>This is well-known among senior citizens. Americans who pay for their own healthcare are travelling to Canada more frequently for care (not just to purchase prescriptions) especially for non-emergency procedures that medicare won't pay for.
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>OK, I'll admit, my question was poorly worded...I realize people are going to other countries for $$$ reasons and also because of drugs not available in the U.S. (or much easier to obtain elsewhere). Believe me, I hate seeing treatments not available in the U.S. for political reasons.
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>What I was referring to (and so I'll clarify) are instances where people are going elsewhere because they find the quality in other countries to be better.
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>I am not going to drop the context that there are reasons why the quality of medicine in the U.S. is the best - and why that is in danger now.

There are many indications its not the best. All having to do with the current state of mess. Example. How many people do have a single PCP? What percentage of PCPs have an electronic patient EMR? How many physicians and nurses per 100.000 citizens? Life expectancy, infant mortility. Compare those numbers, even to lets say Canada. You'll not get a comfortable feeling about that.

I work in the medical field in the US, Canada, UK and other european countries. Each country has its strenghts and weaknesses, but I certainly would not regard the US having the best quality of treatment. In the field where I work in, it even can be regarded as below average as some practices are done in the US are illegal or outdated everywhere else.

In some cases the US has the best centres to treat certain diseases, esspecially certain types of cancer. For others, you'd might be better off in other countries.