[expat1000]

Indonesia is a lot cheaper than Thailand now for medical treatment. That would be the first country to check out.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I don’t believe this. Every ailment you get after 65 is from a “pre-existing” condition.

I just had my knee replaced. The hospital bill was $50k and with Medicare, and my supplement, I paid $1000. It’s just the low cost AARP supplement. My husband had a brain tumor removed 2 years ago — price tag $100k out of pocket %3000. The doctor said that he probably had had the tumor (slow growing, non malignent) for 30 years.

[stars & stripes forever]

Sad: It used to be that others would travel to America for affordable healthcare.

Glad: He got affordable treatment outside the country.

[Da Bilge Troll]

The point this article misses is that this is exactly the way a free market is supposed to work!

[equaviator]

If you can’t get a new hip then get a new hop, which is not to say, “get with the hip-hop”!

[rintense]

Should have used this Doctor. One of the best in the country.

[Hot Tabasco]

He had health insurance, but it would not cover a joint replacement because his degenerative disease was related to an old sports injury, thus considered a pre-existing condition.

This story is complete BULLSHIT! I play senior softball and my manager just underwent knee replacement two weeks ago, another guy on my team had a hip replacement last winter, another friend had knee replacement last summer, ..........I can name another dozen guys who had either their hips or knees replaced and they were ALL due to prior injuries they incurred during their softball careers..........

[Revolting cat!]

You can’t be hip any more in America!

[Revolting cat!]

You can’t be hip any more in America!

[Gay State Conservative]

I had a hip replacement a few years ago.I'm middle class (far,far,*far* from rich),suburban,have always worked for a living,am neither powerful *or* "connected".I had to pay a $250 co-pay to have the hip replaced by a senior surgeon at one of the world's finest hospitals.

If an ordinary guy like me can experience *that* it can't be *that* difficult...or unusual.

[mupcat]

I guess I may have missed something. I’m older than he is, have medicare and tricare for life which paid for my hip replacement just a few months ago. Did he not have medicare etc?

[sarasmom]

I find it interesting that so many people think hip, knee, kidney, liver, and heart “replacements and/or transplants” should be covered by any health insurance policy, but even more specifically via Medicare or Medicaid.

I’m old now, too.
But I’m not stupid.

Somebody has to pay for that level of extreme interventionist medical care.
I know I didn’t pay for it, and I know none of those over 65 now, paid enough taxes and premiums to claim it.

Heavy sigh...

Our children are all now doomed by their supposedly wiser elders.