I've been hearing a lot lately about the concept of "medical tourism," where people who need surgery or treatment (typically Americans) travel overseas to save money on medical care. In an interesting summary of the Medical Tourism Report to the American College of Surgeons, we see that someone in the U.S. who is not insured might pay as much as $230,138 for a heart-valve replacement in the U.S. but less than $10,000 in India.
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Medical travel and tourism has risen to prominence over the last dozen years thanks to the Internet, rapid improvements in healthcare facilities around the world, relatively inexpensive travel and a widening gap in medical costs between countries.
Currently, however, the nascent industry has been hit hard by the global financial crisis. Consumers aren’t spending for elective procedures or even necessary medical care that can be postponed.
See my book, Beauty from Afar, for a great overview.
“…we see that someone in the U.S. who is not insured might pay as much as $230,138 for a heart-valve replacement in the U.S. but less than $10,000 in India.”
This is good example of spin rhetoric. “someone”, “might pay” “as much as”,”$230,138″.
Those who actually might pay $230 thousand are mutimillionaires who don’t bother with health insurance. But most of those who have no health insurance reject it by choice – they would rather job the system and enjoy the premiun money and use the emergency wards at public expence. They make sucker out of the rest of us. This makes it all the more tough for those in most desperate need.
Notice the cost is given confidently down to the last dollar. I wonder whether the author as ever seen ever seen a large hospital bill?
Don,
Are you referring to me when you speak of “the author.” I have health insurance but since I am not an employee of a company that provides it, I must find my own and I am currently under-covered by my student health insurance. For instance, the birth of my son was hardly covered so yes, I have seen VERY large bills. I hope you’ll be more judicious in your criticism in the future.
-Matt
Don,
In order to educate you on the subject, I will tell you my experience with Medical Tourism.
I needed to have two discs replaced in my spine. I am insured by United Health Care here in the States. They would only cover a fusion of the vertebrae and not a disc replacement. I am only 35 years old, so I did not want my spine fused at my age. In order to have the surgery here in the US, it would have cost $180,000+, which, contrary to your beleif, I could not even come close to affording.
I began looking at options in other countries. I found a surgeon in India who is one of the world’s experts on disc replacement surgeries. I went to India with a friend, spent three weeks there, had an extremely successful surgery, received amazing care, and traveled home first class for all under $25,000…which I paid for by taking a second mortgage on my house. But, it was well worth it.
Troy,
Interesting to hear about your experience. I am working towards starting an innovative Medical Tourism firm and am looking forward to talk to people who have had medical surgeries abroad.Would you or anyone else be willing to share his/her experience.I would really be grateful. Please get back to me on my id: raviraj.jain@gmail.com and we can schedule a call.
Thanks
Raviraj
Have you visited another country for a medical procedure? Are you thinking about it? If so, we are seeking information about your
experience and you are invited to participate in a short online survey.
The survey seeks to collect information about medical tourists: who they are, what procedure do they seek, how did they travel and some basic questions on sustainability. Specifically, how sustainable is
the experience for those who travel abroad for a health reasons?
This survey is available on our website
http://www.wsc.ma.edu/medicaltourism/ until Friday 16 January 2009.
Thank you in advance,
Robert Bristow, Ph.D.
Professor of Geography & Regional Planning
Westfield State College
Westfield, MA 01086
http://www.wsc.ma.edu/medicaltourism/
Patients must weight the pros and cons and do their homework. For many operations there are great cost savings, but there can also be risks.
The hospital accreditation and doctor qualifications should be checked, and the cost of airfare and hotels factored in. However, there are many hospitals overseas that offer facilities that are the equal, and in many cases surpass, those in the west – including western trained doctors.
I created a website on Medical Tourism that outlines both the risks and advantages and also provides an overview of the different countries that patients can travel to.
Hey Troy,
Can you pls send me that Indian doctor’s address and phone number, as iam looking for some disc surgon for my wife
regards
sanjay