So it has finally come to this: The incidental tourist
An American woman opts to pay $4,300 for a ten day vacation/medical trip to Hungary where she gets dental work done that would have cost an estimated $11,150 in the states with insurance. No word on whether she will play the next Jaws in the 007 series… Apparently it worked out well for her, though.
Come to think of it, the hospitals and clinics I’ve been to in Thailand were cleaner than what I’m used to seeing in Japan or the US – and they were a hell of a lot cheaper to boot (another fact – completely irrelevant and uninteresting to my fiance if she should read this – is that the nurses were a lot cuter as well, for those who are interested in such details).
Anyway, people flying out of the country to get medical treatment on their own dime because it’s cheaper than what’s covered by their medical insurance domestically – is it just me, or is that a really sad state of affairs?
(This post is dedicated to my little sister who is starting medical school in Chicago this very day, and who I expect to cause great change and improvement to the American medical system before I go home sometime in the mid- to long-term future. Good luck, sis.)
Raising a family in Thailand // Documenting Issan food, culture, music, and people
I think the medical care/insurance system in the US is a blight. It’s criminal, in my opinion.
Justin, I’ve just been trying to post a comment in agreement with Tom’s and complain a bit about the Japanese implementation of a social insurance system, but the blog engine wasn’t having any of it. The error message wasn’t particularly helpful…???
Thx for the heads up, I had inadvertently banned the phrase “does it”.
I’ll post your comment after this one.
Blight is right. But the Japanese have kindly given us a model of how NOT to implement socialized medicine.
There’s a serious problem with having to hand over, what does it work out to, eight to ten percent of your annual income (right, 600,000 yen cap) in insurance premiums and still having to pay a 30% deductible.
(It’s even worse if you consider the level of care here.)
Ha ha Mosonmagyarovar.
That sounds very far away. I just figured out its in Hungary. Love that place.
i think that’s is There’s a serious problem with having to hand over, what does it work out to, eight to ten percent of your annual income (right, 600,000 yen cap) in insurance premiums and still having to pay a 30% deductible.