What is the term for traveling to another country for medical procedures?

The term for traveling to another country specifically for medical procedures is medical tourism. This practice involves individuals seeking healthcare services, often because they can access treatments that may be unavailable, too expensive, or subject to long waiting times in their home countries. Medical tourism encompasses a wide range of healthcare services, including surgeries, dental care, cosmetic procedures, and specialized treatments.

Health tourism is a broad term that could encompass both medical tourism and wellness tourism but does not specifically refer to the pursuit of medical procedures alone. Wellness tourism relates to travel focused on promoting health and well-being through physical, psychological, or spiritual activities, which is different from seeking specific medical interventions. Rehabilitation tourism generally pertains to trips taken for recovery purposes after injury or surgery, which also does not capture the comprehensive nature of medical tourism, which includes proactive healthcare decisions rather than just rehabilitation post-treatment.