Outsourcing Blues? Have a Heart!(Uninsured American worker in India for heart surgery)

INDIA TIMES NEWS NETWORK ^ | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2004 | CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA

[fight_truth_decay]

"It's just an amazing idea. ... He works all the time. And then to have nothing left," Grace said of the idea of paying $200,000 for an operation. "His son said, 'Does this mean I can't go to college?' It shouldn't be that way. Two hundred thousand dollars is a lot for anybody."

Jennifer Morcone, a spokeswoman with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "If you travel outside this nation, the same protections that are built into the health-care delivery system here may not apply."

Many people have told Staab he was irresponsible not to have had health insurance in the first place, Grace said. Now, he can't get coverage for his pre-existing condition. But other than wishing that he didn't have heart problems, "he does not have any regrets," she said.

[Angry Enough]

Let's start by putting a cap on monetary awards and damages for malpractice suits, and ESPECIALLY caps on how attorneys may profit from malpractice suits, so that doctors can actually afford malpractice insurance again - that might bring down the costs to within reason.

[silverleaf]

Just wondering where many Indian heart surgeons get their training?

And where the son of "Grace" is getting the funds for medical school at Stanford?

Try as I may- I just cannot join these people in their anger against US capitalism.

[buffyt]

People act like health insurance pays for everything. HA! We pay monthly premiums. We also put money aside in a tax free account for medical/dental expenses. We also pay $20 when we go to the doctor. We pay about 1/2 of our prescription expense. We pay most of it when we get a crown. I got one recently and it was $750 and insurance didn't pay half. When my kids have surgery I have to pay up front for a lot of it and wait for insurance to repay. And insurance pays less and less all the time. I don't go whining to the US Gov to pay our med. expenses. We just budget and pay it ourselves.

[dljordan]

Might not part of the problems be caused by the insurance middlemen. They suck BILLIONS out of the healthcare industry every year.

[A. Pole]

"His son said, 'Does this mean I can't go to college?'

Go study abroad, young man. Much cheaper and possibly better.

Jennifer Morcone, a spokeswoman with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "If you travel outside this nation, the same protections that are built into the health-care delivery system here may not apply."

Good joke, using health-care abroad is better than no care at all and India has some real centers of excellence. BTW, other developed nations have longer life expectancy than USA, despite lower prices.

[angkor]

Bangkok hospitals get pretty decent ratings from the U.S. Embassy Thailand. Had a wisdom tooth pulled there for $25.00 by an excellent dentist, in the chair for less than 5 minutes, in and out of the office in 15 minutes. Antibiotics and codeine OTC at the nearby pharmacy for a few bucks.

[Angry Enough]

Might not part of the problems be caused by the insurance middlemen. They suck BILLIONS out of the healthcare industry every year.

Agreed. Let them be next on the list.

[Mr. Jeeves]

"If you travel outside this nation, the same protections that are built into the health-care delivery system here may not apply."

Yeah, John Edwards isn't standing by, watching over the doctor's shoulder and waiting to file suit on your behalf. ;)

[xm177e2]

Hmmm.... I wouldn't need catastrophic health insurance if I just paid out-of-pocket for care from India...

[steplock]

Insurance Middlemen?

Call them what they are -- TRIAL LAWYER SCUMBAGS~!

[angkor]

Good joke, using health-care abroad is better than no care at all

I forgot to mention above that the Bangkok dentist was a vastly better experience (faster, more skilled, less painful) than having the other 3 wisdoms removed in the States (2 by a U.S. Navy dentist, one by an expensive "dental surgeon").

I've heard other excellent reports from people who've used Bangkok hospitals ... and of course they have pretty nurses.

[A. Pole]

I forgot to mention above that the Bangkok dentist was a vastly better experience (faster, more skilled, less painful) than having the other 3 wisdoms removed in the States (2 by a U.S. Navy dentist, one by an expensive "dental surgeon").

There are some excellent dentists in Poland, the savings can pay for the ticket, expenses and more. I did it.

[fight_truth_decay]

and of course they have pretty nurses

Ahhhh! Now the truth comes out! ;)

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Where did you get the info on life expectancy?
Last report I read, Indian men had a life expectancy of about 65, lower than American men.

[fight_truth_decay]

I just cannot join these people in their anger against US capitalism

I really do not think they have "anger", I think they did their research and made a choice. Their bio does not make them sound like they have ever lived "high on the hog" and seem pretty self sufficient in providing for their own needs.

But no one can dispute the cost of medical care in this country, no matter what political button one chooses to wear. Politicians talk the talk but.. (The End).

[matchwood]

Nothing new - Europeans are doing this all the time - one of their favorite vacation/surgery destinations is Thailand; next you will see China become a favorite for blood analysis, radiologist readings, - the whole nine yards.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

The reason why the procedure was so much less in India is mainly because of India's socialist economy. The government, by subsidizing the health care by confiscated/redistributed funds, flips part of the bill by regulating the costs.

If India found itself faced with 10 million illegal aliens all seeking healthcare in emergency rooms and any other government handout available, this system would break and the cost of heart surgery would quickly rise to what it costs in America -- would probably exceed the cost because of their limited free-market competition doe to excessive regulation. Well, that's just my opinion based on talking to lots of Indian folks I work with (yep, their in-house offshore).

[sixmil]

Can't afford $50 a month? Health insurance is not expensive, free healthcare plans are though.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

That's definitely part of the problem. I think a larger part of the problem consists of:

1. The cost of malpractice insurance since the explosion of frivolous lawsuits (think John Edwards).
2. The cost of medical school.
3. The cost of covering the healthcare provided to people who have no insurance and whom the hospitals MUST treat by federal law (think 10 million illegal aliens). Senator Kyl of Arizona has testified before Congress about the need to seal the borders in order to save the hospitals in Arizona. He said something like 14 of the major hospitals are about bankrupt because of the Federal law to provide medical attention and the open border.