“The patient may not be getting what they’re bargaining for.”
Bariatric surgeon Dr. Philip Gachassin has noticed a disturbing trend. Patients traveling overseas, mostly to Mexico and other Latin American countries, for weight loss surgery.
“We’ve seen patients who have become very ill and we’ve had to remove the band immediately the band has been eroded onto the inside of the stomach so in other words there’s been a perforation of the stomach.”
When complications arise, Gachassin says patients generally don’t return to overseas hospitals, they seek treatment locally and sometimes face more issues.
“We never have the records, the patient never has the records and they may be suffering with a number of problems that we need to investigate.”
Even with the risks, Gachassin says patients are attracted to the price. Bariatric sugery can be a major procedure where part of a patient’s stomach is removed or restricted with a band and the surgery typically costs about a third less in Mexico than it does in the U.S.
“They’ll see that they can save some money by going to Mexico and because they’re desperate they’re willing to do it.”
Trouble is, Gachassin says, the cost of surgery at Lafayette General, for instance, includes extensive pre and post operative education, which in the case of bariatric surgery Gachassin says, can determine a patients long term success.
“We believe that the surgery itself is only a tool.”
If a patient returns home after surgery and seeks this type of care and guidance, they’ll have to pay for it.
But in a state where Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, the largest insurance provider, doesn’t cover weight-loss surgery, the initial savings might be worth it for some.
“With the passing of the Affordable Care Act and the fact that rates continue to increase and there was not a lot in that law that reduced the cost of health care, so I think individuals are going to start looking abroad. They’re going to start looking for it’s coming out of my pocket and I need to save money.”
Health insurance expert Ronnell Nolan says she’s seen a rise in medical tourism. She says many foreign doctors were trained in the U.S. and offer reputable services, but patients need to do their research.
“You have to be very careful of course that the hospital and doctors accredited and that you do your due diligence that you’re going to a treatment facility that’s going to take care of you and also that there’s good follow up care at home.”
Nolan says some companies are requesting coverage for overseas procedures, especially if a large portion of the workforce is from a foreign country. Some insurance companies are buying into the savings and offering incentives for patients opting to travel for surgery.
“I have a big problem with an insurance company encouraging a patient to seek surgery overseas where they will ultimately return to have no follow up for such a severe procedure such as bariatric surgery, joint replacement surgery or open heart surgery,” says Gachassin.
Nolan says ultimately, it’s up to the patient.
“The employee has to realize that this is optional and you might be taking on some of the risk and you have to understand what the risks are and that you don’t have to do this.”
There is still some uncertainty as to the legal ramifications if, say, a surgery goes wrong. if you are considering going overseas for surgery it’s important that you do some research and plan your procedure and travels through an experienced and reputable source. nolan says there are facilitators who specialize in medical tourism. For more information and helpful resources you can click here.
source: http://www.katc.com / KATC.com / Home> Top Story Block / by Elizabeth Hill / November 03rd, 2014
