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.

---

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 global medical tourism industry is worth tens of billions of dollars and is projected to grow significantly over the next decade, according to market estimates.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2025

Now, longevity companies are exploring investments in the state in a moonshot bid to make it a medical tourism hub.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 3, 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