Two New Knees for Less Than the Price of One
A Colorado contractor was quoted $40,000 per knee. He got both replaced in Cancun for about $30,000, flights included.
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Patient File
Bone on bone. That’s what the scans showed when Clay Nelson finally sat down with a surgeon in Colorado. Decades of construction work had worn out his knees… with help from weightlifting, trail running, and an old meniscus injury from high school football. By his fifties, crossing the street was a project. Clay works for himself as a general contractor. His health plan carries a high deductible (which, if you’ve ever had one, means you cover a big chunk of the bill before insurance chips in). And a new knee cost $40,000. He needed two. So what do you do with an $80,000 price tag? Oddly enough, his own doctor had an idea. He pointed Clay to NASH, the Network for Advanced Specialty Healthcare. It’s a travel-for-treatment program, founded in 2016, that works with partner hospitals in Cancun and Monterrey. NASH booked Clay into Galenia Hospital in Cancun. Galenia has been open since 2006 and holds JCI accreditation. About 200 doctors work there, and it treats around 10,000 patients a year, many of them from the US and Canada. The price for both knees, airfare included, came to about $30,000. In other words, two new knees for less than the price of one at home.
The prep happened in Colorado. A physician assistant ran his bloodwork and pre-op checks to make sure he was fit to fly and fit for surgery. Then Clay flew south a few days before each operation, and before the second one, he spent a few days at a resort. He was up and walking within hours both times. What surprised him most? The hospital looked cleaner than the American ones where he’d had his meniscus surgery. And the artificial knees were the same brand he’d have gotten in Colorado. But recovery still hurt. Physical therapy back home took six weeks. He also had check-ins with his medical team at 30 days, 90 days, and six months.
Today he does everything he wants… except run. And Cancun isn’t even the cheapest option. A single knee replacement in Tijuana starts at $7,900 with a Stryker implant, according to Medical Tourism Co. Spread over five years, that’s about $130 a month before interest. Even Clay’s $30,000 for two knees works out to $500 a month over the same stretch. Men’s Health didn’t say how he paid for it. Savings, a loan, a credit card… I have no idea. But I know which number a contractor can actually plan around. No more bone on bone. |
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This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making treatment decisions. We are not affiliated with any hospital, clinic, or practitioner mentioned.
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