What has been a fallout from national health programs elsewhere is the dramatic increase in medical tourism. There are several firms which target their marketing (successfully, too) towards the more affluent and/or more desperate who don't want to wait the lengthy times for certain procedures, or who have been turned down (excuse me, subject to rationing) for a particular procedure under whatever selection criteria is in place.

Medical tourism now is estimated (conservatively) at well over $20Billion per year, with true numbers tough to get due to the scope and particular countries involved. Just google "medical tourism" and view the various sites on places, statistics, FAQs and the like.

The multi-millionaires (Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Clinton and a number of others) truly don't care about the American health system, as it does not apply to them. To them, it is an academic exercise of which they will never experience in a practical manner. They just get on a private jet, go to the country of choice, and have nipped/tucked/sliced/replaced whatever they want. Do you really think any of the folk clamoring for "health care reform" will ever pay a co-pay, have to show a health insurance card to a provider, or stand in line at a pharmacy? Will they ever experience health care rationing?

If you have a couple of hours, review H.R. 3200. Links to it are everywhere. While there is much that is confusing, there will be plenty of sections which will be obvious on how much money is at stake, how the new system will take a large fortune to set up (who makes money on that?), and how you really aren't going to have an effective way to argue any decision made by the selection-gods.

So, start saving those dimes and nickels and frequent flier miles, and be ready for medical tourism trips to Thailand, Turkey, Cuba, Singapore, and a few other spots. For those of us who have already been warned by the Administration and Congress that we wil be the first to experience rationing, the potential to be a medical tourist is quite real.

It won't be long before some enterprising medical tourism company sets up an office in TV. If this bill passes, that company will have a lot of business.