Desperate Chinese Seek Medical Care Abroad

Health tourism flows in two ways: Patients from the United States seek to save on routine procedures, while the wealthy in countries like China pay cash to top medical centers in the United States and Europe for treatment. “The majority of such travelers go on tourist visas, often not stating the purpose of the trip in the visa interview, according to Saint Lucia, a Beijing-based consultancy on overseas care,” reports the Wall Street Journal. The Mayo Clinic’s website now includes a page in Chinese; most city hospitals arrange access for translators. Doctors in China are low paid, leading to kickbacks and other corruption. Health care expenditures are anticipated to rise in aging China, the world’s most populous country, from $133 billion last year to an estimated $1 trillion by 2020, notes McKinsey & Company. High costs in the United States surprise the Chinese. Analysts suggest the country must emphasize patient-centered care. – YaleGlobal