Wealthy Americans Turning To Europe For Medical Treatment

theodp writes "Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reports that prior to undergoing recent neck surgery, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning flew to Europe for stem-cell therapy that's used overseas but not yet in the United States. Earlier this year, Fortune reported that prior to his liver transplant, Apple CEO Steve Jobs took an unpublicized flight to Switzerland to undergo an unusual radiological treatment which was not available in the U.S. Some Americans are willing to go abroad to seek what they can't find at home in hopes of improving — or saving — their lives, and health providers are eager to respond. 'It moves fast, this industry,' said the director of Medical Tours International in 2007. 'They think, 'Look at all these sick, rich patients.''"

Comments

religion

[Anonymous Coward]

maybe because most other countries in the modern world don't have a large rabidly religious and anti-science segment of their populations.

More Like Patients Dodging Federal Regulation

[eldavojohn]

Could this have anything to do with dodging anti-science policies of the American far right?

I know it's fun to jump on the scientifically inept politicians but I might also cite general concern for what a stem cell treatment entails. Several medical professionals have explained to me that just randomly injecting stem cells into your body has unknown effects depending on the stem cells and the localization of the injection. This causes a variance of anything from magically cured to cancer-like growths. Stem cells aren't very well understood yet ... and some of that is to blame on halting embryonic stem cell research but even the Republicans are okay with non-embryonic stem cells. As we develop more ways to get stem cells, their hobbling of the US medical field becomes moot (assuming adult stem cells are just as awesome as embryonic stem cells -- something I don't know).

So, yeah, you know the FDA and other regulators are pretty slow moving to approve all this in the United States until that becomes more science than "Let's see, you take the syringe here and inject this shit there and ... are you cured yet? Oh, you died? Well, send in the next medical tourist!" Why doesn't the article explain what "procedure" or "treatment" Tonya Winchester was administered in Russia?

Re:More Like Patients Dodging Federal Regulation

[Jazari]

This causes a variance of anything from magically cured to cancer-like growths.

There is absolutely no danger in using stem cell to treat a fatal disease. So what if your stem cell injection may cause cancer in 2 years if your current disease will cause death in 6 months? Patients who are close to death should be allowed to opt into almost any treatment that has a plausible chance of success (unlike therapies which are proven frauds, like homeopathy, etc.)

Re:More Like Patients Dodging Federal Regulation

[definate]

Turns out that the problem with what you've pointed out, isn't necessarily stem cell treatments in general, but more so, those people were forced to go to Thailand. Why Thailand? Because it's also doing the treatments, but they're cheaper. This article is about the rich people, going to rich progressive countries, with well trained, and well staffed hospitals, and getting the kind of treatments that the scientifically inept politicians have banned... because, after all, politicians know better than doctors and scientists, especially when it comes to, you know, health care and science.

As such your complete argument is both retarded, and false. This IS happening due to the scientifically inept politicians. Unless you're saying that the Swiss are a reckless people with a terrible health care system. If so, the WHO begs to differ. So, for all your harping on, you're completely wrong, and your discussion on whether or not YOU or your unnamed sources believe it's correct/worthwhile/dangerous, is a red herring.

But thanks for your useless input.

Re:More Like Patients Dodging Federal Regulation

[definate]

Good point. Though, as it stands, the government is more than happy to allow you to spend insane amounts of money on frauds. My mother actually deals with this a lot, as she works with the sickest people, in the worst circumstances, and watches them spend all their money on things such as (these aren't a joke)...
Belly Button Massage
Reiki
Prayer Circles
Crystals
Potions/Elixars
Chiropractors
etc.

These people come in promising the world, provide temporary happiness, followed by a crushing sense of what have I done, I've left my family broke, and I'm still dying.

In comparison, even the worst possible scenario you could see with medical practitioners doing trying 'dangerous' (READ: experimental) medicine, looks insignificant in comparison.

Re:More Like Patients Dodging Federal Regulation

[TheTyrannyOfForcedRe]

wait a minute. My wife is pregnant at 10 weeks. We went for a 7 week checkup and the heartbeat had already formed and was beating 167 bpm. Also the head and brain was forming, feet and arms as stubs. Are you telling me this isn't a living person?

Yes. There are many non-person living things on this planet that have a heartbeat, head, brain, arms, feet, etc. A mouse for example. Your blob of living stuff isn't even up to mouse standards at the moment though. It's totally unable to live on it's own. It's sub-mouse.

You can't see this obvious fact because you and your wife's brains are broken. It happens to all parents. Logic and reason are completely absent when children are involved. Evolution likes it that way. That's good for kids because you people mindlessly sacrifice for them so they can grow big and strong, but it's bad for society as a whole because the lot of you are one big EPIC FAIL when it comes to matters of public policy that involve reproduction.

Health industry of health system ?

[Pascal Sartoretti]

Although European countries have very different systems, they rather each have a health system whereas the US have a health industry. It shouldn't be surprising that one has better medical results and the other one better financial results...

Euros travel to America, too, for treatment.

[Anonymous Coward]

So what's the point of this?

Some treatments are simply more available in certain countries.

No, I'm not defending America's approach to healthcare, but I've seen the same bloody argument used from the other side for all the America-bound medical tourism from rich Canadians and Euros, and in the end it means absolutely nothing. Rich people travel a lot. Rich people min/max their medicine.

Christ versus Christians

[KingAlanI]

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." - Mohandas Gandhi

Jesus Himself does in many ways seem like a positive example; people following the obnoxious behavior of the Old Testament God seems to be the issue IMHO. Christians not partaking of such behavior is good, but in some ways they seem to be glossing over that issue in the Book.

Re:Christ versus Christians

[ByOhTek]

Most Christians do not realize Jesus was pretty cool to the people of different faith than him, allowing them their own beliefs so long as they didn't bother the people of his faith.

Jesus, however was extremely intolerant. At least, he was intolerant to those of his own faith who abused it for their own benefits. I can only imagine what he'd do to the Christian right, right now.

Re:Christ versus Christians

[Tsingi]

Once, the Earth used to be the center of the universe, and the sun revolved around us. To suggest otherwise was heresy.

Once man was created as the image of the Christian God and woman from man. To suggest otherwise was heresy.

Now, using stem cells to save lives is heresy. Eventually this will change, but in the meantime be prepared to lose loved ones who could have lived longer healthier lives.

If there were a God, I would think that he would be angered by the atrocities committed in his name.

--
"God loves you, and he needs money."
George Carlin

Re:Christ versus Christians

[CapuchinSeven]

What I find interesting about Christians and Christ, is that whenever the bible makes out Christ was a dick (i.e. cursing a fruit tree to never have fruit again because he wanted fruit but the tree was out of season so there was none to have) Christens call it a metaphor, but whenever he did something awesome then that's totally real and actually happened.

Re:Christ versus Christians

[Reverand Dave]

In the grand scheme of things I think today's modern day far right christians are doing a much better job of turning people off of their religion than the Catholics did.

Americans go where?

[bogaboga]

Doesn't every politician especially from the GOP say that the American Healthcare system and its actual care are the "best" in the world?

By the way, this is despite the fact that various metrics indicate the USA is no where near the top!

Re:dodging anti-science?

[Eunuchswear]

It also comes from the US hospitals being very conservative when it comes to offering new procedures.

But, but, duriing the health care "debate" we were told that all inovation came from the wonderful free market American system and the socilist eurofags would be screwed if they couldn't steal American ideas.

I'm so confused.

Re:You made that up

[Tsingi]

The historical record is unclear on this point *at best*.

Actually, the historical record of the time is pretty thin on Christ existing at all.