Today’s post about hip replacement surgery reminded me of the huge difference in money, time, and anguish that can occur when a hip replacement is needed. We had a family member who has had a hip replaced in the “regular” way – with months of rehab, following a few weeks in the hospital. Had we known in advance about procedures like the one mentioned in the InsureBlog post “Nice joint. Thanks, I’m hip.”, our family member would have saved months of recovery, thousands of dollars in hospital costs, and been back on her feet in days, back at work.
When looking at the cost of health insurance and procedures, we often overlook the non-covered costs to the patient and family, which can sometimes exceed the costs of the procedure. Being out of work for months, needing additional care at home (or in a facility), and the physical pain and accompanying mental anguish are large costs, too. If you are in the market for a hip replacement, or know someone who might, shop around for different doctors and different approaches. There might be a huge difference.
And while I don’t know alternative treatments for many other maladies, there have got to be some other big ones, such as the difference between back surgery versus chiropractic or osteopathic medicine.
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