Why Canadians Are Increasingly Seeking Medical Treatment Abroad

Rachel, 51, an elementary school teacher in Ontario who asked that her name be changed in order to discuss personal health matters, found herself traveling to the U.S. in 2001 to seek treatment for an undiagnosed gynecological condition that had already eaten up almost two years of her life in consultations, misdiagnoses and referrals. She decided to take the matter into her own hands and research alternatives. Once she found a doctor willing to treat her, she finally had an answer to her chronic pain. An American surgeon who treated her in California found endometriosis, appendicitis, bowel adhesions, a hernia and uterine fibroids. The surgery, hospital stay and hotel costs added up to more than $30,000 Canadian dollars out of pocket.