Here's an idea to make healthcare more affordable.....

[gimmethesimplelife]

Let me start by saying I personally don't ever see this happening IRL, but here's my idea - For people needing procedures but not right at this this moment life or death, say procedures that can wait at least 72 hours, why not send them overseas - India, Singapore, Malaysia, Argentina, Thailand, are some good countries that come to mind - for their procedures? Seriously, if this were part of ObamaCare I bet it could save untold billions and billions and billions of dollars. Two flaws - A. this would amount to a national admission that American health care does not work for many (something many seem to know already it seem to me), and B. What to do about the resulting loss of decent paying health care jobs? What do you'all think?

[freein05]

It would probably make the free market work in medical care in the US.

[loosechickens]

it's already happening....americans are going in droves to those places. Some because they have inadequate or no insurance, some because their insurance companies won't cover the procedures, etc. There is a whole industry in places like Thailand and India for U.S. patients, just as the Mexican border has little towns like Los Algodones that exist pretty much for no other purpose than to be a conglomeration of dentist and doctors' offices, pharmacies, opticians, etc.

[gimmethesimplelife]

it's already happening....americans are going in droves to those places. Some because they have inadequate or no insurance, some because their insurance companies won't cover the procedures, etc. There is a whole industry in places like Thailand and India for U.S. patients, just as the Mexican border has little towns like Los Algodones that exist pretty much for no other purpose than to be a conglomeration of dentist and doctors' offices, pharmacies, opticians, etc.True fact, Americans are going in droves to these places already, but mostly on their own dime at the moment, as I understand? I'm more of the meaning that it becomes mainstream for insurance companies to pick up the tab for this - airfare, meals, hospital, procedure, any downtime before the patient is cleared by a doctor for travel - sounds pricey, I know, but I know I have saved a small fortune myself in having dental work done in Mexico, and remember I don't have the bargaining power a large insurance company would have. I also think if the patient wanted to stay on a bit and make it a medical vacation - well, these costs the patient should be picking up. So there may be issues there in determining exactly what is covered and what is not.

[Gregg]

So Rob, are you proposing the government pay for this transportation or insurance or patients? Same with the care once you get there, the recovery and the trip home. Like LC said, its already happening on the patient's meter so I'm taking a guess you mean insurance companies would weigh the total costs and ship you out if the final bill would be lower overseas?

[Bastelmutti]

I think a better idea would be to invest heavily in preventive care.

[gimmethesimplelife]

So Rob, are you proposing the government pay for this transportation or insurance or patients? Same with the care once you get there, the recovery and the trip home. Like LC said, its already happening on the patient's meter so I'm taking a guess you mean insurance companies would weigh the total costs and ship you out if the final bill would be lower overseas?Yep, this is what I am getting at. An example would be heart surgery which goes for something around $10,000 in India - I am sure an insurance company could negotiate this down if it meant a volume of business for said hospital in India. This along with travel to India, perhaps negotiated for a volume discount on the flights (?) - this has to be cheaper for them, even, the insurance companies, than what they face here. (Not that I have any sympathy for insurance companies suddenly.) Rob

[Gregg]

Well, I can see a heart center opening in Mumbai to service all the American demand. It may even make sense to have chartered flights (acute care on board, just in case). Myself, I would probably opt for an "upgrade" to Cleveland instead. Nothing against Mumbai, I'd just rather deal with the known quantity. Still, it is an interesting thought.

Another thing that would have to be worked out is what to do with the body if the operation took a turn for the worse. Weird as it sounds we have a number of friends who have lost family members in other parts of the world and in many cases it has been a nightmare to get them back to the states. I suppose if all the other kinks could be worked out this would be small potatoes.

[freein05]

Both my cardiologist are foreign born one from India and the other from China.