Hi John and forum
I am new here but have a little experience in this field and a lot in travel.
I went back the US for my first visit "home" in 4 years, last November through mid Dec 2007. Besides the required family visits I also wanted to get estimates of replacing my right hip in California. I had been on Kaiser for 10 years, with yearly increases in monthly payments despite never really using it. I am not excited about going to doctors or hospitals so avoid unless absolutely needed. They had turned down my case a few years ago when the problem first raised its ugly head. They said it was a preexisting condition from some unknown time more than 10 years ago before I signed up for their coverage. That one visit a few years go was really frustrating, after weeks in waiting for an appointment, the OS spent no more than 5 minutes with me to diagnose that my hip was bad and needed a replacement....but wait for a few years until it gets really bad. He suggested stretching exercises, and to get an appointment with a physical therapist. I have been is dire pain and limited mobility that has effected every part of my life, and Kaiser was completely unconcerned, would not even recommend a course of action.
At that time a doctor friend suggested a hip replacement was $35,000. Well, in the meantime I moved to St Petersburg Russia, and got by with gritted teeth and no medication.
When I went back to California last winter I checked and found the same operation is now $60,000 if I stay in the hospital only 3 days.
I came back to St Petersburg and tried to get my life back in order, called a local clinic that is primarily for foreigners and got an appointment for 2 hours later, at 7pm. The Russian doctor, who spoke English and was trained in Germany spent 3 hours with me, did a complete checkout, explained in great detail everything option. He suggested an MRI but he guessed his drawings he did on his scratch pad was source of the problem. I was concerned about the cost of the MRI but the total MRI, a month supply of anti-inflamatories, the visit, and physical was just a little under $300. I postponed our planned surgery because for the first time i took medications, and they worked to reduce the pain a lot and to increase my mobility.. I felt pretty good in fact but the core problem is there and not getting better, he was surprised I was still walking let alone going out to discos a couple times a week.
I have scheduled the operation in the main central hospital that has a wing for people paying for their room, that have private rooms with kitchens and full baths, large plasma TV and free Wi-Fi. I plan to stay 14 days, 10 days longer than he suggested was needed because I have a lot of stairs in my building and no one to help on a regular basis. Friends, many, have volunteered to come over to help but I would rather not put them out. This way I can let the staff worry about feeding me and taking care of my daily living needs. Besides the room is nicer than my apartment;>
I visited to floor and met the staff, all speaking European languages and the nurses were very friendly and personable. I was invited to lunch to see how their system worked and I was impressed. All this for less than $7,000 including physical therapy and a US manufactured joint. Given so many options I got confused so I asked the doctor if it was his hip and he was as active as me, which would be the very best available. He suggested a particular model of large head metal on metal. We are going in next week...I'll report back since I will have my laptop. The weird thing about doing it here, is that my old insurance would have covered it if I had kept it. That proved to me that the only consideration they based their decision on was cost to them.
My experience with medical systems in Europe, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia tell me that even if there no cost advantage I would still go to France, anywhere in Scandinavia, Germany large cities in Russia or Baltic States....there are others, any EU country is more personal, lower cost, and just friendlier. I've heard good things about specialty clinics in Thailand and India also but those are just a little too far from my normal haunts.
Stan
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