Offshore Health Care

[Hyperborea]

I was out running an errand this afternoon and on the way back to the office I was listening to the local PBS station which was playing the audio for today's Lehrer NewsHour.

One of the pieces was about getting health care outside the US - in particular Thailand. They talked with two people getting elective surgery (knee replacement for one and a tummy tuck for the other) and an official and a couple of docs at one of the largest such hospital in Thailand (Bumrungrad). There was also some insurance guy suggesting that future health care plans may start offering cheaper rates if for some high cost operations you would be willing to be sent overseas. If you're in the right timezone then you can still catch the west coast TV broadcast (or perhaps the later repeat). It should show up on their website later too.

 

[nearly50]

It's a real growth industry. My sister-in-law is an OB-GYN in Bangalore (no shortage of patients) and she reports that the hospitals recently built exclusively for westerners paying in hard currency are like five star tropical resorts. You check in, have your operation, and recuperate poolside with all of the personal TLC you could ever want. Even with the cost of air travel, it's still cheaper than having the work done stateside.

 

[indymom]

OK, so why does it cost so much here? Those other places are evidently making money and giving decent care.

 

[REWahoo]

OK, so why does it cost so much here?

Two reasons:
1) Labor costs in the US are 5 times (or more) higher
2) Liability insurance costs (think you'll have much luck suing your Thai doc if your implants leak?)

REW

 

[indymom]

But what about the Thai people themselves? Assuming they wanted implants, which I doubt. I've tried to buy clothes there. They probably do want knee replacements, etc. , tho.

 

[P traveler]

IMO, the costs are higher in the US because of insurance. No one questions the costs.

On our website we have articles addressing this, especially Bumrungrad in Bangkok. A very nice hospital.

Billy
website www.geocities.com/ba264

 

[P traveler]

Not that I have any experience at this ....but Thailand specializes in implants etc. Can you say Katoy? They can be beautiful.

Billy
Website www.geocities.com/ba264

 

[VoyT]

I recently read that many U.S. women are going to S. Africa and Europe for IVF treatments and paying less than half of what it would cost here.

 

[indymom]

Women with more money than sense. How about knee replacements, foot problems, carpal tunnel,stuff that really needs doing from a medical point of view.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

For a while there I thought this meant visiting a doctor on a boat somewhere. Glad to see its better than that...

 

[vicky]

Women with more money than sense. How about knee replacements, foot problems, carpal tunnel,stuff that really needs doing from a medical point of view.

Nothing wrong with the medical care in Western Europe. S Africa private clinics are fine. There a doctor will actually look at you during a doctor's visit. I have only had mediocre care in the US from various doctors. During my doctor's visits here, a nurse talks to me for 3 minutes. Then I am left waiting for another hour or so until the doctor shows up. Then the doctor walks for less than 1 minute with the prescription. Don't bother to ask questions, that is not appreciated and takes too much time. Total bill usually $ 150 for the 1 minute of doctor's time.

There seems to be some strange perception that only in the US the medical care and drugs are safe (wooooh, scary drugs from Canada - Canadians must be dropping dead left and right). In many places of the world it is at least as good as here. Sure, if you still share your brain with your twin sister at age 35, you may want to go some university hospital here since that is a non-routine thing.

I would have no hesitation to have any type of surgery done in Thailand and many other countries.

Vicky

 

[SDY888]

There seems to be some strange perception that only in the US the medical care and drugs are safe (wooooh, scary drugs from Canada - Canadians must be dropping dead left and right). In many places of the world it is at least as good as here. Sure, if you still share your brain with your twin sister at age 35, you may want to go some university hospital here since that is a non-routine thing.

I would have no hesitation to have any type of surgery done in Thailand and many other countries. Vicky

Vicky - excellent post. Fear and ignorance is a factor.

Coincidentally, I had a tib-fib fracture treated in the hospital mentioned, the Bumrungrad, about 8 years ago. The service was superb - high quality, fast, efficient and cheap. I arrived by private car into the Emergency Dept. and was immediately seen by a Nurse and Doctor. They attended to the immediate pain relief whilst my travelling buddy filled out the forms which I then signed. Off for several X-rays and scans, a conference between the first Doc and a Specialist, into the op room, "cut, bend and fix", then out to recuperate in a private room. Total time from first incurring the fracture to lying in bed in a plaster cast was a little under 5 hours. Total bill the equivalent of US$ 225, including all my medication for the next week. The consultant I saw when I returned home commented on how well the injury had been treated and as a result it healed very well and very quickly.

As an aside, the Thai's are amongst the world's leader in cosmetic surgery, particulary, "augmentation" (male and female) and "transformation" (male TO female).....did someone say katoy..?

They also lead the world in "Bobbit Surgery" expertise, as it happens, but I have no experience of that!!

Simon 888

 

[JOhn Galt]

"Bobbitt surgery"? Is that where they Thai it back on?

JG

 

[MJ]

"Bobbitt surgery"? Is that where they Thai it back on?

JG

Very Good Henny (Youngman).

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Sorry, but there it is and I have to take it...

Lorena Bobbitt had just cut off her husband's
penis. She was driving down the road, wondering
what to do with it, when the thought struck her
to toss it out the window. The penis bounced off
the windscreen of the car travelling in the
opposite direction. "****," said the driver to
his passenger. "What kind of a bug was that?"
"I dunno," he replied. "But did you see the size
of the cock on it?!"

 

[BUM]

TH,

Just couldn't leave it alone could ya?


Regarding overseas healthcare. The generalization is true the US, the western world for that matter has cornered the healthcare market in dollars but not sense. There is equal to or better than care elsewhere.

But when it comes down to specific countries you have to do your homework. For example another old joke is:
Where do you go in the Cayman's to get to the hospital?
American Airlines.


BUM

8)

 

[unclemick]

Plant Doc back in Denver was a retired Air Force Colonel.

My buddy Sam(also retired AF) said he was a typical military doc.:

Patient - "Doc I'm sick."
Doc - "Really? " Die and prove it."

Ah - the good old days.