — along with no waiting lists, for which the NHS is notorious. The reaction from India was also immediate — the EU proposal was called a “major setback” to Indian medical tourism, which has been courting NHS outsourcing for years now.

Can the NHS and Britain buck the Commission? Perhaps. The proposal isn’t set in stone. But there is a certain aura of inevitability about medical tourism in Europe …

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The American Medical Association (AMA) has taken a formal stance on medical tourism, and the biggest news is, perhaps, this: They aren’t against it.

“We need to address the cost of care in the U.S. and cover the uninsured so that every American who needs health care can get it right here at home,” said AMA Board Member J. James Rohack, M.D. “Until there is significant action at home, patients with limited resources may turn elsewhere for care. It is important that U.S. patients have access to credible information and resources so that the care they receive abroad is safe and effective.” (Emphasis added by the moderator)

Rohack’s statement was part of a news release today coming out of the AMA’s annual policy meeting in Chicago. The association said its nine principles regarding medical travel and tourism “are the first-of-its-kind, and outline steps for care abroad for consideration by patients, employers, insurers and third-parties responsible for coordinating travel outside of the U.S.”

“For those patients considering medical tourism, the new AMA principles are an important starting point for consideration before making the decision to go abroad for health care,” said Dr. Rohack.

In a preliminary statement, Stephanie Sulger, RN, MS, vice president of the consumer division of BridgeHealth International, said she “is very pleased to see the AMA addressing this issue.”

“The guidelines the AMA has put out are comprehensive and show that they have given a lot of thought to the implications of medical travel for the U.S. healthcare system and, most importantly, for patient safety and well-being,” Sulger said. “We welcome the AMA to the discussion of how to make sure patients who travel for medical care, often for financial reasons, get the best possible care.”

To ensure that insurance companies and others that facilitate medical tourism adhere to the new principles, the AMA said it will introduce model legislation for consideration of state lawmakers.

The nine principles given by the AMA are:

(a) Medical care outside of the U.S. must be voluntary.

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