Low Cost Hip Replacement While on Vacation
American Insurance Plan May Cover Cost of Major Surgery Outside US
Oct 3, 2008
Some medical insurance plans now allow seniors, boomers or anyone else needing expensive surgery to get procedures done overseas, where the cost is often a fraction of what it is in the U.S, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Approximately 529,000 knee replacements are performed annually in the United States and about 250,000 hip replacements, reported Colin Stewart of the Orange County Register July 2, 2008. Typically these procedures involve patients over 50 and the cost can by as much as $50,000 per operation.
Knee Replacement for $7,000 Rather than $45,000
In the growing practice of medical tourism, sufferers have surgery performed by accredited orthopedists in places such as India, Thailand, Singapore, Costa Rica and Panama. According to Kneeindia.com, high-flex knee replacement that costs $45,000 in the US, costs only $12,000 in Singapore, $15,000 in Thailand and $7,000 at the hospital of the Chennai physician who owns the website.
The Journal article by M. P. McQueen published Sept. 30, 2008 says that “a small but growing number of insurers and employers “ now give people a choice to have surgery outside the U.S. Of course, they do not cover plastic surgery, which is perhaps the major elective surgery sought by medical tourists. But it does cover such things as joint replacements and open-heart surgery. The paper cites Hannaford Brothers, the supermarket chain, as one employer with an Aetna plan that can save joint replacement patients up to $3,000 if they decide to go outside U.S, borders. The plan also covers the travel costs.
Other programs now offering theses benefits include Companion Global Healthcare, a subsidy of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina. It has created a network of international physicians and hospitals in places such as Thailand, Costa Rica, Ireland and Turkey. Coming soon - a similar provision from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in conjunction with Serigraph, a company in Wisconsin. Why are such health care plans doing this? Because the insurance companies themselves save money on these procedures.
Be Cautious About Rehab, Accreditation, Blood Safety Issues
One big drawback is that with joint replacement, patients need to take into account an extended stay in the overseas locale for initial rehab before they can take a long airplane flight home. Also, critics caution that patients should be aware of the risks, such as the issue of how accredited the surgeons are, the safety of any blood transfusions that may be needed, the danger of other infections in an overseas facility, and the legal issues if something goes wrong and a patient wants to sue in a non-U.S. court.
