It is, and tons of people do it. Although they go to Mexico/India/SE Asia. There are entire medical tourism packages offered by hospitals in these countries - including airfare, surgeries/consultations, drugs, hospital stays, recovery at fancy resorts - all still working out to a fraction of the cost of treatment in the US.

> "At a point wouldn't it be cheaper to hop on a flight to London , and check yourself into a hospital ?"

The NHS doesn't offer free non-emergency healthcare to non-UK residents. In general, you would have to prove that you are a legal UK resident before you'd be admitted. Obviously, in an emergency they would treat you no matter what (but potentially send you a bill afterwards).

You're right about hospital care, but if you need insulin you'd get it from a GP, not a hospital.

Just about anyone can register for primary care. There isn't an "ordinarily resident" test for primary care. P142 of this: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/primary-medical-care-...

Ordinarily resident applies to secondary care, but not including detention in a mental health hospital under the mental health act and not including A&E treatment in the A&E unit.

---begin quote---

8.4 Who can register for free primary care services?

8.4.1 A patient does not need to be “ordinarily resident” in the country to be eligible for NHS primary medical care – this only applies to secondary (hospital) care. In effect, therefore, anybody in England may register and consult with a GP without charge.

8.4.7 It is important to note that there is no set length of time that a patient must reside in the country in order to become eligible to receive NHS primary medical care services.

8.4.8 Therefore, all asylum seekers and refugees, students, people on work visas and those who are homeless, overseas visitors, whether lawfully in the UK or not, are eligible to register with a GP practice even if those visitors are not eligible for secondary care (hospital care) services.

That's pretty awesome.

Of course it's absolutely not practical, but if I ever wake up as a refugee in London I'll register with a gp

Edit : I almost want to see a SNL skit with a man who decides to have a mental breakdown, but prefers to do so in London vs the US

I forgot to put the patient facing info in my post, so I'll link it here: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/gps/how-to-reg...

They have leaflets with information tailored to homeless people, asylum seekers and refugees, gypsy Roma and traveller communities, and visitors from abroad.

> but if you need insulin you'd get it from a GP, not a hospital

Gotcha, I will ask for the nearest surgery ;)

Amusingly, for simple stuff you'll often get away with it. I think you might actually be able to get sutures for a cut and walk away with the bill going to the Crown. Might get ropey if you had to get a specialist in.

I know if you just got something in your eye and it only needs to be irrigated to dislodge the debris you'll probably not be billed.

Given how ludicrously wild medical billing is in the US, chances are you'd still come out ahead.

I’m afraid it doesn’t really work like that - even as a British Citizen you’d still need to be resident here. And if not, then becoming a resident would require a visa first - then yes you could get NHS care, but it would not be a timely procedure.

Yep. But what do you do if you can't afford to do that? And even if you can, if you have a chronic condition, you would need to find a job in London (or whereever else you go).

I'm being a bit tongue in cheek , you can get round trip flights to London for 400$ or so.

No one should die due to an inability to pay. Even if you have a great job , you can still lose it

> Even if you have a great job , you can still lose it

Especially likely if you're distracted or impaired by an illness - even if not yet diagnosed.

In India it is a big industry 'medical tourism'. You'll get a 5-star hospital with a trip to Taj Mahal bundled for free.

There is a Costa Rica Dental Group that advertises on a sports talk radio show here in Florida. They talk about their vacation / dental package.

You wonder what the coronaplague did to all the dentists in San Luis across the border from Yuma.

It's called medical tourism. If you don't have (and in some cases even if you have insurance) you can any necessary surgery done in Singapore:

https://www.health-tourism.com/medical-tourism-singapore/

> At a point wouldn't it be cheaper to hop on a flight to London , and check yourself into a hospital ?

Or walk into any Canadian pharmacy (if you can get into the country). Insulin doesn’t require a prescription here.

Dunno why almost everything else does though.

Some brits travel to France for surgeries :)

An EU Greece is probably best option.

You are obliged to have healthcare before visiting EU.