Do you need any operation? Waiting lists for surgeries like knee replacements and hip replacements are getting longer all of the time. It is not only the UK which is being effected, but many other countries such as Spain, are now also having to face facts that an elderly population means an ever increasing health care bill. In fact, many countries are struggling to afford to take care of the health needs of its population.
Does Your Expat Health Insurance Cover You
If you live in Spain, you may be covered by private expat health insurance which will take care of most of your health needs. Should you need knee replacement, or a hip replacement operation, you may find that your expat health insurance will take care of that for you. However, what if your expat health insurance, or national health insurance provider, cannot help you? What can you do under those circumstances?
Are You Doing the Right Thing?
An increasing amount of people are turning to countries such as India to find a solution to their health problems. They are in fact becoming health tourists and travel to clinics in India to have a knee or hip replacement. Most of them are very happy with their decision to have surgery abroad, but you still need to be careful. Things can go wrong, and you have to make sure that you are covered in case things go wrong. Also, before you book, you should make sure that you are doing the right thing.
The Risks of Knee and Replacement Surgery Abroad
It may not be easy to check out a doctor or surgeon abroad, but it is something that you should try to do. Most countries around the world have professional associations which both doctors and surgeons belong to, so you should make sure that your surgeon is indeed a member.
You also need to get referrals. Find out from previous visitors to the hospital if they had a successful operation, and if they received good quality care. The after care is just as important as the surgery when it comes to joint replacement surgery, and that applies to both hip and knee replacements.
Does the hospital have an intensive care unit? If something goes wrong, it is crucial to know that you have enough back up. You should make sure that the hospital is linked to a major medical centre where you can get the necessary care should you need to.
Insurance is vital as well. Make sure that both the hospital and doctor have insurance to cover all eventualities. You may have joint implant that will fail a few months later. In that case, you need to know that you can return to the clinic and get things resolved as soon as possible.
The best thing to do is to get a referral from somebody that you know really well. If, a friend has had a positive experience of the clinic, you are much more likely to be able to benefit from the same. It may seem unnecessary to pay out for knee and hip replacement surgery, but it is better than being in pain and letting health problems limit your life. What else can you do if your expat health insurance or national insurance will not cover you? Most operations are very successful, and it seems that countries like India, have very high medical standards.