New York City Health Care: New Yorkers are Traveling to Pennsylvania for their health care.
It is no secret that many physicians in New York City do not accept health insurance. That leaves patients in a bind. See the doctor you want and pay thousands of dollars out of pocket or go to one of the few doctors accepting your insurance and wait a year to see him.
However, a new trend is developing. Many New Yorkers are traveling to Pennsylvania for their health care, especially surgery. It makes sense both medically and economically.
Stephen Banco, MD has seen a noticeable difference, “Over the last 18 months I’ve seen an influx of patients from out of state, especially New York, in my practice. Patients and insurance companies save thousands of dollars by doing so.”
Dr. Banco is a fellowship-trained, orthopedic spinal surgeon working in Wyomissing, PA at the Reading Neck and Spine Center, a division of Keystone Orthopedics. Dr. Banco and his partners own a surgical hospital and are able to control both office and hospital costs.
“At the Reading Neck and Spine Center we provide comprehensive spinal and pain management care. This includes physical therapy, epidural injections, minimally invasive, and open spinal surgery. Going through the process of injections and surgery can cost tens of thousands of dollars in NYC. Coming to our facility from New York can save thousands of dollars for the patient due to our lower fees, ” notes Banco.
Though New Yorkers may have to pay out of pocket to see a physician in Pennsylvania, it isalways cheaper. Overhead for the hospitals and doctors is considerably lower and therefore that savings is passed on to the patient.
“Our model strives to provide high-quality healthcare at a reasonable cost. We have fellowship-trained doctors treating patients at a fraction of the cost many New Yorkers pay, “ says Dr. Banco.
Dr. Banco operates at The Surgical Institute of Reading, a physician-owned hospital that performs spinal fusions, joint replacements and other orthopedic and general surgical procedures. The Surgical Institute of Reading was listed in Consumer Reports as one of the top hospitals in the state of PA with one of the lowest infection rates.
“Hospital costs for a spinal fusion at a big, New York City hospital can reach $100,000. At the Surgical Institute of Reading we are a 70%-80% cheaper with a lower infection rate, “ says Banco. Furthermore, ALL the patient rooms at The Surgical Institute of Reading are private, at no additional patient cost.
Many out-of-state patients express concern for the doctors’ qualifications. However, that concern is unwarranted. Any physicians’ qualifications can be easily vetted on-line. An analysis of the doctors at The Surgical Institute of Reading show their physicians have trained at the top institutions in Boston, New York City and Philadelphia.
In 2014 the healthcare landscape will change dramatically with the inception of Obamacare. All patients will see huge increases in deductibles. Finding low-cost, high-quality healthcare will benefit all of us.