Medical Tourism

Just saw a segment on 60 Minutes tonight called Medical Tourism. A few countries like Thailand and India have built these luxury medical centers and according to the story have the best and latest technology available, some of the best doctor's, most of them trained and had worked here in the states. Just supposed to have the best of the best in everything.

One man from Shreveport LA. went there for heart surgery that would have cost over $100,000 here in the states. He went to Thailand and it cost $15,000. He said it was very different than here in the US, every nurse on duty was an RN and the level of care was excellent. Said he would go back in a minute.

Another woman from Vero Beach went to India for a hip replacement that would cost $32,000 here and cost her $5,000 in India. It showed the hospital and it looked like something you would see in Las Vegas. They told about the latest medical equipment they had in these places but I missed that part.

Really pretty interesting, would anyone here try it?

Steve

 

hehehe

Yeah, I was thinking about whether I would consider something like that if the need arise and a procedure here would probably bankrupt you, even with insurance. I don't think I would do it, can you imagine being that far away from home and something go wrong.

Trust me star, I'm pretty cheap.....I mean frugile. But I would probably go for the surgery here, and just bitch about it later.

Steve

 

Yup, I agree.

Plus, they might steal one of your kidney's.

Steve

 

Well, they're mostly vegetarians, but it's possible.

 

I don't know about the rest of you, but not speaking the language (or they being unable to speak frankly to me) gives me a valid reason to avoid it. Maybe I am just a scaredy-cat. MEOW!

 

come out of the cave man! Most medical centers have plenty of Doctors who do not speak Enghrish velly well..

 

That is funny! I needed that laugh!

 

There are a lot of very good medical practitioners and facilities that will not practice medicine in the U.S. due to restrictions, and general unwillingness of the U.S. to accept new medical treatments.

My father has/had cancer, and leaves the country for medical treatments. He has a particularly nasty form of cancer, that is often fatal shortly after diagnosis. I don't recall the name of it. The treatment he went through did not require an operation, nor did it require radiation.

It completely eradicated the cancer from his body. This was several years ago.

Unfortunately, he was supposed to go for check-ups, didn't, and it started to come back. So, he is going through it again.

--Radiation, surgery free cancer treatment. Yet the U.S. has not (will not?) approve it, so the doctors who use the treatment have left the country to practice it.

So its of no surpise to me that other countries can have superior medical facilities, and treatments, if the word unapproved doesn't scare you off

 

I'm sorry, but the topic title strikes me as funny.

So I offer this:

Where else can you get an amputation, dinner, and a show at one low, low price?

 

Bwahahaha!

 

Okay. Now being serious (haha!).

Malpractice is probably non-exisitent elsewhere as well.

 

Of course not.

Not like you needed that other arm anyway.

Oops!

 

Touche!!!!!!!!!!

 

i might do this for my teeth. i have to get a lot of work done and only emergency dental is covered by medicaid. i have been told to go to thailand.

 

You reminded me of another part of the story. You should have seen the hospital cafeteria, it looked like the buffet on a cruise ship.

Steve

 

Did they serve liver?

 

LOL

Your gonna scare poor Laurie to death.

Steve

 

it'll be an adventure, one way or t'other. gotta save some money first though. i'll keep you informed if i do this.

 

Here you go Laurie.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/21/60minutes/main689998.shtml

Steve

 

This may or may not be related, but while I was stationed in Japan, I had a friend who got exremely sick. He went to the base hospital, and told him he just had a cold and to take an aspirin/tylenol (or whatever it was) and come back in a week. Well, he didn't do that. He went off base to a Japanese hospital. Needless to say, according to the japanese he has something that I can't remember. Anyway, they gave him a shot of something. And within an hour he was feeling like his old self again.

How much did this cost? About $50.

I told this to my Mom who works as an RN at the local hospital. She said, he was lucky he survived, since the US of A has the best of everything..blahblahblah....

 

thanks matacumbie. didn't say anything about dental though, so i have some research to do. i have an appointment with a 'sliding scale' dentist next Monday, and will discuss with him my options. one thing i do know is that i will not have my teeth removed without a plan B in operation. i am much to young and vain to spend the rest of my life covering my mouth with my hand and eating mush. i am astounded and disgusted that people disabled or sick, or poor, are expected to do just that. how negative an effect on their self esteem, and their chances of employment. the flight to Thailand will be cheaper from Hawaii than the US. so hopefully this is a real possibility.

 

The US is too tied up with political bullcrap when it comes to medical treatments that they have fallen behind.

Note my post further up.

Its no different than the FDA not allowing places like fast food restaurants to give out their leftover food (the stuff that gets thrown out because it wasn't bought) to the homeless because its not properly prepared or whatever.

Not that it stopped me or my wife, we used to manage a Pizza Hut and take the leftover buffet pizzas (we are talking several boxes a day) to St. Mary's Rd. (near downtown Tucson, AZ) and give it to the homeless on the corners on the way to class.

Never heard one complaint from them.

Politics and money play too much a part in this country.

 

I used to work at a Pizza Hut!


-Steve

 

Lol

 

well, i spent a couple of hours looking into this yesterday, and although a lot of it was in 'Taiwanese' (?) what i did glean was that airfare is about $500, and the work i need doing about another $500, so for $1000 i can get done there what it will cost between $4,000 and $6,000 here. Hawaii being one of the most expensive states. anyway this is beginning to look like a real plan.