Medical Tourism

[chinaco]

It looks like a few insurers are now paying for expensive medical procedures overseas. If domestic medical inflation keeps going, this might be in our future.

Adventures in Medical Travel - Kiplinger.com

[Goonie]

I read that article last week, and if I ever need anything serious I'd certainly check into it! The differences in costs were amazing....though not unexpected. Heck, go on vacation, get some body work done, and go sightseeing to boot!!! Can't beat that!

[jphripjah]

Thai hospitals provide great service but there can also be some unique risks. Good luck.

Snake in Hospital Gurney Kills Thai Man

Sep 6, 2007
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — A cancer patient lying on a gurney waiting to be treated was fatally bitten by a snake, a hospital in western Thailand said Friday.

A pit viper bit the man last week at Kanchanaburi Memorial Hospital in Kanchanaburi province, 70 miles west of Bangkok. He died on Tuesday, four days after the snake bit.

Gurneys at the hospital, in a semi-rural area, usually are laid outside the hospital buildings to wait for incoming patients, and the snake apparently slithered onto the gurney when it was outdoors.

Chamni Chittriprasert, a spokesman of the Health Ministry's Medical Science Department, said that it is rare for a person to die from a pit viper bite, but that the man's case was fatal because his liver cancer had weakened his body.

His wife called for the hospital to take responsibility for the death.

The deputy director of the private hospital, Jindawan Phromsiriphat, called the death a regrettable accident that staff would have prevented if they could have, and said that the hospital would pay for one night of the victim's weeklong Buddhist funeral.

She said compensation to his family had not yet been discussed.

A Health Ministry spokesman, Suphan Srithamma, said the ministry would send officials to inspect the hospital.

[chinaco]

Originally Posted by jphripjah

Thai hospitals provide great service but there can also be some unique risks. Good luck.

Gurneys at the hospital, in a semi-rural area, usually are laid outside the hospital buildings to wait for incoming patients, and the snake apparently slithered onto the gurney when it was outdoors.

I think the article is describing different medical centers... setup to be a bit more like an American or Western European Medical Center.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by chinaco

It looks like a few insurers are now paying for expensive medical procedures overseas. If domestic medical inflation keeps going, this might be in our future.

Screw the inflation, how 'bout the fact that there are only 48 orthopedic surgeons in Hawaii and I can get far better post-op care at Bumrungrad & many fine Bangkok rental establishments? If I have to lay flat on my back for a month with room service I can't think of many five-star places charging $100/night.

Or the fact that I had to get an MRI on a relatively healthy knee because that was my original complaint. None of the MRI staff would do both knees at the same visit, and the treatment of the worse knee is going to have to wait until I see the orthopedic surgeon to get his authorization to have that knee examined... by the same MRI staff. Who may not be able to detect what the orthopod is looking for anyway.

Originally Posted by jphripjah

Thai hospitals provide great service but there can also be some unique risks. Good luck.

I think I'll pick a 1/1000 chance with pit vipers over a 1/100 chance at a staph infection any day. Rich_in_Tampa or another health pro can correct my estimates-- my actual infection rates may not be accurate but I bet I'm correct on the order of magnitude between the two...

Oahu's Pali Momi medical center, arguably one of the state's finer hospitals, has a patient information handbook that states "Ensure your care staff, especially doctors & nurses, have washed their hands before they examine you." Good thing my health insurer is willing to pay for that!

[Billy]

jphriphjah

Thai hospitals provide great service but there can also be some unique risks. Good luck.

Nords

I think I'll pick a 1/1000 chance with pit vipers over a 1/100 chance at a staph infection any day. Rich_in_Tampa or another health pro can correct my estimates-- my actual infection rates may not be accurate but I bet I'm correct on the order of magnitude between the two...

Nords, I’m with you on that one…

We have been encouraging utilizing medical care outside the U.S. for some time now, and we emphasized that option in our book.

Bangkok Heart Hospital offers astounding value for valve replacements and other ‘common’ heart procedures. They have advanced medical procedures and equipment.

Check out the packages and pricing page. Current Baht exchange rate - 34B = $1USD

http://www.bangkokhearthospital.com/

In another Bangkok hospital called Samitivej, they have a digital infotainment system with large LCD screens in your room on which you can see your own X-rays, read your doctor's profiles, pay your bills or learn more about your own medical condition.

For more alternatives:
http://www.retireearlylifestyle.com/links_medical_options.htm

Akaisha
Author, The Adventurer's Guide to Early Retirement