Op-Ed: Outsourcing the Patient

March 6, 2009

We rarely associate hip surgery with swaying palms, spas, or a personal concierge who carries your bag. Even more rare is the idea that these amenities are the fringe benefit of a surgery that costs half the price. And what if that surgery took place, not in the U.S., but at a state-of-the-art hospital in India, or Costa Rica, or Thailand? This is the pitch from those that are betting that the future of first-world health-care lies off-shore. When and if you need a hip transplant—or other major surgery—your HMO may steer you to an “in-network” hospital halfway around the world. (Portfolio.com)