BusinessWeek reports on the growing trend of medical tourism. Last year, 65,000 Americans went to Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok for in-patient or outpatient treatment, up from just 10,000 in 2001. Many of the patients from the U.S. were uninsured, taking advantage of medical costs that are a fraction of those in American hospitals.

Last month, Bumrungrad announced an alliance with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of South Carolina, with the American insurer agreeing to cover expenses for members who travel from the U.S. to the Thai hospital. Other hospitals, including some in Singapore and India, have also teamed up with the South Carolina insurer, which is betting that some members would be willing to travel abroad rather than pay thousands more for operations in American hospitals. Bumrungrad's revenue from foreign patients rose 14% last year, and non-Thais now account for 55% of Bumrungrad's business.