The Government In Charge of Our Entire Health-Care System?

Walter Hinteler wrote:

all EU-countries (and their overseas territories)

Are we feeling a wee bit colonial today, Walter?

<smiles>

It is, frankly, a mystery to me why the health care costs are that high in the United States. I would like to see an explanation for that as well.

(The current projections for per capita health care costs are $7,092 in 2006 and $7,498 in 2007, by the way. That's a lot of money.)

okie wrote:

old europe wrote:

okie wrote:

True, but look at the expenditures, not the number of people. Somebody might go to India to have a surgery for 10 grand that might cost ten times that in the U.S.

.... which would, in theory, bring down the per capita health care costs in the US. Right?

I am simply pointing out that the number of U. S. citizens going abroad for health care would have to be much greater than the number that come here to equal the same amount of money expended there vs here.

Hm, sure, but I was talking about the money US citizens would save on treatments in the US. If an American would end up saving a huge amount of money by having his hip replacement done in India, that would bring down the per capita health care costs in the US.

Universal Health Care coverage for the 59-64 year old person, is
$700+/month or at least $8400/year.

Since you aren't a citizen of the U.S. why should any of this, really concern you?

Why would any sane Bostonian ever go to India for hip work, when they can have excellent ( best in the World ) orthopedic work at Boston's New England Baptist Hospital?

Who should be interested?

As long as you are healthy enough to travel, you stand to benefit from medical tourism's offerings.
While anyone is a prospective patient, most of our customers fall into one of the three categories:

Elective surgery:
A large number of medical tourists seek out elective procedures such as cosmetic or wellness treatments that are not covered by insurance plans.

Underinsured:
As insurers cut back on their coverage and insurance costs skyrocket, more and more individuals find themselves 'underinsured'. High deductibles, wait-lists and limited physician choices force many patients to seek out alternative treatments. Others find that the care they need is not covered under their catastrophic insurance plans. An alternative to withdrawing from their precious 401K is to seek healthcare overseas.

Uninsured:
16% of the US population is uninsured. These individuals, many of which are self-employed, frequently find themselves dipping into their hard-earned savings to finance their medical care. Medical tourism is an increasingly popular solution among our uninsured population.

Others:
In some cases, even for insured people, the cost of treatment overseas is less than their out-of-pocket amount in the US. If you are a Baby Boomer you do not yet qualify for Medicare or Medicaid for your urgently needed surgery. For others who have lost their group coverage due to retirement, the surgery or procedure they need may not be covered under the Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits. Under such circumstances, medical tourism is the most viable option.

Are you an Indian, old europa?

Yes, I'm aware you're not an American.

Miller wrote:

Why would any sane Bostonian ever go to India for hip work, when they can have excellent ( best in the World ) orthopedic work at Boston's New England Baptist Hospital?

I don't know.

Let me have a look at this website here... (which happens to be a Massachusetts based company... funny, eh?)
(Was the first one that popped up on Google, just so you know....)

[quote
Weird, huh? People have the best health care in the world available right there in Boston, and they would travel somewhere else?

Very strange.

Miller wrote:

Are you an Indian, old europa?

Now, Miller, this may come as a surprise to you, but, uhm. No.

Actually, I'm European.

For many medical tourists, though, the real attraction is price. The cost of surgery in India, Thailand or South Africa can be one-tenth of what it is in the United States or Western Europe, and sometimes even less. A heart-valve replacement that would cost $200,000 or more in the U.S., for example, goes for $10,000 in India - and that includes round-trip airfare and a brief vacation package. Similarly, a metal-free dental bridge worth $5,500 in the U.S. costs $500 in India, a knee replacement in Thailand with six days of physical therapy costs about one-fifth of what it would in the States, and Lasik eye surgery worth $3,700 in the U.S. is available in many other countries for only $730. Cosmetic surgery savings are even greater: A full facelift that would cost $20,000 in the U.S. runs about $1,250 in South Africa.

hbg, My physician is from India. She's been promoted to do more administrative work at the hospital, but have kept some of her patients. I'm one of those lucky ones; she's the best doctor I've had in all my life, and I would be very sad and angry if I ever lost her. .

This from hamburger's post:

Quote:

.....from newsclips i've seen , many of these hospitals look like MODERN PALACES ! and , of course , most of the doctors at those hospitals were trained in the U.S. and britain - some even held senior medical positions in these countries .....

So what country has led the world in medical progress? And why? Maybe Miller could consider giving a test and grade you on it after some of you ponder the answers? Okay class, get with it and study.