BOSTON – Does a hip replacement surgery in Los Angeles cost the same as one in London? And is the quality of care equivalent?

The growing popularity of medical travel is making these types of questions relevant, and leading many health plans to wonder whether healthcare delivered abroad is more appropriate than that found in the United States. With that in mind, Boston-based HighRoads recently released results of what is widely accepted as the first medical travel survey.

HighRoads, which automates the procurement of medical plans for employers through a reverse-auction process, asked a series of questions to eight medical travel providers, including BridgeHealth, Healthplace America, HIMA Health, Intermountain Healthcare and Scott & White, representing 66 healthcare facilities.

The survey’s results indicate a wide range in cost for major procedures such as aortic valve replacement and cholecystectomy, as well as differences in the way in which medical travel is arranged. For instance, flat prices ranged from $19,000 to $59,729 for coronary artery bypass surgery and $9,900 to $29,0005 for total hip replacement surgery.

More importantly, providers were asked – and gave varying responses to – whether they have patients undergo an impartial analysis to determine if surgery is the best option. Some said they would refuse to do the surgery if a better course of treatment is available.

“The bottom line with this survey is that it’s not just about the cost,” said Lori Dustin of HighRoads. “Many large, self-insured employees are looking to control healthcare costs, but they’re also mindful of quality. There are some serious questions being asked.”

According to Dustin, most medical travel providers were caught off-guard by the survey, and some chose not to respond but indicated they would respond to a future survey. She said providers are slowly coming to grips with the realization that the industry needs transparency.

To conduct the request for information, HighRoads called upon Tom Emerick, president of Emerick Consulting and a former vice president of benefits for Walmart. The survey, which focused on ethical standards, quality of care and procedure fees, was sent to eight healthcare providers who offer medical travel services and represent more than 50 hospitals in the United States and abroad.

‘I have been leveraging medical travel for the past 14 years to improve the quality of medical care (and) reduce the practice of unnecessary procedures in order to improve the health of U.S. employees, while reducing healthcare costs,” Emerick said. “HighRoads’ application of its technology to provide a transparent database of worldwide ethics, quality and flat prices for medical procedures will accelerate the adoption of medical travel and can dramatically reduce healthcare costs for patients, insurers and employers.”

“Employers need an efficient mechanism to compare the ethics, quality and cost of medical procedures at top healthcare centers,” added Michel Byers, HighRoads’ CEO and president. “It is too complex and time-consuming to attempt alone. That is why HighRoads has developed a technology platform that will automate this data collection and comparison so employers have increased choices when it comes to the safest and healthiest options for their employees.”

Dustin said HighRoads is tweaking the survey for future use and a wider audience. She pointed out the company has a database of more than 6,000 health plans, and that more than 700 insurance providers respond to their surveys.

“The goal is to reduce the cost of medical procedures,” she added. “It’s important for hospitals to see this and to get this information out in front of large employers.”