medical tourism

American  

noun

1. tourist travel for the purpose of receiving medical treatment or improving health or fitness.

   The spiraling cost of healthcare has contributed to the growth of medical tourism.

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Other Word Forms

• medical tourist noun

Etymology

Origin of medical tourism

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Leigh Turner, a professor and executive director of the bioethics program at the University of California, Irvine, tracks direct-to-consumer therapies and medical tourism offerings.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

The outlook is supported by improving fundamentals in Turkey and Europe, patient recovery and operational efficiencies in India, steady demand and rising medical tourism in Malaysia, and utilization ramp-up in Singapore following the Mt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

Asia has emerged as a major hub for medical tourism, with wealthy patients heading to South Korea for cosmetic surgeries and to Singapore's private hospitals for advanced medical treatments.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2025

According to the C.D.C., millions of people in the United States travel to another country for medical care each year, a practice known as medical tourism.

From New York Times • May 28, 2023

People leaving the U.S. for prescription drugs, dental procedures, surgeries and other medical treatment - also known as medical tourism - is common, experts say.

From Washington Times • May 25, 2023