International medical tourism in the formation of the global segment of medical services

The article is devoted to the features of international medical tourism as a global segment of medical services. The most required by medical tourists types of treatment are considered.International medical tourism as a specific type of socially useful activity aimed at providing tourist services of medical and recreational nature in the form of temporary departure of an individual or group of persons abroad is explored. The methodology for calculating the medical tourism index is analyzed in detail. Based on the analysis of international experience, the most required by medical tourists types of treatment are identified.The main causes of the huge gap in the cost of medical services of the countries-leaders and states with newly-created markets are determined.