Used to be that people from all over the world flocked to the US for first rate medical care. Remember all the trouble we got in with the deposed Shah of Iran? And only a few years ago there were boutique hotels in New York City that catered to tourists recovering from surgery performed at prestigious New York hospitals.
The operating tables are turning.
Because of rising medical costs, lack of insurance coverage, or even employer health care plans that encourage it, Americans are traveling to familiar and exotic places around the world seeking modern, inexpensive surgical treatments. There are web based companies that connect the medical bargain shopper with facilities as close as Mexico or as far away as South Korea. The sites list everything from reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty to Heart by-pass surgery. A hip replacement surgery that costs $50,000 ( actually, that sounds like quite a bargain but I am quoting a site comparison list) in the US is less than $8,000 in Thailand. The medical menu is prix fixe and usually includes air fare and accommodations before and after.
I like the idea of knowing in advance what something is going to cost. Just try asking your hospital what your total bill will be prior to surgery and hospitalization. And medical beds are like airline seats...everyone is paying a different amount to get to the same place. There is room for improvement here.
But...for now, for me, I want my healthcare local, not global.
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