title: Unpacking the financial costs of "bariatric tourism" gone wrong: Who holds responsibility for costs to the Canadian health care system?
abstract: Canadians are motivated to travel abroad for bariatric surgery owing to wait times for care and restrictions on access at home for various reasons. While such surgery abroad is typically paid for privately, if "bariatric tourists" experience complications or have other essential medical needs upon their return to Canada, these costs are borne by the publicly funded health system. In this commentary, we discuss why assigning responsibility for the costs of complications stemming from bariatric tourism is complicated and contextual.
authors.affiliation: From the Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC.
authors.forename: Jeremy C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.affiliation: From the Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC.
authors.forename: Diego S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: From the Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC.
authors.forename: Valorie A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Crooks
mesh_terms: D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000191:economics*; D002170:Canada; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D057193:Medical Tourism / Q000191:economics*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*