Paying for surgeries 100% cash

[Warrick]

From what I recall reading somewhere a conventional valve is priced at around $4,000-$7,500 whereas TAVI valves are up over the $30,000 mark, think it was 36K from memory, so not cheap

 

[Warrick]

Think India’s one of the cheapest places in the world for VR
https://m.indianhealthguru.com/valve-replacement-surgery-India-low-cost-advantages.html
I remember reading about a charity run hospital in India doing replacements for around $1,200 dollars, they utilised the patients family members to do the menial in hospital patient care thus keeping the cost to a bare minimum.

 

[rich01]

From what I recall reading somewhere a conventional valve is priced at around $4,000-$7,500 whereas TAVI valves are up over the $30,000 mark, think it was 36K from memory, so not cheap

Almost exactly a year ago, Medicare starting paying for low risk patients to have TAVR, so the number of TAVRs performed should have increased greatly. Hopefully this means the valves will become less expensive as more are produced. I'm guessing the hospitals also had a hand in not killing the SAVR cash cow by underpricing it with TAVR.

 

[newarrior]

Yes agree--can knock out TAVR for 30-50K and have fast recovery if and when I need it...At age 57 drs can only say I will need it before age 80 but not sure if it is 1 or 20 years..So far progression very slow

 

[newarrior]

Think India’s one of the cheapest places in the world for VR
https://m.indianhealthguru.com/valve-replacement-surgery-India-low-cost-advantages.html
I remember reading about a charity run hospital in India doing replacements for around $1,200 dollars, they utilised the patients family members to do the menial in hospital patient care thus keeping the cost to a bare minimum.

I have considered India

 

[newarrior]

Agre

If it takes several years before you require surgery, TAVR may be an option. It would be substantially less expensive.

Agreed

 

[nobog]

delete

 

[newarrior]

50,000 in Bangkok at the best hosp for OHS; 80,00) USA for Tavr

 

[vitdoc]

In the US the cost of most procedures is determined by contractual agreements between the medical providers and the various insurance carriers. Medicare or private. If you don’t have insurance the price can be anything. So insurance protects by controlling the costs and by paying for them. It is the wild west without insurance coverage.

 

[pellicle]

Have you considered India?

to what I see they have an acceptable standard of OHS

could well be cheaper than Thailand ....

 

[pellicle]

50,000 in Bangkok at the best hosp for OHS; 80,00) USA for Tavr

I thought TAVR was dearer for some reason...

 

[vitdoc]

The other big problem having medical care done without insurance is that the costs can sky rocket if there are complications. Like post op bleeding necessitating a re visit to the OR. (Happened to me on my first surgery in 1977). Or say starting to do a TAVR and having to convert to an open heart.
Or getting 3rd degree heart block and needing a pacemaker placed.
As a surgeon I hated to work on patients who paid cash. Even if I didn’t charge anything the hospital costs could be enormous.

 

[jcgtok17]

Japan is closer than the US and a high standard. Cost ¥5,000,000 if OHS, less for TAVI procedure. Mine was covered under insurance, co-pay about 20%. St. Jude Medical GT 5/2000.

 

[newarrior]

Chr

The other big problem having medical care done without insurance is that the costs can sky rocket if there are complications. Like post op bleeding necessitating a re visit to the OR. (Happened to me on my first surgery in 1977). Or say starting to do a TAVR and having to convert to an open heart.
Or getting 3rd degree heart block and needing a pacemaker placed.
As a surgeon I hated to work on patients who paid cash. Even if I didn’t charge anything the hospital costs could be enormous.

Christ almost means I need to move back to USA

 

[newarrior]

India is less true

 

[epstns]

I remember that a number of years ago (could have been 10 years or more) we had a board member who actually was (IIRC) a US citizen living abroad somewhere, but he went to China for his valve replacement. His reports indicated that he received first rate care and had a great outcome. He said that the only difficult thing was communication. He spoke no Chinese (or Mandarin, or whichever dialect they spoke) and few medical staff spoke any English. I seem to remember that he paid only a very small fraction of what it would have cost here for the same surgery.

 

[newarrior]

I remember that a number of years ago (could have been 10 years or more) we had a board member who actually was (IIRC) a US citizen living abroad somewhere, but he went to China for his valve replacement. His reports indicated that he received first rate care and had a great outcome. He said that the only difficult thing was communication. He spoke no Chinese (or Mandarin, or whichever dialect they spoke) and few medical staff spoke any English. I seem to remember that he paid only a very small fraction of what it would have cost here for the same surgery.

That's true here as well and Thanks..About 50K USA for OHS for AVR...Not bad if no complications..Thailand is much better for medical than China and English in the medical setting is tops..Most good drs here have trained the USA--Stanford, Emory or are connected to top teaching schools

 

[newarrior]

In the US the cost of most procedures is determined by contractual agreements between the medical providers and the various insurance carriers. Medicare or private. If you don’t have insurance the price can be anything. So insurance protects by controlling the costs and by paying for them. It is the wild west without insurance coverage.

I agree...and Asia is the wild west

 

[newarrior]

Newarrior, given the costs of the surgery in the US, I wonder what the cash price might be in Thailand. Maybe that's a better option for you?

11-13,000 at a govt hospital--25K at private

 

[newarrior]

If it takes several years before you require surgery, TAVR may be an option. It would be substantially less expensive.

I was quoted a higher price for TAVR than OHS--and prosthetic/animal more than mechanical--go figure)