US company specialising in European Treatment
By Tisha Powell
(12/19/05 -- RALEIGH) - An estimated 46 million Americans have no health insurance and according to a recent study, high medical bills contribute to almost 750,000 bankruptcies a year.
These startling statistics have many Americans searching for medical care in other countries. One local business is putting American patients in touch with foreign doctors.
More than a year ago, Ann Lombardi's doctor told her she needed cataract surgery. The Raleigh woman was shocked by what he said it would cost.
"I went to other doctors around the Atlanta area and was quoted $7,000," she said.
It was a price Lombardi couldn't afford to pay, even with health insurance. So she called a friend in Germany who arranged for her to have the surgery there for only $1,200.
"It was the most positive medical experience of my life," she said.
Now Lombardi and her friend Tim Vicknair are running "European Medical Tourist" or "EMT." It's a service that helps Americans arrange medical treatment in Europe.
"We look a great deal at the hygienic practices and the clinical practices, the certifications of the physicians and things like that," Vicknair said.
The partners say they are often contacted about heart surgery, gastric procedures and orthopedic surgery.
"An uninsured person in the United States, if they needed a knee replacement it would be about $40,000. In Europe, we can get it done for about 9,000 Euros," Vicnair said.
EMT charges a fee of 7.5 percent of the procedure's cost. Arrangements for follow-up care in the U.S. are made by EMT prior to heading overseas.
Lombardi and Vicknair say they do not give people medical advice, just other options for finding healthcare they can afford.
Experts warn people to be cautious about seeking medical care overseas. An FDA representative said that products and medical devices used in the U.S. are FDA-approved. The agency has no jurisdiction over what is being used in Europe.
(12/19/05 -- RALEIGH) - An estimated 46 million Americans have no health insurance and according to a recent study, high medical bills contribute to almost 750,000 bankruptcies a year.
These startling statistics have many Americans searching for medical care in other countries. One local business is putting American patients in touch with foreign doctors.
More than a year ago, Ann Lombardi's doctor told her she needed cataract surgery. The Raleigh woman was shocked by what he said it would cost.
"I went to other doctors around the Atlanta area and was quoted $7,000," she said.
It was a price Lombardi couldn't afford to pay, even with health insurance. So she called a friend in Germany who arranged for her to have the surgery there for only $1,200.
"It was the most positive medical experience of my life," she said.
Now Lombardi and her friend Tim Vicknair are running "European Medical Tourist" or "EMT." It's a service that helps Americans arrange medical treatment in Europe.
"We look a great deal at the hygienic practices and the clinical practices, the certifications of the physicians and things like that," Vicknair said.
The partners say they are often contacted about heart surgery, gastric procedures and orthopedic surgery.
"An uninsured person in the United States, if they needed a knee replacement it would be about $40,000. In Europe, we can get it done for about 9,000 Euros," Vicnair said.
EMT charges a fee of 7.5 percent of the procedure's cost. Arrangements for follow-up care in the U.S. are made by EMT prior to heading overseas.
Lombardi and Vicknair say they do not give people medical advice, just other options for finding healthcare they can afford.
Experts warn people to be cautious about seeking medical care overseas. An FDA representative said that products and medical devices used in the U.S. are FDA-approved. The agency has no jurisdiction over what is being used in Europe.
<< Home