How far would you travel to save on medical care?
IT was 4:30 a.m. when the Uber pulled up in front of Frieda’s house. She and her husband Moshe were already outside, standing by the curb with their suitcases ready. After weeks of researching, packing, planning, and prepping, the couple was about to embark on a 22-hour flight to Bangkok, Thailand, with a three-hour stopover in Taiwan. What have I gotten myself into? Frieda thought.
“I’m the type of person whose idea of an exciting night is going to a Chinese auction to raise money for Bonei Olam,” Frieda says with a laugh. “I’m a 58-year-old grandmother who rarely travels outside Brooklyn. To say this was out of my comfort zone is a huge understatement.”
Frieda wasn’t going to Thailand to see the historic sites or pristine beaches. She was joining the 14 million people who travel for medical tourism every year. From the Bangkok airport, she would be heading straight to Bumrungrad International Hospital for a hip replacement.
When Frieda was in her 30s, she was diagnosed with arthritis, and it only got worse with age. “I couldn’t chase after my grandkids anymore. I couldn’t walk without pain. At 58, I felt I was too young to live like this. My doctor told me I needed a hip replacement, but my health insurance sent me a letter saying my claim had been denied, stating my condition wasn’t bad enough. I appealed and lost. The cost of paying for it myself in a New York hospital was around $50,000.”
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