We talk a lot on WhatsTheRealCost.org about doing comparison shopping for health care. While not every situation lends itself to that, joint replacement offers good opportunities for comparing not only the joint itself but the doctor and facility doing the work. There are nearly a million joint replacement surgeries performed each year. This New York Times article makes a compelling case for checking into key issues before you make the decision, and offers solid consumer advice for how to go about it. Here’s the case for doing your homework: • A study published in 2007 found that 7 percent of hips implanted in Medicare patients had to be replaced within seven and a half years. Those p...