Why It Matters

Cabin Crew, Prepare for Surgery

October 29, 2026·34 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

On this episode of Why It Matters, we sit down with experts to discuss medical tourism, examining the forces that push patients to go abroad for care, the countries that have capitalized on demand, and the question of who bears the cost.   Host:   Gabrielle Sierra, Director of Podcasting, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)   Guest:   Glenn Cohen, Faculty Director of the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics, Harvard University   Valorie Crooks, Associate Vice President of Research, Canada Research Chair in Health Services Geographies, Simon Fraser University   Read More:   “Medical Tourism,” CDC   “Medical Tourism to Witness Exponential Growth by 2034,” World Health Expo   “Decision-making about bariatric and cosmetic medical tourism from countries with universal healthcare: a rapid systematic review,” National Institute of Health   ​​Want to keep up with Why It Matters? Sign up to receive an email alert when new episodes drop.   Why It Matters is a production of the Council on Foreign Relations. The opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the host and guests, not of the Council, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

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