Foreign medical treatments are often pooh-poohed by the media, as poorly equipped and unsanitary. But the reality is often completely different. When compared with often crowded US hospitals, bogged down with malpractice insurance and escalating costs, many foreign hospitals are well equipped, superbly staffed and the facilities are sometimes even considered luxurious by American standards. When it comes to doctors, consider how many US doctors are Indian, Mexican and foreign-born today.

More than 50 countries have identified medical tourism as a national industry. Many have improved their technology and standards to compare with the best in the US and Europe. A growing number of overseas hospitals are accredited under the international arm of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization, which accredits US hospitals and facilities.

Amazingly, some foreign hospitals provide operations at 10% to 25% of the cost in the US. An operation that costs $50,000 in the US can usually be done in Mexico, India, or Turkey for $5-10,000. Travel and accommodations are usually minimal by comparison.

In the US, there are more than 46 million uninsured. Also, many of the insured are suddenly told by their insurance providers that their condition is not covered because it was "pre-existing". For these people, going abroad for medical treatment becomes a life-saver - literally.

An estimated 750,000 Americans went abroad for health care in 2007, and Deloitte Consulting estimates that it doubled to 1.5 million in 2008. Forbes magazine estimates that medical tourism will be over $40 billion annually by next year. Clearly this is how America can "solve" the escalating health-care financing crisis.

"Medical tourism" companies, in collaboration with special "health travel agents" have sprung up across the country, and some insurance plans are participating. As soon as the top insurance companies start to accept foreign hospitals (which they will soon, because of the overwhelmingly lower costs) medical migration will start to soar.

Now, THIS is an interesting twist to the already burgeoning outsourcing business.