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Norma Kovaks has always loved to travel, but on her recent trip to India she spent most of the time in a hospital "It all had to do with money," Kovaks explained.
Kovaks was between jobs with no health insurance when her ailing hip became intolerable.
"I was just living from Advil dose to Advil dose," she said.
That's when Kovaks became one of the growing number of Americans who look beyond the borders for more affordable care. Doctors in the U.S. told Kovaks a hip resurfacing operation would cost $76,000. If she paid cash she could get that down to around $40,000. In India, all expenses related to the procedure, including travel for her and a friend, came to around $15,000.
"So that was not hard to decide if I got good care. And I did get good care. I got very competent care," said Kovaks.
Her Indian surgeon was trained in England. The hospital was appropriately accredited. She got help arranging her trip from one of many companies that now specialize in the growing market of medical tourism.
MedTrava founder Poonam Dhawan says it's not just uninsured individuals seeking her company's help.
"We actually have some corporate clients who are coming to us because they aren't able to afford health care for their employees anymore," said Dhawan.
Colorado Medical Society President Dr. Ben Vernon says traveling thousands of miles for surgery is not the preferred option, but he understands that it's the only affordable option for many people.
"There are some issues though," Vernon warned. "If one gets into complications or trouble a couple months after the procedure, say once one has returned to the United States, who is going to take care of you? And how will they feel about taking care of somebody else's problem?"
Vernon says he has personally treated patients whose overseas operations went poorly. One contracted a terminal disease. Another nearly died from an infection on the plane trip back to the U.S. Vernon stresses the need to carefully research and weigh the risk before traveling abroad for surgery.
Kovaks says that's what she did.
"Things do happen in hospitals. Anytime you get up on an operating table it's a leap of faith," said Kovaks.
Kovaks' leap of faith set her free from the constant pain. The fix came with a much lower price tag but much more responsibility.
"I am the one who gathered the medical materials. I am the one who chose the doctor. I am the one who negotiated the price. And I am the one who has to do the follow up," she said.
It's estimated there are now about 150,000 Americans each year traveling to another country for medical care. Just this summer, the American Medical Association issued guidelines for those travelers |
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