Most seniors are concerned with health issues. Increasing needs for medical care, the rising cost of that care and the outrageous price tag of prescription medications has many seniors these days choosing between paying their rent and paying for their medications.

Unfortunately, many baby boomers, those generally defined as having been born between 1946 and 1964, are finding themselves in a precarious situation due to the struggling economy, cutbacks in government aid, and an inability of many facilities to provide adequate care for a multitude of needs.

Seniors waiting for non-life-threatening conditions such as knee surgeries, cosmetic or plastic surgeries, obesity or weight loss treatment programs, hip resurfacing or hip replacement procedures and even vision or dental care are placed on increasingly growing waiting lists as priorities and life-threatening illnesses and injuries take precedence.

According to the Medical Tourism Magazine, 2010 will see nearly 75,000,000 baby boomers seeking or needing necessary medical treatment or surgeries. By the year 2030, nearly half of adults living in the United States will be over 50 years old. Life expectancy is lengthening, and more seniors are living well into their 90s and topping the 100-year-old mark. The need for care for such individuals is growing and the medical industry is scrambling to find ways to care for this generation.

Unfortunately, the health care system in the United States is wobbling, but that doesn't mean baby boomers can't find adequate healthcare, treatments, procedures or surgeries for their needs. Medical tourism is a booming industry, and has become an accepted and safe alternative to high medical costs, long wait times, and inadequate services found in Britain, Canada and the United States.

Arthritis, osteoarthritis, mild forms of dementia, and heart problems prompt many otherwise healthy seniors to seek medical treatments that will improve quality of life. Concerns regarding treatment of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or dementia are also high on the list of medical conditions that seniors worry about. So is the growing need for therapies and joint replacement surgeries. Unfortunately, such care is growing increasingly expensive and many boomers wonder if they will be forced to suffer in silence.

Global Boomer Tourists Leading the Way

Baby boomers and others of the post-World War II generation are not to be taken lightly or underestimated. This group of individuals has led the way in medical tourism to destinations in Asia, South America and Europe for excellent, high-tech state-of-the-art facility care, treatments and procedures for many years. According to the World Medical Tourism and Global Health Congress, the coming years will see nearly 17,000,000 Americans venturing beyond domestic borders for medical and healthcare in India, Thailand, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Croatia, and dozens of other international destinations with growing reputations for providing some of the best medical and surgical care in the world.

Alarming Cost of Medical Services in the 21st Century

Everyone's worried about finances these days. Baby boomers who are set for retirement are now having to switch gears and transition from plans for retirement to staying in jobs an extra five or 10 years to meet rising living expenses and healthcare needs. Alarming statistics define that nearly 60% of today's bankruptcies are caused by staggering medical expenses as a result of emergency surgeries, diagnosis of chronic illnesses, treatment of cardiac and bone diseases and processes as well as treatment for dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Seniors limited to Social Security or pension payments are in a particular predicament. Many seniors have moved in with family members to help share living expenses, save money and cut expenses, but don't count this generation down and out.

Boomers Fighting Back

Baby boomers are one of the most educated generations, and easy access to Internet resources has encouraged and enabled many of today's baby boomers to find reliable and timely resources for medical travel abroad.

Boomers are careful and patient when it comes to researching options, and more are finding that international medical facilities offer not only the care they need, but at prices they can afford. Traveling abroad for treatment and surgical procedures for everything from arthritis to stem cell transplants is the wave of the future. Improving quality of life, enjoying excellent and state-of-the-art healthcare and benefiting from lower healthcare costs in international medical destinations offers boomers the ultimate solution when it comes to their medical needs, today and tomorrow.



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