What my Grandmother Told Me...

Here's the story:
My grandmother and grandfather were celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary, and my parents and I had a fabulous celebration idea! Reunite my grandmother with her sisters in Paris, and be able to celebrate the wedding anniversary there. My grandfather, grandmother and I all went to Paris (my parents couldn't make it because of there work schedule) and celebrated one hell of an anniversary. It was one of the greatest moments of our lives - a joyous occasion beyond measure. However, two days before her scheduled return to the States, tragedy struck. Fluid build up in her lungs lead to her having congestive heart failure and admittance to one of Paris' hospitals. Here, the nurses and doctors did chest x-rays, checked vital signs, drained the fluid in her lungs, and performed renal dialysis to address her condition. She was there for almost a month! She was not even a French citizen, and the hospital covered all her medical costs during that time (which accumulated to almost $40,000 U.S. Dollars). She was very happy with the care and service she received from the nurses and doctors in Paris. Since then, she has been admitted to the emergency room here in the U.S. several times as well for exhibiting similar, but less severe, symptoms (i.e. shortness of breath, congestion, chest pain/discomfort, etc.). Her reviews of how the nurses and doctors took care of her here in the U.S. were just as, if not more, favorable. Outstanding care, first rate technology, and ultimate comfort. So...

Here's the Verdict:
My grandmother is very lucky to be going strong in her 80s now, and although she has a long list of chronic conditions (you name it, she's got it), the marvels of modern medicine have taken very good care of her. I asked her about both experiences, and where she would want to be if such an incident occurred again. She had difficulty choosing, because of the outstanding care she received from both hospitals (a public hospital in Paris, and St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, CA). Overall, she gave a slight edge to the U.S. for better service, better technology, and more comfortable rooms/beds/overall conditions in the hospital itself. But it is important to emphasize her high praise for the care she received from both facilities.

Here's the Caveat:
My grandmother is a dual-eligible Medi-Medi patient (Medicare and Medicaid) and had access to all these great services in the U.S. She was "officially" and "financially" not entitled to receive the care she did in France, but got it anyway and was not charged a dime. If the roles were reversed, the story may not have been the same. We have great health care in the U.S. - the best service, technology and comfort it seems. But access to it is a big issue; unless you're one of those "lucky" Medi-Medi patients, you probably want to be in the city of lights with a glass of Bordeaux, riding down the metro to the cafes at Montmarte.