Not what you think. Not Americans traveling to foreign countries like Mexico or India for affordable treatment. Not wealthy foreigners coming to America for better quality healthcare or giving birth to US citizens. No, this is my neighbor who needed an elective surgical procedure. I am not sure if he has any health insurance. We live in NC. He did some research on private pay costs and traveled to Maryland for his procedure, saving significant $$ vs the least expensive closer provider. I never really thought about it, but with my $5,500 deductible for hospital or diagnostic procedures I might do the same thing even with my health insurance.
My employer is a hospital system so YMMV.
Some insurance companies have preferred hospitals and providers so if this is something people are thinking about I’d make sure you are covered with precert. There are 2 other major health care systems in our city and they are out of network.
There are many facilities that are part of the Free Market Medical Association where they offer flat rates and competitive surgical options. But never forget that surgeries are not always free of complications. These facilities are not set up for major complications. Furthermore, these complications may occur after the patient travels home.
I’m tempted to get some “work done” on my face before I leave asia
I guess I did this: I went to Canada for Lasik. The modern form had only recently been approved in the US and was maybe $5k for both eyes, but it had been approved in Canada a few years earlier. The clinic I went to in Montreal had done over 10,000 procedures and the total cost was about $2200 US. We drove up, made a vacation of it and saved a few thousand. My eyes haven’t changed in the 12 years since.
Njres
To me it seems your question is really whether to use your own Insurance and pay down your large deductible and pay more money at your local facility or go to Maryland and pay less out of pocket without involving your deductible or ins carrier
If you were to do that I would check policy to see if deductible is yearly. If so then do at end of year then you will save money And not use your insurance
If you do early in year and have other medical costs then you still have high deductible which has not been met
Let’s move hospitals and medical teams for this kind of operations to a low cost of living area (N. or S. Dakota?), and maybe all jobs for diagnostic radiologists to a low cost country (India?) The high healthcare cost problem is partially solved!
It is not that different from having all manufactured goods at Walmart be produced by other countries. It is more “productive”. (At least N. or S. Dakota is still in the US.)
I was talking to some retired people who live in Texas by the Mexico border and they said seniors are continually crossing the border for dental care. A crown that is $1200 in the states is only a couple hundred dollars in Mexico. Big savings for those who are on a fixed income.
Ignoring the humane or inhumane issue, what actually happens in many parts of the world is that there are tiered healthcare system at many places. The patients of a higher SES status receive “better” healthcare than those who are not in the same class. This is a reality in the US.
Even not in the border towns, the poor may go to a different hospital than the non-poor. The former is a more crowded and unpleasant place. I heard many hospitals could not survive financially if too many of their patients are “poor” patients which include those Medicare patients.
I’ve done it, and it all worked out great.
Well, except for the jerkish hotel staff that refused to immediately get me a wheelchair when I returned from major surgery because I had not pre-reserved one with a credit card, blah blah blah.
I freaking WALKED to the elevator and to my room. I walked very slowly. I apologized when entering the elevator for my slow pace, stating that I had just had surgery. They were taken aback.
@TranquilMind, SHAME on that hotel! I hope you reported them to the place where you had the surgery, as they would probably like to know so they can refer their patients to more hospitable lodging! Actually, walking SLOWLY probably helped you recover more quickly and completely, but walking after surgery should only be on YOUR terms, in consultation with your medical team.
I and others have gone to places renoun for their excellent care to get treatment that exceeded what I could get locally. I have had respiratory conditions treated at National Jewish Health in Denver, CO and I have had friends who got cancer treatment at Sloan Kettering in NY. We would have preferred to get sufficient care in our home state but were willing to travel to get the care to optimize our health. The places we received care had a list of lodging options that they had contracts with that gave special rates to patients. We used hotels on their list and got the special rates and were treated well. My insurer did not cover travel but otherwise reimbursed the medical facility as if I had gotten treatment locally, since they were participating and preferred with our BCBS insurer PPO plan.
Ha ha. You are right. I should have done something, but heck…I didn’t feel like it. I just wanted to lie down. My husband is rather a passive guy. The surgeon’s office had only recommended one hotel, which was closer, but there was smoking in one area and the reviews said that the rooms did not cool down as much as they should have. Not for me.
The people on the elevator acted like I was a superhero or something. It was kind of funny.
On the way out - when I needed it less - they let me have a wheelchair to go to the front and wait for a cab.
Gee, thanks!
It’s not too late to give the place where you had the surgery feedback on the hotel and you may save some other patient some pain. Just a thought.
I know that many people make the mistake of thinking all hospitals are the “same” …but, sometimes going an extra 1 to 2 hour drive (not even cross country) for say a scheduled heart operation can maybe save your life.
that is kind of like stay-cation medical tourism I guess!?!?!
Yes, people in my area go to Miami. Presurgery, there is a lot of waiting and an indifferent stand.
Himom, my sister spent months every year in National Jewish H, even though she lives in NM. Great place. They focused on teaching the patient how to care for him/herself. She also does her dental work in Mexico. She pays a little extra for an English speaking dentist.
To me it has been worth flying from HI to Denver for National Jewish 6 times. They have helped me optimize my health and exceed all expectations. There is a huge difference between different venues as to the quality of care, and it has been well worth the extr effort, time and expense for us. We have been going there since 2000 and have H and both our kids evaluated there as well.
Most ACA on-exchange plans offered do not give one access to providers outside of your home state.
The ACA exchange plans I saw in CA and HI were for instate HMO insurers only–no out-of-state coverage. 