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Maine company explores merits of "offshore medicine"
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(NECN: Amy Sinclair) - You may already know someone who has traveled outside of the United States for an elective medical procedure such as cosmetic surgery.
Now, a Maine-based health care company is on a fact-finding mission down in Costa Rica, exploring the merits of offering "offshore medicine" on a regular basis to its client companies
Like all parents, Jason Oney wants what's best for his children, and when one of his young boys started losing weight rapidly he was anxious for answers.
Enter Patient Advocates, a Maine company that administers self-insured medical plans
One of the company's case managers told the Oneys that their son could be seen soonest out of state in Boston.
Patient advocates sends clients all over the country from Florida to California in pursuit of fast affordable treatments and now they're going one step further....
The company's customer service manager is in Costa Rica this week researching its health care system to see what it has to offer their Americans clientele.
Why Costa Rica?
Jim: "We've seen hip and knee replacement in Maine run anywhere from 30-35 thousand. We're looking at prices down there of 11 thousand."
Patient Advocates says what's driving interest in offshore medicine in part is anxiety over health care reform. They say clients are worried that with millions more coming into the health care system they may have to wait for much longer for medical treatment.
While leaving the country for medical care isn't for everyone, Oney who runs Strategic Maintenance Solutions says his employees already do business around the world. Why not health care?
Jim: "I'm not closed minded to say I can only get health care in my back yard there are places that do things better faster than we can do them here.
The big question now is whether the medical care in Costa Rica is comparable.
Jim: "Certainly quality is number one. Not just the care not just the care but whole experience."
Ward points out offshore medicine could have advantages.....like recuperating from joint replacement in the balmy breezes of Costa Rica instead of the icy sidewalks of New England.