Jordan offers new tourism deal: Save money on surgery

[Robbien]

Source: Seattle Times

Resource poor Jordan is hoping to turn Americans' misfortune into its fortune.

The largely desert kingdom — already established in the Middle East as a top health-care destination — is stepping up efforts to tap into the multibillion-dollar medical tourism market with a campaign to lure U.S. citizens weary of soaring health-care costs.

"Come here, do your surgery. Afterward, have a vacation, visit Petra, swim in the Dead Sea," Dr. Fawzi al-Hammouri, the head of Jordan's Private Hospitals Association, said, listing the country's most popular tourism destinations.

The hospitals are offering package deals, including air travel. "All this, inclusive, is less than 25 percent of what you have to pay in the U.S.," he said.

. . .

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina, for example, signed alliances last year with about a dozen hospitals worldwide to widen the coverage options for their policyholders.

Jonathan Edelheit, of the Miami-based Medical Tourism Association, said that U.S. insurers can waive all deductibles and co-pays, offer to cover travel costs for the patient and family members, even throw in a cash incentive, and still save tens of thousands of dollars.

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2009492381_trmedicaltourism19.html?cmpid=2628

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According to the article 600,000 Americans travel abroad to get surgical care each year.

[tsuki]

1. But, but, but, I thought everyone traveled here to get their surgery. nt

[Juche]

2. I like the idea

I know outsourcing can hurt US jobs, but healthcare is such an integral life/death business and costs have to be cut. If I had a choice between a high quality US hospital stay for 200k or a high quality hospital stay in India, Thailand, Chile, China, Jordan, Kuwait or some other unique country that also came with a 2 week vacation for 40k tops I'd go for the latter.

[InfiniteThoughts]

4. healthcare experience in India ...

recently we had a relative who had to get admitted to get emergency heart bypass operation. Since the patient's sons lived in US & Gulf, money wasn't an issue. She got admitted in one of the best hospitals in South India, got treated by a surgeon who has performed 7000 procedures in the last 5-6 years and stayed in a suite.

The overall cost for the 15 day hospital stay & Surgery: $7,000 (INR 350,000). I believe the rates are higher for medical tourism in India, but it wouldn't be more than double!

Is medical tourism the next wave of outsourcing?

[sledgehammer]

7. I think it is

And I'm surprised it's not more prevalent, especially in the Caribbean given its proximity and low-cost of labor (and it's a great place too!).

I can see a massive hospital tourism business in the future, as it gets more expensive and exclusive in the US. In fact, I think Caribbean countries should offer some sort of medical insurance policies for Americans that would cover major surgeries.

Maybe that's the best solution for the insurance companies and medical professionals. Maybe that "free market" they love to talk about will bite them in the ass.

[madrchsod]

9. my brother-in law`s insurance pays for indian medical care

they will fly him and another person first class to india and back...

[midnight]

3. If you're a women don't wear pants.

Sudan: Women Flogged for Wearing Pants in PublicKHARTOUM – Public order police arrested 13 women in a raid on a café on July 10 and flogged 10 of them for wearing pants in public, AP reported on July 13. One of the women arrested, journalist Lubna Hussein, has said that she is challenging the charges, which may be punishable by up to 40 lashes.

[tomreedtoon]

5. And Jews need not apply.

Isn't it wonderful that regimes that practice racism, sexism and prejudice of all kinds happen to have better medical care and facilities, at lower cost, than the US? Must make our Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats proud.

[sledgehammer]

6. Do you know the difference between Sudan and Jordan?

Or are all of them "Ay-rabs and Moslems" the same to you?

I'm not a huge fan of Jordan, but it's a pretty modern country. In fact, in most Muslim and Arab countries, women are not required to wear headscarves or anything like that (notable exceptions are Saudi and Iran). Pants and shirts are quite acceptable throughout the Muslim world.

Read a bit about the Queen of Jordan, it might do some good for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Rania_of_Jordan

[chatnoir]

8. Not sure what Sudan has to do with Jordan...

They're not even on the same continent. :shrug:

[Vidar]

10. Sudan's only in another continent.

[AngryAmish]

11. As much as I like MJ, I don't want him to operate on me.