What do you think he's trying to do here?
He did say clearly what his answer was from the beginning-so it didn't appear he was trying to make up his mind.
Interesting and relevant article I saw today:
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1384125.htmlSome highlights:
He appealed his insurance company's denial. He changed jobs to try to improve his coverage. He was told yes, then no just days before Hu would have operated.
"I said screw it, I'm just going to do it and file bankruptcy, but the hospital wanted $50,000 down" on the $105,000 treatment, King said.
Ultimately, after months of Internet research and hiring MedRetreat, a medical travel organizer, he traveled in January to Gleneagles hospital in Malaysia.
The bill – surgery, hospitalization, hotels and airfare for himself, his partner and his mother – came to $27,000. King borrowed from relatives and his 401(k).
Most striking:
It isn't just lower pay for all those doctors and nurses and hospital construction workers that keep costs low in places such as Malaysia. Even supplies are cheaper. The exact same two disks that were placed in King's spine, at a cost of $3,200 each, are priced at $11,000 each in the United States.
I've noticed something in my years of traveling abroad: If you want a flashy consumer good, like a hugo boss suit or a rolex, it's difficult to find any place in the world where said flashy consumer good is cheaper and more available than the United States.
But if you want to see a decent doctor, and just show up to get some problem treated, it's hard to find any place in the world where the bill would be more outrageous if you just showed up and tried to pay on your own. I saw a doc for a minor problem (needed some pills, that's all) in Singapore...15 singapore dollars, just walked in off the street, paid, and was done.
A visiting friend saw a doc in the US for a similar problem, and of course was billed directly so she could take it up with her own insurance abroad.....the bill, for basically the same service? $900 U.S.
