Medical Tourism as Symptom of a Dysfunctional System : An Analysis of the American Health Care System as Outgrowth of the American Culture

For years, the United States of America have been known and admired for their standard of health care which was said to be among the highest of all nations. According to the latest Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development survey, the USA spend more than 16% of their GDP on health care. Given these facts, it should be self-evident that such great efforts result in the best health care delivery imaginable. However, the average American does not benefit from the high expenditures on health care as the health status of the population does not reflect the high expenditures. In search of affordable alternatives to local health care providers, the radius of search is expanded: Cities, states and subsequently other countries become attractive alternatives. The thesis reveals how the American culture shaped not only the health system itself but also the common perception of health. Moreover, the main drivers for medical tourism are identified and analyzed.