HOW DO U.S. HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS KNOW HOW AND WHERE TO SELL $3.4B ANNUALLY IN SERVICES TO INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS?

Medical centers and other U.S. providers of high-acuity or highly specialized healthcare services offer care that is unsurpassed in the world. Prior to 2010, no one really knew how well this industry was doing in international markets. That’s when, through a Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) agreement, ITA invested $499k in the creation of the U.S. Cooperative for International Patient Programs (USCIPP). Another $2.4m for the project came from industry organizations.  

MDCP award recipient the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) created USCIPP to provide the first cohesive picture of U.S. hospitals’ performance in international markets. USCIPP has become the central platform to benchmark and grow America’s international healthcare services exports.

More Than Just Market Research

USCIPP continues to provide U.S. healthcare providers the information they need to remain competitive. With its annual benchmarking survey, USCIPP gathers data on patient volumes, financial metrics, services offered, staffing, and operations related to international patients. USCIPP also maintains a rich portfolio of market intelligence to help members strategize globally.

U.S. healthcare providers use USCIPP to stay abreast of the latest best practices and opportunities as well. USCIPP has completed legal reviews for 25 different countries worldwide. These inform U.S. healthcare providers on where and how they can offer telehealth or consultative services abroad.  

Post-MDCP: Still Going Strong, Membership Doubled

USCIPP’s strength lies in its broad membership and the active exchange of best practices among those members. As of 2025, USCIPP’s membership includes nearly 60 organizations – primarily prestigious academic medical centers and health systems known for excellence. This is twice the USCIPP membership during the MDCP project.