The Conservative Cave
Current Events => The DUmpster => Topic started by: franksolich on April 24, 2009, 03:09:15 PM
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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=317x3421
Oh my.
Vinca (1000+ posts) Thu Apr-23-09 06:14 PM
Original message
Medical Tourism
Has anyone here ever gone to a foreign country for treatment? Good old uninsured me just got some lousy news. I need a hip replacement. I'm going to hang on awhile and see if health care reform actually happens, but if it doesn't I might have to somehow pay for it. A fast browse of the 'net seems to indicate it can be done in India for tens of thousands of dollars less than in this country, but what a frightening thought to have to be so far from home and having surgery. Not to mention how jolly the long plane ride back to the states would be. Has anyone ever done anything like this?
The empressof all (1000+ posts) Thu Apr-23-09 08:14 PM
Response to Original message
1. I'm waiting for the hip replacement too
I also need mega dental work and have considered going out of country for that. I'd prefer not to go to Mexico for that due to the border violence. I've begun to look a little into Panama and Costa Rica...It looks like I'll be able to save thousands even with the cost of travel.
If you do consider India I understand Goa is the place to go. I'd go absolutely bonkers on the flight and wouldn't be able to get around well enough to take advantage of a prolonged stop over in some cool Asian City.
I'm just beginning the research process but I think it's a requirement that you actually know or meet someone who can give you a personal reference for the quality of work.
I'm anticipating my insurance will cover most of my hip here so I haven't looked into that procedure.
Vinca (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-24-09 08:15 AM
Response to Reply #1
2. I think under the best of circumstances (Congress-like healthcare bennies),
I'd be dreading the thought of hip replacement surgery. I've decided I'd rather not have it during the summer months. Even if I'm in pain, I'd rather be in the garden than convalescing in the house. Maybe it will all work out if healthcare reform passes in September. If not, I'll look into overseas treatment in a serious way. There must be someplace with a beach that does a decent, affordable hip replacement.
Now, I am utterly fascinated.
I can understand some needs for hip replacements, but I'm mystified as to why a primitive would need one. Most hips that are replaced need replaced because of hard strenuous arduous labor, or accident.
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I can understand some needs for hip replacements, but I'm mystified as to why a primitive would need one. Most hips that are replaced need replaced because of hard strenuous arduous labor, or accident.
Or damage caused by an excess of weight being put on the joint
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I think under the best of circumstances (Congress-like healthcare bennies),
hhahaha what a joke. does this person never ever pay attention?? The Democrats are talking about rationing healthcare and having $700B less spent on it in this country while expanding it to cover tens of millions of more people. They also are talking about limiting the kinds of procedures and medicines people can get. Do they even read the news anymore??
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I caught a piece on NPR this morning...some government official was explaining how people are just going to have to start budgetting 1/10th of their income for "their fair share" of everyone's healthcare costs. It's just like utility bills or a house payment, there just won't be any choice. ::)
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Or damage caused by an excess of weight being put on the joint
Other than the elderly or athletes, the only hip/knee replacement candidates I have ever met have been of the Super-Sized variety.
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Other than the elderly or athletes, the only hip/knee replacement candidates I have ever met have been of the Super-Sized variety.
There are occasionally exception. I have a cousin who injured his knee about 20 years ago in the navy. The initial injury wasn't bad, but the normal wear and tear on the knee through the years on top of the inital injury has him in line for knee replacement. He's in his mid to late forties so I don't really consider him elderly. Of course, I'm near his age and have more gray hair than both of my parents so mid to late forties might actually be "elderly".
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If the government goes with Tom Daschle-style health care reform then I think it will just be a note from the government saying something to the effect, "Hips fail, deal with it."
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There are occasionally exception. I have a cousin who injured his knee about 20 years ago in the navy. The initial injury wasn't bad, but the normal wear and tear on the knee through the years on top of the inital injury has him in line for knee replacement. He's in his mid to late forties so I don't really consider him elderly. Of course, I'm near his age and have more gray hair than both of my parents so mid to late forties might actually be "elderly".
Of course there are exceptions - though I suspect his line of work pushed him toward being considered athletic in his Navy days.
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Vinca (1000+ posts) Thu Apr-23-09 06:14 PM
Original message
Medical Tourism
Has anyone here ever gone to a foreign country for treatment? Good old uninsured me just got some lousy news. I need a hip replacement. I'm going to hang on awhile and see if health care reform actually happens, but if it doesn't I might have to somehow pay for it. A fast browse of the 'net seems to indicate it can be done in India for tens of thousands of dollars less than in this country, but what a frightening thought to have to be so far from home and having surgery. Not to mention how jolly the long plane ride back to the states would be. Has anyone ever done anything like this?
Heaven forbid that they'd ever have to pay for a service delivered to them.
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Free healthcare for DUmmies.....one way ticket to India. We'll save a fortune.
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Of course there are exceptions - though I suspect his line of work pushed him toward being considered athletic in his Navy days.
True
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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=317x3421
Oh my.
Now, I am utterly fascinated.
I can understand some needs for hip replacements, but I'm mystified as to why a primitive would need one. Most hips that are replaced need replaced because of hard strenuous arduous labor, or accident.
Strangely enough, each of the people I've known well who needed one has been a person of normal weight and physical activity, just cursed with a degenerative cartilage condition of one kind or another in the hip joint. Genetic component, possibly.
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Free healthcare for DUmmies.....one way ticket to India. We'll save a fortune.
Ticket nothing...I say we send them UPS.
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Ticket nothing...I say we send them UPS.
Oh yeah.....by air.....in an unpressurized cargo bay.
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Oh yeah.....by air.....in an unpressurized cargo bay.
Have the survivors clean out the bay . . .
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Have the survivors clean out the bay . . .
Why not just have the pilots and crew bailout over the ocean and have ships waiting to pick them up. (need to have a bomb go off on the plane just to show the DUmmies what it looks like)
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Why not just have the pilots and crew bailout over the ocean and have ships waiting to pick them up. (need to have a bomb go off on the plane just to show the DUmmies what it looks like)
The insurance companies may buck on this one after replacing a couple of cargo planes for UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc....
Then, the lawsuits from DUmmie family members, etc, etc....
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Oh yeah.....by air.....in an unpressurized cargo bay.
Oh that's cold! No really, it's real cold up there. They'd freeze and then you could push them out. No mess. Of course you could use them to chill some drinks after.
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Oh that's cold! No really, it's real cold up there. They'd freeze and then you could push them out. No mess. Of course you could use them to chill some drinks after.
When they inevitably thaw, you'd be releasing toxic waste into said drink. No go.
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There are occasionally exception. I have a cousin who injured his knee about 20 years ago in the navy. The initial injury wasn't bad, but the normal wear and tear on the knee through the years on top of the inital injury has him in line for knee replacement. He's in his mid to late forties so I don't really consider him elderly. Of course, I'm near his age and have more gray hair than both of my parents so mid to late forties might actually be "elderly".
Another exception is survivors of childhood leukemia. I know a couple kids or young adults who had to have joints replaced due to the damage done by high dose steroids given to them for their cancer treatment as children. They get something called AVN or avascular necrosis of the bone.
I doubt though that vinca falls into that category either... my bet would be on the excessive weight.