Overseas, Under the Knife

[groovedaddy]

ONE consequence of the high cost of medical care in the United States has been the rise of medical tourism. Every year, thousands of Americans undergo surgery in other countries because the allure of good care at half the price is too good to pass up.

Average total fees at well-regarded hospitals like Apollo and Wockhardt in India are 60 percent to 90 percent lower than those of the average American hospital, according to a 2007 study by the consulting group Mercer Health and Benefits (where Dr. Milstein is affiliated). Even compared with low-cost American hospitals, the offshore fees are 20 percent to 50 percent lower.

Most medical travelers seek cosmetic procedures like facelifts and liposuction, but an increasing number have high-risk operations like heart surgery and joint replacement in places like India, Singapore and Thailand.

Is this a good idea? The only way to know is to find out how foreign hospitals and surgeons compare with their American counterparts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/opinion/10milstein.html?th&emc=th

[MADem]

1. I know people who have done it, and been pleased with the results.

I have a relative who was in a wheelchair in Canada for months because there was a backlog for joint replacement surgery, and who was playing golf (and walking the course) a few months after going abroad for surgery.

I have friends who routinely head for Brazil for everything from dental work to cosmetic procedures. Some even take insurance!

[Submariner]

2. I believe a 60 Minutes type show did this story

I saw it about 2 to 3 years ago. Americans were having hip replacements and heart surgeries, etc., and after the surgery, included in the fee, the patients would stay at a luxurious beachside recuperation facility for a week to a month to rehabilitate, and still save about half what they would have had to pay in the U.S.

The surgeries were graded has top quality with the latest in hi-tech operating rooms. I would do it if it meant the difference between medical bankruptcy, and having a few dollars left over.