Increasingly, U.S. insurance companies are considering covering medical tourism, and some already do: BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, for instance, is stirring up the industry by adding several hospitals located outside the United States to its network and providing access to concierge services related to treatment. OptiMed Health/United Group has covered foreign medical care for more than a year, forgoing deductibles and co-pays and covering all travel expenses. Swiss Re's Commercial Insurance now recognizes medical travel coverage as part of its existing stop loss offering, which is offered through Westport Insurance Corp.

Some members of the business community aren't waiting for insurance companies to get around to covering healthcare overseas for their employees. Many companies, big and small, encourage (and pay for) medical tourism because it costs them so much less. Some have an informal, case-by-case policy offered more or less quietly. Others, such as the Hannaford Bros. Company, a grocery store chain based in Scarborough, Maine, are quite public, offering employees the option of getting hip and knee replacements in Singapore.

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