Healthcare

A clever friend posted a video by some guy who explained in an entertaining manner that a hip replacement in Spain is so much cheaper than it is in America.  Here's the response I wanted to make:

A cool video link.  Informative.  But most American hip replacements would be covered by Medicare or private insurance and the patient would pay far less than $7,371, let alone $40,364.  We have had a Mervis Diamonds radio commercial out here for decades:  "Nobody pays retail any more.  Why should you?"   That's American healthcare. 

But I don't think it's really fair to compare between countries.  Quality might be different.  We go out of plan to choose our pediatric dentists and are amazed at the difference in how much insurance pays for a procedure and what we are charged.  But it is our choice. We choose quality over price.

Here's an author that discusses how his American private hospital hip replacement was probably better than a run-of-the mill operation done by an American doctor or a Canadian one would have been.  http://whostolemycareer.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/my-hip-replacement-and-obamacare/