ever thought to consider Canada next time...
Harmony said:
I have no idea what the cost would be in the US, but I'd bet a lot that it is quite a bit more.
I had both done about six months ago in the US. $4,500 for each eye... That's $9,000 total. No wonder our insurance system is so screwed up.
Harmony[/QUOTE]
I am currently negotiating with our eye doctor here in Canada to accept a patient from the US for the removal of cataracts in both eyes. Our family eye doctor/surgeon routinely accepts patients from the US as long as the patient pays the hospital rates and the doctors fees for surgery. Per eye and treatments is about $1000 (per eye) and the hospital fees are between $350-$400 dollars.(Canadian Dollars). The US patient like Canadian patients is then put on a waiting list and the wait has been up to 9 months in length. The encouraging point is that cataracts for the most part are slow growing and you can schedule your surgery done as the cataract progresses.(you have the time to shop around and schedule your life as to the appointments and surgery times months in advance) The process is generally a small number of visits to the eye surgeon, the first is the accessment, then an eye mesurement, pre hospital assessment (done at the hospital) the the day surgery (usually takes half the day/but at most less then 15 minutes of acctual surgery time), an immediate post operative eye exam the day after surgery(yes they will schedule this one even on Sat or sundays), then medicine will be perscribed and then after a month you should see your home eye doctor for an eye accessment and glasses perscription where necessary.
My father in law who lives with our family just completed the surgery on both eyes (in his case done four weeks apart). We waited the 9 months without worry and his vision is as good or better then when he was 18 years old. He will this week celebrate his 79th birthday.
The only frustration he had was the necessity of eye drops done every two hours for the first week after surgery, these consisting of a prednason (SP?), topical steriod treatment, and a anti baterical eye wash medication, both costing approx $21 dollars for the meds per eye. A small amount for protection. If you are as elderly as he and have arthritis have someone assist with these drops. They can make a difference in the finaly vision assessments and decrease the possiblities of infection and or complications.
If you can see your way up here to Canada you may find you can save alot of money.
I have to confess how ever that other medical and elective surgeries here in Canada are very slow in scheduling (so much so that we are considering going to the states for "Poppa's prostate surgery), but can vouch from recent personal experience that for "Poppa" his view of life has really really brightened!
Toby
P.S. Just to be clear Poppa is a Canadian citizen so the only charge for the surgery was for the post operative medications ($21) and one unscheduled eye doctors appointment/non-OHIP (due to diabetic complications) that cost us $84. We in Canada have a universal health care system. If this thread is still open I will post on my US frind's success in recieving treatment. She is from the Northern United States and is lucky enough to have family here and can come by train for the subsequent visits required. And just to let you know while "Poppa" had his surgery I waited in the waiting room with a family from India, a couple from Brazil and a gentlemen from Bierut who had all flown in for this treatment. Word of good work does get around!