Foreign Bodies Just how far should you go for affordable health care?

Your employee asks for some time off for a trip to India. But she's not going to tour the Taj Mahal. She's going for a knee replacement, because the surgery would cost too much through your company health plan.

Medical tourism is growing as U.S. health-care costs continue to increase. In fact, some entrepreneurs are actively looking beyond U.S. borders for health care that won't break the bank when an employee needs expensive treatment.

One company benefiting from this trend is Calabasas, California-based PlanetHospital, which helps Americans find medical care abroad. Co-founder and president Rudy Rupak reports that recent inquiries have come almost exclusively from entrepreneurs exploring strategies to reduce their health-care burden. And with an estimated 40 percent to 60 percent savings over Medicare rates, PlanetHospital's affiliates in Argentina, El Salvador, India, Mexico, Panama, Singapore and Thailand are looking more attractive to cash-strapped businesses.