Medical Tourism

With the economy in such a devastating crisis it's no wonder Americans are looking overseas to get much needed emergency medical procedures done. The high cost of medical treatment in the US is causing people to have to make life threatening choices. Patients have to choose between their health and their financial survival. In a recent report done by CNN showed that some overseas countries charge only ten percent of the total cost of some medical procedures done here in the states. Now why is it that our country is capitalizing on our lives? Doctors, pharmaceutical and insurance companies are making a living off of our lives. It's amazing how foreign doctors and hospital are all about saving lives at a reasonable rate. A country with so many opportunities and scientific methods, we shouldn't be capitalizing on the lives of our American people. High demand of overseas treatment has produce the hottest trend of a new business called "Medical tourism planning". One of the most poplar companies is based in California, named "Planet Hospital", they specialize in planning and facilitating the trip to overseas hospitals. They book patients' travel and arranges phone interviews with potential surgeons. Patients are greeted by a company representative at the airport in the country where they've chosen to be treated; a 24-hour personal "patient concierge" is also provided, a level of service that's standard among top medical travel planning companies.
What will it take for the US to provide quality services at a cheaper rate?, Can we start being more concerned about our people's health first and worry about cost later? I say if the politicians and government officials stop getting all these bonuses and raises we could have some extra money to provide for American health care.