Due to a variety of reasons, the economy being one of them, Americans are seeking medical care while traveling or on vacations, a trend that seems to grow as medical and health care costs continue to rise and government agencies determine exactly what types of medical services will be cut, especially regarding senior care.

Baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, are retiring now, or close to it. While antiaging therapies and age management treatments, higher rates of exercise and better medical care enable us to live longer these days, those heading into their golden years may also have more years to deal with chronic disease treatments and other ailments of the elderly, including cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis and weight gain or loss issues. Whether you have been diagnosed with IBS or COPD, you’re looking for affordable and effective, quality care.

Chronic care for the middle aged and elderly is growing prohibitively expensive in the U.S. That’s why those individuals are doing their research and visiting foreign destinations for their medical care. Medical tourism to countries like Jordan (Arab City for Comprehensive Care), India and Mexico and South America continue to be popular. However, new medical providers are making their way in the medical tourism field, such as Croatia, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa (Blueprint Health and Benefit).

Chronic care abroad offers a blending of complementary and alternative treatments that address symptoms and help improve quality of life. Chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer have, and will continue to be treated through diet and nutrition, lifestyle counseling and herbal treatments, sometimes through combining traditional medications.