Medical Tourism in India: Washington Patient Saves 95% on Heart Procedure, Facilitated by WorldMed Assist

Rand Loftness saved a whopping 95% of his medical bill for cardiac treatment by going to India. Thanks to WorldMed Assist, the global health care facilitator that made all the arrangements, Loftness can now get back to living life.

Shelton, WA (PRWEB) April 14, 2008 -- Rand Loftness saved a whopping 95% of his medical bill for cardiac treatment by going to India. Thanks to WorldMed Assist, the global health care facilitator that made all the arrangements, Loftness can now get back to living life.

It is not uncommon for patients who travel to international destinations for medical care to save big bucks, but Rand Loftness discovered that by going to India, he could save a whopping 95% of the $70,000 medical bill he was quoted at the University of Washington. He has WorldMed Assist, a company that facilitates global health care, to thank for hooking him up with Apollo Hospital in Delhi for a procedure called Coronary Radio Frequency Ablation to get his heart back in working order.

"I could have afforded the $70,000, but it seemed ridiculous," said the 60-year-old self-employed contractor who'd made the decision decades ago to forego insurance premiums and pay his own medical expenses along the way.

Wouter Hoeberechts, CEO of WorldMed Assist (http://www.worldmedassist.com), says even he was surprised by the sharp difference in the cost Loftness was quoted. "I'm never surprised by savings in the 80 percent range, but 95% shows just how advantageous it can be to look abroad for medical care."

Loftness was born with a heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, an electrical malfunction between the two chambers of his heart. As he got older, the episodes became more frequent, and the symptoms prevented him from doing just about everything.

"I went to a cardiologist last year, who put me on beta blockers. The side effects--mostly depression--were worse than the symptoms, so I stopped taking them. Then the symptoms got way worse. I couldn't even ride my bike the quarter mile to my mailbox without getting short of breath, dizzy and light headed. I was out of options trying to live with the syndrome. My capacity was so reduced, I had to do something."

His doctor told him the solution was Cardio Radio Frequency Ablation, a procedure that interrupts the abnormal electrical pathway.

Loftness was first attracted to prices he found in Thailand, which ranged from $12,000 to $18,000. "I thought that was a pretty big savings, and just as I was about to sign on, I got a phone call from one of the medical tourism websites I'd e-mailed, WorldMed Assist, where I could research heart surgery in India (http://www.worldmedassist.com/Heart-Surgery-Abroad.htm).

WorldMed Assist told me to hang tight for a couple of days while they researched other options. They got back to me quickly with two options in India. I selected Apollo Hospital in Delhi. Their quote was $4500, and it turned out to only cost $3300 by the time I was discharged. I wasn't at all concerned about being treated in India. My friend, Bill, wanted to go there on vacation, so I said, 'Let's go!'"

Because WorldMed Assist took care of all the travel, lodging and medical arrangements, all Loftness had left to do was board the plane. "WorldMed Assist was very clear, encouraging and enthusiastic. They made everything so easy," he said. "I was completely at ease with my decision."

Loftness was met at the Delhi airport and driven to the hospital. "Everything was smooth and simple. I was released three days later and then Bill and I started touring around, checking back in at the hospital for two follow-up appointments, one at two days, another at two weeks. We traveled all around Northern India, and even participated in a protest against the atrocities in Nepal at the Dalai Lama's home. We went to the Taj Majal, which was overwhelming. The weather was great. I couldn't have done any of these things prior to my heart treatment."

He rates his trip to India as an entirely positive experience. "I got to see a lot of India, and with my heart now functioning as it should, I can get back to climbing, skiing, regular exercise, and living my life."

About WorldMed Assist

Experts in medical tourism, WorldMed Assist's mission is to improve lives by helping patients receive high quality medical treatment abroad at affordable prices. WorldMed Assist coordinates and simplifies every aspect of care and travel. WorldMed Assist also provides medical tourism as an option for self-insured businesses seeking expanded and affordable healthcare options for employees. Cardiac Radio Frequency Ablation (http://www.worldmedassist.com/cardiac_radiofrequency_ablation_india.htm)is significantly less expensive than in the U.S., yet delivered with the same or higher quality care and results as set by U.S. standards. Waiting times are virtually eliminated, track records are proven, and facilities are state-of-the-art.

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