Health tourists are nothing new. Sickly Greeks of antiquity traversed the Mediterranean in droves to visit Epidaurus, a Peloponnesian town reputed for its medical care.

Within the U.S. today, numerous employers have started using “direct contracting” to save money on health care: Lowe’s, for example, allows employees and dependents to be transported to Cleveland Clinic for cardiac procedures; Walmart contracts with six “centers of excellence” around the country to provide coverage for heart, spine, and transplant surgeries.