In 2005, American caregivers shifted perspective as some California HMOs began sending their customers to Mexico for routine medical care. Today, the Mexican tourism secretariat remains optimistic about medical tourism: it anticipates a flow of about 650,000 medical tourists spending $50 million a year by 2020.

Mexico is only one of dozens of countries that provide a low-cost medical alternative for cash-strapped Americans. The most famous is probably India, where dozens of hospitals cater to Western tourists, offering many procedures for a fraction of the stateside price. According to Research and Markets, India is poised to be the worldwide leader in medical tourism, gathering 2.4% of the worldwide market, which generates over $1 billion per year.

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