Basking on the Beach, or Maybe on the Operating Table - New York Times

Basking on the Beach, or Maybe on the Operating Table - New York Times: "A coronary artery bypass, it said, could cost $75,536 in the United States but $11,438 in India; a $36,664 knee replacement here might be $17,824 in Singapore. Such savings have caught the attention of large and small companies, too. United Group Programs, an insurer in Boca Raton, Fla., offers medical travel in its health plans to 4,300 corporate clients. About 40 employers now offer those plans to employees.The West Virginia legislature is studying a proposal that would encourage state employees to travel abroad for some procedures, giving them cash bonuses equivalent to 20 percent of the net cost savings. The balance of the savings would go into a fund to reduce the amount employees pay for health care premiums. State Delegate Ray Canterbury, a Republican who proposed the bill, said he thinks such a shift could add to pressure to make domestic health care more affordable."