Saving on Surgery by Going Abroad
Medical tourism or medical travel can produce discounts of 80 percent
If he could have, Brad Barnum would have kissed the ground when he climbed out of the car in Ruidoso, N.M., at the end of March. But the 53-year-old building contractor had undergone major remodeling himself—and his new knee and two new hips ruled out kneeling for a few more weeks. Still, he was ecstatic. More than two months after leaving for the hospital, he was home, and he had afforded the otherwise unaffordable. By having the work done in India, at Wockhardt Hospital in Bangalore, he'd gotten his new joints for just $23,000. Even after adding about $5,000 for airfare, passport, visa, and incidentals, the total was nearly 80 percent less than the $125,000 or more he easily could have been charged by a U.S. hospital. And that bill wouldn't have included physician fees and "ancillary charges."
Barnum is one of thousands of Americans—estimates range from an ultraconservative 5,000 to 500,000 annually if minor procedures are counted—who are leaving the States for surgery when they have to come up with funds themselves. They may be self-employed or work for a small business and lack health insurance, for example, or their procedure may not be covered. More than 1 in 4 workers earning at least $60,000 a year went without insurance in 2006, according to a Census Bureau survey; too well-off to be eligible for medical assistance, they can often wring tens of thousands of dollars out of hospital "rack rates" by going abroad. Some employers and big insurers like UnitedHealth and Blue Cross and Blue Shield are so intrigued by "medical tourism" that they're beginning to sniff for signs that it might be smart to cover it. "I was totally amazed not just at the quality of the medical care but at the quality of the service," says David Boucher, an assistant vice president of healthcare services at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina who has visited many facilities abroad. "The initial driver may be price, but patients' positive experiences will do a lot to advance the movement."
So far, there's been mostly talk, with little action from employers and health carriers. In fact, the first verified case of major surgery abroad as an employee benefit took place only earlier this year. (The patient reportedly paid nothing out of pocket for a knee replacement—in fact, the company, a North Carolina manufacturer, paid him a tidy sum for saving so much money.) Wockhardt, where the procedure was done, won't name the company.
Meanwhile, patients are finding their way abroad on their own. Wockhardt's hospitals in Bangalore and Bombay operated on about 850 U.S. patients in 2007, more than double the 2006 total. In Thailand, Bangkok's Bumrungrad Hospital says it treats more than 38,000 Americans a year—a somewhat inflated figure that represents "patient encounters," not individual patients, and includes expatriates. Other hospitals in India and Thailand, as well as centers in Singapore, are actively courting Americans, and the governments of South Korea and Taiwan are about to launch campaigns.
Low-budget dentistry, Botox-ing, lipo, and other cosmetic work have for years drawn Americans into Mexico and to other Latin American countries. But the growth in serious elective surgery halfway around the world is new. Josef Woodman, who publishes the Patients Beyond Borders series of guidebooks to finding good care, thinks about 50,000 patients a year leave the country for major noncosmetic elective procedures such as joint replacement, coronary artery bypass, new or repaired heart valves, or back repair.
Many, like Barnum, do the legwork on their own. But concierge services like MedRetreat.com and IndUShealth.com are multiplying, to help with lists of potential hospitals, appointment scheduling, arranging airport pickup and drop-off, and general hand-holding. (Information from Woodman's annual hospital survey has been incorporated into the World Hospital Finder, a U.S. News search tool for people who are seeking care abroad.)
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Reader Comments
Evaluating Hospitals
Our organization, North American Surgery Inc., was mentioned in this article. We are able to provide surgeries for uninsured Americans, at US based hospitals, at prices comparable to going offshore. The article states, correctly, that we use HealthGrades.com to evaluate the hospitals to which we refer our clients. NOT mentioned, is the fact that HealthGrades.com evaluates hospitals based on 31 different areas of medical care. Very few hospitals are equally proficient in all areas, even within a single category - such as Orthopedics. A hospital with a good rating for knee replacements, might have a poor rating for hip replacements, for example.
We take these distinctions into account when referring our clients to sources of quality surgery.
The most important thing for people to know, is that there is no similar evaluation service available for evaluating foreign hospitals by surgical procedure.
On a related subject, Dr. Tony Karmell is incorrect in stating that the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing procedure is not available in the U.S. It is. We are able to expedite this procedure for our clients at a cost of under $20,000 at a hospital in the mid-west.
Hip resurfacing abroad vs in US
Richard Baker is correct that hip resurfacing is available in the United States, but it was only approved by the FDA in 2006. What does that mean for patients considering hip resurfacing, which is much less invasive and has a faster recovery time than hip replacement? It means doctors in the US don't have anywhere near the track record of those in places like Belgium and India.
Consider: Through medical tourism facilitator WorldMed Assist (http://www.worldmedassist.com), Maurice Moreau went to Belgium to Dr. De Smet, who'd done over 2100 resurfacings before Maurice arrived. Maurice was quoted $60,000 in the U.S., and had an all-expenses (medical, travel, recouperation, physical therapy) bill of $17,000. While he was there, his surgeon was training a U.S. doctor on the procedure.
Another WorldMed Assist patient, Steve Berg, chose India over Belgium for his hip resurfacing, and had an equally impressive track record, Dr. Malhan. His total trip was $8700 compared with $60,000 quoted here.
Learn more about other orthopedic procedures at http://www.worldmedassist.com/Orthopedic-Surgery-Abroad.htm.
I would recommend India to anybody who is considering to travel overseas for treatment
I am Katie Russel from US who has recently undergone Bilateral knee replacement surgery in India. And I must say that the hospital, doctors , nurses and the other staff all were nothing but the best. I could not have got better care anywhere else in the world.
I had no companion along but the people at hospital not made me feel alone, moreover there were other American patients on the same floor with whom I became friends.
Today , I am back walking normally which was a dream for me.
Hospital staff still write me email asking regularly about my health.
I would recommend India to anybody who is considering to travel overseas for treatment
Hip Resurfacing Costs
Maurice Moreau was quoted $60,000 for a hip resurfacing procedure in the U.S. He should have contacted www.NorthAmericanSurgery.com. Our clients can get a resurfacing procedure for under $20,000 in a well regarded US hospital. A conventional hip replacement is only $14,000.
We have no quarrel with folks going abroad for their surgeries, but before buying a ticket to India or Thailand or any other third world destination, we suggest doing a little homework first. Ask yourself:
1. how much would my procedure REALLY cost in the U.S.A. Our clients pay under $20,000, not $60,000+
2. What is the source of any blood which may be required to be transfused during the surgery? Many countries, irrespective of the quality of their doctors and hospitals, do not have as safe or secure a system of blood collection as do hospitals in the U.S.
3. What is the risk of picking up a bacteria or parasite which is not commonly seen in the U.S., and therefore difficult to diagnose and treat back home?
4. What if there were to be a mal-practice issue in a foreign country? How difficult would it be to file a legal suit in that country?
5. The Mayo Clinic reports (http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/inside.asp?AID=915&UID= ) that there is a significantly increased chance of experiencing a pulmonary embolism when flying more than 5000km pre or post surgery. Is this a risk that I want to take? A pulmonary embolism in an airliner is a virtually certain death sentence.
Hip Resurfacing costs
Rick: First, I applaud North American Surgery for finding a way to bring down the cost of surgery here in the U.S. Cost is not the only issue, as we all know...regarding hip resurfacing, what's the highest number of these done by any of the doctors in your network? This speaks to the main reason WorldMed Assist's (http://worldmedassist.com) patients have gone overseas for hip resurfacing: more experience. And, patients consistently rate their experience in our partner facilities as five star, not third world. A facility must pass through an extensive battery of audits before we consider them an eligible partner.
Hip Resurfacing costs
Rick: First, I applaud North American Surgery for finding a way to bring down the cost of surgery here in the U.S. Cost is not the only issue, as we all know...regarding hip resurfacing, what's the highest number of these done by any of the doctors in your network? This speaks to the main reason WorldMed Assist's (http://worldmedassist.com) patients have gone overseas for hip resurfacing: more experience. And, patients consistently rate their experience in our partner facilities as five star, not third world. A facility must pass through an extensive battery of audits before we consider them an eligible partner.
Experience counts and so does cost
Watch the FOX news coverage of what Kathie T is saying about her hip resurfacing surgery in India or the NBC news coverage of what David B is saying about his triple cardiac bypass surgery in India at https://www.healthbase.com/hb/pages/testimonials.jsp.
Both Kathie and David had no insurance when they contacted Healthbase (http://www.healthbase.com), a premier medical tourism facilitator based in Boston. Their quality of life was deteriorating by the day. In fact, David was living on medicine and had only 3 to 5 years, at best, unless he raised the large sum of money his US hospital required to perform heart surgery on him. Fortunately for both of them, they found help through Healthbase (http://www.healthbase.com) and were able to get their lives back while saving thousands of dollars.
Healthcare services and facilities abroad are on par with what's available in the US. Many have even met the gold standards set by the JCI.
When it comes to experience, hip resurfacing surgeons in India, for example, have done thousands of them which even the top US orthopedic surgeon cannot boast of. May it be cardiac, bariatric, orthopedic, cosmetic, dental or any other procedure, specialists overseas have equal or superior education or experience as specialists in the US, UK, Canada.. Many of them have even received their education or training at top US/UK universities or hospitals.
But, the deal here is to find the right specialist. Each of the 40+ healthcare providers on Healthbase's network has been rigorously evaluated by our team. Most of them are internationally or locally accredited thereby demonstrating their commitment to quality.
To learn about how the medical tourism process works, log on to http://www.healthbase.com.
Medical Tourism Association
Anyone looking into Medical Tourism should start with the Medical Tourism Association, the international non-profit association for the Medical Tourism Industry.
http://www.medicaltravelauthority.com
The association also puts on a large convention each year in San Francisco, September 9-12th, at www.MedicalTourismCongress.com
Cost of medial service in US is definitely out of control
It's getting less and less affordable for working America.
Hospitals can rip you off by charging $100 for a pacj of Tylenol,a bd you are defenceless!
All of of those politicians have been saying "we need to do something with it", but nobody really cares!
If the Goverment regulate finance market and now going to regulate housing market by socializing it, why don't it try to control just a little bit medial service cost?
Is it so hard to set up a limit for cost of major medical procedures and drugs?
Is it so hard, Mr. President?
Why wait until you become a President. Senators Clinton andObama, to do something with skyrocketing medical cost?
If you are so-s concern about medical system, do something NOW! Try to push a bill that limit medical cost NOW!
Why basic X-ray costs now 30% more than 5 years ago?
Why drugs cost 20-40% less in Canada and Europe even now when USD is tumbling?
I'm not even talking about another big problem: medical service cost makes American companies less competitive! Look at GM and Ford: the core of their current problem is not only OPEK-friendly SUVs that they produce. The skyrocketing cost of medical service is killing them!
It seems to me sometimes that the entire country is a hostage of our medical system that keeps all of us under its thumb!
medical tourism as the only alternative for many
I have a small and unique company, Patient Vacation, in the medical tourism business. I personally have had shoulder surgery (which inspired me to start the company) and now cardiac surgery in Bangkok. The experience and results were beyond what I could have expected and certainly something that would have been impossible here in the US without paying a king's ransom and losing all of my life's savings. The key element is the superior health care offered in Thailand, not the price. From initial contact with the doctor to my return, all was done to make sure that my health and well being was satisfied.
We at Patient Vacation recently took 6 patients to Thailand and all were blown away by the service and care they received. All will be returning to Bangkok in the future for any and all medical and dental and cosmetic needs. No matter how well we prepared them for their travels, all were pleasantly surprised at how much the services they received exceeded all their previous experiences here in the US. The better term for all this should be "outsourcing your personal medical needs", but it is not as short nor catchy as "medical tourism".
For many, it is the only way to health care and well being. Talk to us.
www.patientvacation.com
Healthcare Globalizing
Meanwhile while most US healthcare providers focus on traditional competitors, there is a whole new game emerging. The competitor across town at the competing hospital may now be on the other side of the world.
Exciting times for healthcare!
Jessica Bond
Medical Careerist
http://jessicabond.blogspot.com/
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Yes you can save 80 % on surgery in India
My name is Dr. Tony Karmell from Tempa Bay, Florida I went to Wockhardt Hospitals in India last year for a Hip Resurfacing Surgery. This hospital I can bet is better than any best hospital in US in terms of the clinical skills and the technology they have, and the quality of care and warmth of its staff ...I have no words
About 10 years ago due to Arthritis my hip pain went up just all of a sudden, and it was just horrendous, it was like 3 stake knives in my right hip at the same time and from then on it's been 10 yrs and it has never been the same.
In the United States I was essentially offered three options - one was learn to live with it, two, have the standard hip surgery and be active afterwards and three take pain killers. So, I did a lot of physical therapy and took a certain number of painkillers to sort of live with it.
About seven years ago, I read about the Hip Resurfacing procedure, and I discovered it wasn't available in the United States and was probably being done only in one hospital, but it was really very expensive and it wasn't covered by the health insurance.
About one year ago, I made up my mind to go overseas and have the surgery done. Someone told me about a TV show he had seen called Fox 11 healthline on Medical tourism and I started looking for it on the internet and decided that India was probably my best option because more of the Hip Resurfacing Surgeries were being done here than in any other country. So, I wrote to the company that produces Birmingham Hip Replacement (BHR) implants. They gave me names of about ten doctors in India who did BHR and Dr.Malhan was on top of the list. Then I e-mailed to Wockhardt Hospitals and within a couple of hours Wockhardt Hospitals International Marketing Manager e-mailed me back and started the relationship and I decided within an hour after getting his e-mail that this is the best hospital for me. He then helped me make all the arrangements with the travel, visa required to come to India, all details, answering all my questions promptly.
I arrived at Mumbai and spent a day getting my pre-operative investigations. Its been very nice, in fact it was like going to a hospital in Minneapolis or New York. The x-rays conveyed that my hip was qualified for the Resurfacing surgery; they did the measurements that were necessary to arrange the proper size device implant for me.
I don't remember much of the day of the surgery, I just slept through the day, but I do remember when I entered the surgery suite, ... the place was so huge, with all modern facilities, so bright and amazing ... I have never before seen a surgery suite like that.
When I came out of the surgery I was immediately covered with a warm blanket and the painkillers were started immediately. The IV was kept on for three days. Then they staretd Physical Therapy and my therapist was so very patient with me, though I must have done my best to try her patience. She couldn't have been better leading me to steady progress.
The whole experience has been really good. I went to Wockhardt Hospital in India expecting the best and anything I found there exceeded it. It's been a wonderful experience.
Now one year later I'm working full-time in a physically demanding job and my wife says she's never seen me happier. I run three miles every morning and say a little prayer for Wockhardt Hospital my surgeon and all their wonderful staff while I run. They have truly given me my life back.
The only problem I have is occasional pain in the other hip so I will take help again sometime in the next couple of years. Hip resurfacing is now available at a nearby hospital in Florida but I'd prefer to have the Wockhardt team do--even though it means paying out of pocket. By the way I save over 50000 US Dollars by going to India and getting this surgery done by a surgeon who is amongst the most experienced in the world on this technique and was treated like royalty. If any one has any doubt considering this option, please mail me at tkarmell@yahoo.com and I shall do my bit to help you
May 02, 2008 06:16:25 AM [permalink] [report comment]