This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I received an email today regarding pricing for Liberation Procedure at AMEDS Centrum via Passport Medical. It is as follows (not including airfare)

"We are offering a 7 day package price which will include the following:

Airport Pick-up at Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW) in Warsaw, Poland
The service of an English-speaking host
Transfers between the hotel and hospital
7 nights accommodation at a brand new 3 star hotel including daily breakfast for 2 (other meals are available for purchase in the hotel's restaurant)
MRV, Doppler ultrasound, and neurological testing prior to the procedure
Liberation Treatment
1 night in a hospital room including meals
Follow-up Doppler two days after the procedure
Airport drop-off
The package does not include the cost of airfare as this varies
Pricing

Prices are currently quoted in Canadian and US dollars and may fluctuate somewhat going forward based on currency exchange rates.

Ballooning - $11,000 + airfare
1 stent - $12,500 + airfare
2 stents - $13,900 + plus airfare "

- I understand that this pricing does not include pre-screening which is mandatory prior to going to Poland for treatment thru this program. Therefore I would still have to find a place in Canada to have the testing done and pay for that travel and procedure as well.

-Can anyone compare this pricing for a North American patient at Euromedic Poland or booking thru AMED directly?

So many decisions to make...so much $ to come up with!!!

Thanks for any info.

Ali888,
Here is the price list for Ameds if you don't use Passport Medical:







The price list for CCSVI examinations and treatments at AMEDS Centrum is as follows (assuming 3.85 PLN/EUR exchange rate):

CCSVI EXAMINATION

(USG Doppler, MRV, neurologic examination, blood morphology)
1.390 EUR

CCSVI TREATMENT – BALOONING

(Venography rtg, balooning, 2 nights at the hospital, USG Doppler follow-up)
2.990 EUR

CCSVI TREATMENT – ONE STENT

(Venography rtg, one stent, 2 nights at the hospital, USG Doppler follow-up)
3.790 EUR

CCSVI TREATMENT – TWO STENTS

(Venography rtg, two stents, 2 nights at the hospital, USG Doppler follow-up)
4.490 EUR

All Prices are exclusive of travelling and lodging costs.-------------
Essential Health Clinic in the UK/Scotland Glasgow
CCSVI screening £450.00no cost to my kneoledge has been given for balloning/stents

Ali88 read your message again. They offer MRV, doppler and neurological testeing prior to the procdure

4.49000 Euros = 6.14938665 Canadian dollars

So, the whole nine yards with two stents is $6,149 dollars as of today. That is $6K USD. So Passport Medical is going to charge you $7,000 dollars to pick you up from the airport, and to write an e-mail to AMEDS for you. The accommodation would be maybe $600. Does anybody really care about brand-new hotels?

Ahem...

A fool and his money...

_________________
My name is not really Johnson. MSed up since 1993

It seems to me that the extra $ is to "jump the queue". Plus to qualify for this, you have to be pre-screened in your home country. Passport Medical will try to assist with that...I assume for more $.

I sent an email to Euromedic almost 6 weeks ago. Other than confirmation of receipt, I have heard nothing. Passport Medical states that some clinics are so overwhelmed and booked years in advance that they are no longer accepting new patients. Has anyone else heard this or is this fear-mongering?

I hope I can go to Katowice...or better yet...have this done hear at home!

Ali, I don't think there will be any queue-jumping. Euromedic does not allow it. The Poles are a principled people - unlike some Canadians.

Try this registration link. That is how they are doing it - on a first-come, first-served basis. http://www.ameds.pl/Registration. There is no indication of a pre-screening requirement. They offer diagnosis.

Unless you have no one to help you, and you are beyond helping yourself, save your money, and register yourself. Check out their whole site before you jump in.

Best of luck!

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My name is not really Johnson. MSed up since 1993

There is no indication of a pre-screening requirement. They offer diagnosis.

oops
Sorry, I messed up the quote function . . . . again! My bad!
Reverse what's been quoted and then it's correct.

Euromedic does not allow queue jumping, but AMEDs does. They have set aside a certain # of appointments exclusively for Passport Medical.

I would prefer to wait for Euromedic, but does anyone have any real idea what the wait time is? Have they, in fact, stopped accepting new patients?

I emaile Euromedic a little over a month ago and got an email back stating I was on the list for 2011. It also stated that they were extremely busy and they would contact me with further info later. So I imagine that they are into 2012 by now but I am not sure.

I have heard of people having some luck by letting them know they can fill cancelled appt on short notice. But that's just what I've heard.

I did see that Zamboni will be visiting AMEDS for help with training. AMEDS has it listed on facebook. I was told that AMEDS had agreed to put in a little extra time in their work day to accomodate the Passport Medical patients and that it should not affect those waiting for AMEDS. Not sure how that is going to work.

Well, I regret writing so authoritatively.

Considering that 4 months ago, most of us were waiting for, and accepting hell, I hope that people boycott Passport Medical. Preying on "desperate people" disgusts me.

If AMEDS staff are willing to put in a longer day for more than double the money, why can they not do it from a place of compassion?

I suppose I am just an anachronistic romantic...

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My name is not really Johnson. MSed up since 1993

Liber8.

You are right, I am one of such lucky people. I was supposed to have my treatment at the end of 2011 but last week I had a phone call to came on 23rd April so I am convinced that that I filled in someones' cancelled appointment.
Just for the record I first contacted Euromedic on January 4 (at that time they were still accepting phone call registrations), had my ultrasound on Feb 12 and treatment at the end of April.

Couple of thoughts....Euromedic is always quickly filling cancelled appointments. I think that part of the increased cost by Passport is the quicker access to the procedure, which will have a value for some people who can afford it. We need to keep in mind that this procedure was costing $85000 at Stanford, so let's hope insurance embraces it when it opens up in the US. Lastly, the only thing that I don't like is the way the Passport website seems to offer medical procedures all over the world for a price, rather than an organization that is dedicated to a particular treatment....kind of reminds me of a 60 minutes show....

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41 years old, dx 1998, current EDSS 6.5

It is very informative.

Not sure how they are booking "first come, first serve", but I had e-mailed Euromedic back in April. Received a response that they were booking into 2011. Then to my surprise, I received an e-mail at the end of June that a spot is available to me in the last quarter of THIS year (August - November). I did not ask to be put on the "cancellation" list as it would be extremely difficult for me to fly from North America with short notice. Plus, financially I had planned for more time to fundraise.

Actulally, it was quite ironic. Around that same time, I had 3 different places (Tychy Poland, Euromedic and Bulgaria) offer me appointments for this year right after I had just decided to have treatment closer to home, or at least on the same continent. So I declined all 3 offers and am now waiting for treatment in the US

So I guess what I'm saying is I would save my money and contact them directly rather than going through Passport Medical.