Marjorie Taylor Greene said some Americans are traveling outside the United States to obtain medical treatments that they cannot access domestically or cannot afford at home, citing her own recent trip to Mexico for stem cell therapy.
In a post on X, Greene wrote that she does not have health insurance and said rising healthcare costs have led more Americans to pursue medical care overseas. She said she traveled to Mexico to receive stem cell therapy, which she said was unavailable to her in the United States.
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Medical tourism refers to patients traveling to another country for medical care. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans seek treatment abroad for several reasons, including lower costs, shorter waiting times and access to procedures or therapies that may not be available in the United States, most commonly people seek for treatments in Mexico, Canada and countries in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Dental care, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation, and cancer treatment are among the most common services sought overseas.
Stem cell therapy is among the treatments that has attracted patients to clinics outside the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved stem cell therapies for a limited number of conditions, primarily certain blood and immune system disorders. The agency says many stem cell products marketed for other uses have not been approved and may not have been shown to be safe or effective.
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The FDA advises patients to confirm whether a stem cell treatment has received agency approval and to discuss potential risks and benefits with a qualified healthcare professional before undergoing treatment.
Greene did not identify a specific medical condition for which she sought stem cell therapy. Instead, she said her decision reflected concerns about healthcare costs and access to treatments in the United States.
The CDC also advises Americans considering medical care abroad to research healthcare providers, understand the standards of care in the destination country and plan for follow-up treatment after returning home. The agency notes that patients should be aware of potential risks, including differences in medical regulation, infection control practices and continuity of care.