Watch Your Back in Singapore

A Long Way to Go for Cheap Health Care

Even if you haven’t been paying attention to this year’s presidential election, you’ve probably heard about America’s desperation for affordable healthcare.  The quest for cheap health care has literally taken patients hundreds or even thousands of miles to countries like India, Thailand, Mexico, and Singapore.  There, highly skilled doctors using the most advanced medical technology available perform the same medical procedures and surgeries as domestic doctors, with significant reductions in price.  The phenomenon, known as medical tourism offers patients relatively inexpensive options to medical care they wouldn’t otherwise receive.  Medical tourism has grown exponentially into a multi-billion dollar industry by responding to the needs of patients worldwide for quality, affordable health care.

How Can Medical Tourism Help?

Though the costs of surgery vary, major procedures like cardiac bypass or spinal fusion surgery are far more expensive than the uninsured patient can afford.  Of the 47 million uninsured in the United States alone, many are at ages where terms like “fixed income” and “social security” apply.  For these people, the high costs of health care could mean the difference between keeping their home and having the spinal fusion surgery they need to actually enjoy and appreciate that home.  Cheap and affordable health care draws many patients to medical tourism most commonly for heart surgery, knee or hip replacements, spinal fusion, and various cosmetic surgeries. 

Cheap Health Care Isn’t Cheap Enough for Many

The medical tourism industry boasts vacation-like packages that include airfare, luxurious accommodations, and travel between the hotel and hospital.  The reality is, if you can’t afford health insurance, you may not be able to afford an overseas flight, even with dramatically reduced prices for the medical care you’re seeking.  The procedure itself becomes more affordable, but adding in the price of an $800 or more international flight, not including hotel accommodations, may still be out of range.  As costs for health care policies hopefully decline in the United States, maybe your spinal fusion surgery won’t cost your arms and legs.  Furthermore, new technologies for artificial disc replacements will help mitigate the need for spinal fusion surgery.  These options may be available as early (or as late, depending on your needs) as the year 2013.