For procedures such as the ones shown here, U.S. hospitals will most likely quote prices similar to those in the leftmost column for patients who lack insurance coverage and are ineligible for medical assistance. Not so abroad. By comparison, Medicare payments to hospitals are much closer to foreign prices than to the full-price quotes at left. Figures other than for Medicare payments were taken from Patients Beyond Borders, a bestselling series of consumer guides to international medical travel that have helped thousands of patients plan for successful procedures abroad. Healthy Travel Media, publisher of the series, has become a clearinghouse for valuable information about medical and wellness travel.
| Procedure | United States | India | Thailand | Singapore | Malaysia | Panama | South Korea | Taiwan | Typical Medicare Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coronary artery bypass surgery | $70,000-133,000 | $7,000 | $22,000 | $16,300 | $12,000 | $10,500 | $31,750 | $27,500 | $18,609-23,589 |
| Bypass surgery with heart valve replacement | $75,000-140,000 | $9,500 | $25,000 | $22,000 | $13,400 | $13,500 | $42,000 | $30,000 | $30,903-42,954 |
| Hip replacement | $33,000-57,000 | $10,200 | $12,700 | $12,000 | $7,500 | $5,500 | $10,600 | $8,800 | $10,085-12,263 |
| Knee replacement | $30,000-53,000 | $9,200 | $11,500 | $9,600 | $12,000 | $7,000 | $11,800 | $10,000 | $10,085-12,263 |
| Prostate surgery (TURP procedure) | $10,000-16,000 | $3,600 | $4,400 | $5,300 | $4,600 | $3,200 | $3,150 | $2,750 | $3,003-3,703 |
| Gastric bypass | $35,000-52,000 | $9,300 | $13,000 | $16,500 | $12,700 | $8,500 | $9,300 | $10,200 | $7,902-9,876 |
| Face-lift | $10,500-16,000 | $4,800 | $5,000 | $7,500 | $6,400 | $2,500 | $6,650 | $8,500 | * |
* Not reimbursable. Note: U.S. charges are list prices. Physician and certain other fees are generally excluded. Prices at non-U.S. hospitals are all-inclusive other than for Panama, which does not include surgeon’s fee. Medicare amounts represent typical reimbursements to hospitals. Sources: Patients Beyond Borders, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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