President’s Blog, Renee-Marie Stephano

We live in a world of technology, with computers that are conceivably smarter than the average human, and capable of far more tasks than we ever could have imagined even 20 years ago.  We rely heavily on machines with micro-chips and micro-processors and the future is before us now, laid out like a neat game of dominos, within our grasp.  As long as we continue to produce ‘intellectual’ machinery and programs, we have a good chance of outsmarting diseases and affecting not only the present, but the future of global healthcare.  Technology not only produces advancements in healthcare, it provides opportunities for better health, faster treatments and longer lives.  Another segment of healthcare vital to improving health and prolonging lives is life sciences, which includes pharmaceuticals, research and development and biotechnology.  This includes the controversial stem cell treatments only offered in certain countries and specific healthcare facilities.  Both ehealth and life sciences are paving the way for an emerging sector of global healthcare perched to dominate the healthcare industry.  The 3^rd Annual World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress will tackle both of these issues in various general sessions, bringing them to the forefront of the industry. 

With these advancements in R&D leading to new and improved cancer and disease treatments, we are also seeing a rise in healthcare practices that are supported and controlled by electronic processes, which is being coined ehealth.  However, this definition can be expanded to include the notion of connected, global thinking, which can improve healthcare across the globe through the use of information and communication technology.  The swiftness and ease of transmission of important health documents through these technologies is changing the landscape of healthcare.  How fascinating to think that one day, healthcare will be a global force and we might all be united under a global healthcare system.  Keep in mind that ehealth not only pertains to doctors and other healthcare professionals, but also to patients.  Patients are now able to access information at their fingertips and this has opened up a whole new world in global healthcare.   Patients are able to have Q&A sessions with doctors in countries halfway around the world to seek medical advice.  Medical advice forums have become commonplace.  Patients are taking control of their own health and are educating themselves on how best to treat conditions, prevent disease and maintain overall good health.  Global communication inspires trust among patients and global healthcare providers.  This is extremely significant for medical tourism, because with open lines of communication, people are more likely to consider traveling outside one’s national borders for healthcare.

Patients are being empowered and have finally been given voices; they are choosing to be more involved and want the chance to explain what they feel is the best course of action for them, and why.  With the Internet, people can research on a specific disease or condition and present their case to their doctor, backed up with facts and research, not simply emotions.  This also lends patients more credibility and respect from medical professionals.  It has also paved the way for Evidence-Based Medicine, a branch of medicine dealing with clinical evidence.   A doctor’s expert opinion holds less weight than it used to and patient’s now seek evidential proof.  Doctors and patients are now able to work together to determine the best course of action to take.  This is not only novel, it is amazing. 

Life sciences is a very broad umbrella topic that encompasses many different aspects of life and living organisms.  How is this relevant for medical tourism?  Without forward momentum and new developments, medical tourism could become obstinate.  People might just opt to get treated at home.  But this will never happen with continuing advancements and new treatments on the horizon every time we blink and here’s why: with ehealth and patient involvement, not many people will choose to wait for a new treatment to come to them.  They’re going to follow the treatment and usually that means traveling abroad.  While one country may not yet offer the treatment, another one has been performing it with a high success rate for months.  When it comes to one’s health, people will go to great lengths to preserve it, especially when they know the solution is as simple as locating the right doctor willing to perform the procedure.  Stem cell treatment is a prime example of this.  Although the topic of much debate currently, this innovative treatment has helped many people.  There are also controversial cancer treatments being offered abroad, such as holistic treatments, which are not available in the US.  Many US patients, including Farah Fawcett, have traveled for cancer care.  For those nearing the end of their rope, the risk of receiving controversial treatment is still smaller than that of waiting, or doing nothing. 

Of course, as mentioned above, there are ethical issues abound and those must be addressed, but the future looks bright and promising.

Around the World and Back Again ~ Medical Tourism Magazine Celebrates 3rd Year

Many publications have come and gone as the Medical Tourism Association approaches the 3-year anniversary of Medical Tourism Magazine, the only printed and online publication in the industry.  Speaking on behalf of contributors and members at large, President of the Medical Tourism Association and Editor-in-Chief Renee-Marie Stephano reflects on where we have been, where we are and where we are headed.  

“Over the years, we have covered far-reaching topics ranging from marketing medical tourism programs, innovative medical advancements, global health insurance to sustainability programs.  In this upcoming issue, we are addressing an extremely important topic ~ that of global events affecting medical travel, like healthcare reform,” said Renee-Marie Stephano.

In fact, on this anniversary date, the Medical Tourism Association is also pleased to announce the official release of the Medical Tourism Magazine’s Issue 16 featuring articles such as “Medical Tourism ~ A Solution for Healthcare” and “Healthcare Reform and Emerging Benefit Program Opportunities.”  Read now at, http://www.medicaltourismmag.com/.

“The Medical Tourism Magazine keeps improving with every issue,” says Kenneth Mays of Bumrungrad Hospital.  “It has become an invaluable source of insights about this growing healthcare niche. The magazine covers and collects topics of importance and significance to the medical tourism sector from diverse sources all over the world.”

Here at the Medical Tourism Magazine we make every effort to cover all aspects of the medical tourism industry, missing nothing of importance or relevance.  If it’s relevant, we cover it in a timely fashion.  As this industry continues to expand, we stay on top of the collaborations, innovations and transformations as they occur.  The Medical Tourism Magazine is your go-to source; the location of important information about this industry.  Also, The Medical Tourism Magazine is your voice in the industry as we welcome contributions for print.

 The Medical Tourism Magazine offers both printed and online advertising as well.  It also boasts a Social Media package that encompasses all aspects of Social Media marketing into a competitively priced package, aimed at attracting your target audience.  In the form of a blast to your target audience with press releases, insider blogs and various postings on all social media networks; MTA has access to a comprehensive social network for medical tourism enthusiasts in the Medical Tourism City.  http://www.medicaltourismcity.com/.  MTA welcomes inquiries about our prestigious Guest Blogs, which are offered directly on http://blogs.medicaltourismmag.com/. 

MTA also offers the unique option of videos, including patient videos, which spotlight your international hospital as a leader in a particular medical procedure through the eyes of a patient’s experience!  For more information, visit: http://medicaltourismassociation.com/en/documentary-patient-videos.html.

 The Medical Tourism Magazine’s printed version on average is distributed to over 90 countries around the world in all 5 regions inclusive of thousands of International Hospitals, International Health Insurance Carriers in the Middle East, US, UK and Canada, healthcare providers throughout the world, the travel industry, potential medical tourism patients considering going overseas for surgery, and anyone with an interest in the industry. The magazine is also distributed to a majority of the health plans which administer Self Funded Employer health plans in the U.S. Medical Tourism Magazine can be read at http://www.medicaltourismmag.com/.

Employers and Insurance Leaders gather at large to discuss opportunities and challenges in offering health insurance and employee benefits in today’s economic climate of healthcare reform during the Employer Healthcare Congress September 20-22^nd, 2010 in Los Angeles.

Employer provided health insurance and employee benefits face tremendous challenges in the future as the cost of insurance increases and employers fight off the economic recession.  These challenges emerge with voluntary benefits, worksite benefits, self funded healthcare, workers compensation benefits, and corporate wellness benefits.  Healthcare Reform places even more of a burden on employer groups and is estimated to increase the cost of providing healthcare benefits to their employees and plan members.  Stakeholders gather together work towards solutions to managing the employee benefits they offer their employees.

Bob Trujillo, Program Director of Human Resources for the American Bar Administration said, “In order to meet the challenges of the current financial climate while balancing employee retention and recruitment, human resource professionals are faced with coordinating a new and innovative structure to their benefit plans.  This conference is a great launching pad for sharing and developing new approaches toward our benefit packages.”  

Some of the speakers for the Employer Healthcare Congress are:

Brady Jensen, Group Manager, Global Benefits, Microsoft Corporation

Colleen DePadua, Manager of Group Insurance, Black & Decker

Faye Saenz, Director of Employee Benefits, GameStop Corp.

Christina Harmon, Director of Benefits Administration, Ruby Tuesday 

Bob Ihrie, Senior Vice President of Employee Rewards and Services, Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

Avi Smith, Benefits Manager, B&H Photo

Susan Hannegan, Health Management Program Manager, Jack in the Box

Jacqueline Madrigal, Benefits Manager, American Apparel

Robin Lears, Benefits Administrator, United States Olympic Committee

Pamala Grove, Director of Benefits & HR Operations, Land O’ Lakes Inc.

Pani Tademeti, HR Manager- Total Compensation, Office of State Personnel, North Carolina

Vicki Robinson, Manager, Insurance Services Division, City of Las Vegas

Annie Leko, Honeywell

Randy Moon, Vice President of Global Compensation & Benefit, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)

Dr. Joseph P. Annis, Secretary, Board of Trustees, American Medical Association

Bernie C. Knobbe, Vice President, Benefits, ACS, a Xerox Company

Colleen DePadua, Manager of Group Insurance for Black and Decker, said, “The Conference 2010 will be a great opportunity for employers to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of self-funding.  With national healthcare reform passed and affecting all plans regardless of funding, it is important for self-funded employers to understand those obligations. This conference will be an excellent forum for the exchange information and ideas.”

The Employer Healthcare Congress which is one of the largest Employer Healthcare Conferences in the country, www.employerhealthcarecongress.com  .  The healthcare conference is made up of four conferences, The Corporate Wellness Conference, http://www.corporatewellnessconference.com, the Self Funding Employer Healthcare and Workers Compensation Conference, http://www.selffundingconference.com, the Voluntary Benefits and Limited Medical Conference, http://www.voluntarybenefitsconference.com and the National Healthcare Reform Conference, http://www.healthcarereformconference.com .

The conference has implemented a VIP buyers program that will cover the travel expenses and bring in employers who have voluntary benefits programs in place or are interested in implementing voluntary benefits.  

Robert Davenport, the Wellness Manager for  the NASA/Johnson Space Center said, “The Conference is a tremendous opportunity for professionals in the wellness industry to exchange ideas and learn tried and true practices of other companies navigating the health and productivity management challenges faced by all organizations today.  I look forward to sharing my experiences and challenges with attendees and applying solutions gathered from this meeting in my organization.”

Jonathan Edelheit, manager of the Employer Healthcare Congress added, “This conference will bring together all the senior leaders in employer provided benefits to share their knowledge and collaborate on what challenges and opportunities the industry faces.  There is no other employer health insurance conference like it.”

The conference is sponsored by the Self Funding Employer Association (SFEA), http://www.selffundingassociation.com and the Self Funding Magazine,  The Corporate Health and Wellness Association, http://www.healthandwellnessassociation.com, the Corporate Wellness Magazine, www.corporatewellnessmagazine.com, the Voluntary Benefits Association, http://www.vbassociation.com and the Voluntary Benefits Magazine, http://www.voluntarybenefitsmagazine.com and the National Healthcare Reform Magazine, http://www.healthcarereformmagazine.com . 

Contact: Sarah Hunt

Senior Meeting Manager

info@employerhealthcarecongress.com

561-204-3676

International Medical Tourism Key Stakeholders gather to discuss opportunities and challenges of Inbound and Outbound Healthcare, bringing future trends to the forefront of discussion during the 3^rd annual MTA World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress,   September 22^nd-24th, 2010 in Los Angeles.

The Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare industry represents an over forty billion dollar industry with millions of patients traveling each year for medical care.   The industry faces many challenges, such as the increased competition of new countries and hospitals marketing their services, an economic recession and meeting the demands of a greater educated base of patients.  The medical tourism industry also faces new opportunities in the form of healthcare reform in the US, the emergence of more insurance companies and employers in the US implementing medical tourism, and international insurance companies implementing global health insurance policies which let their clients travel anywhere in the world for medical care.  As the medical tourism industry grows at thirty five percent each year, as estimated by Deloitte, for the next several years many new opportunities will emerge for the industry participants.

“The healthcare organizations in countries promoting medical tourism are improving the quality of the health care of their organizations in terms of services provided and accreditations. Investors are building newer, cutting edge hospitals as global competition increases and these facilities are trying to supply the high demand of new patients,” said Renee-Marie Stephano, President of the Medical Tourism Association.

 “This is why the sharing of information about improved healthcare infrastructure and sustainable healthcare programs becomes essential and will benefit the local population by providing greater access to the latest cutting edge medical technology, e-health and telemedicine,” she added.

Some of the emerging trends to be covered during the congress will include ~

• The Mystique of US Healthcare Reform for International Patients
• Setting up Aftercare and Aftercare Networks
• US and International Employers Case Studies on Implementing Medical Tourism into Employer Sponsored Health Insurance Plans
• Creating the Link Between Facilitators, Hospitals and Insurance Companies
• Public and Private Sector Collaboration ~ Prevention of Two Tiered Markets
• Patient Safety in Cross Border Healthcare ~ Inbound & Outbound Care
• Reinvesting Medical Tourism Dollars in Local Population Projects
• Sustainable & Green Hospital Development and Healthcare Development
• Expanding Role of E-Health in Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare
• Baby Boomer Healthcare and Retirement Living
• Providing Effective, Quality Healthcare to Expatriates

“When countries embark on building, marketing, and fulfilling medical tourism options for a regional and global community; the risk of a two-tiered system can result in undesirable and unintended consequences. Keeping and establishing a quality focus on healthcare services for all will become increasingly more important for a sustainable healthcare system,” added Ms. Stephano, she is also Chief Editor of Medical Tourism Magazine and Health Tourism Magazine.   

The extensive new agenda includes dedicated times for networking meetings, dedicated times for general sessions and dedicated times for exhibit hall hours so there is little to no overlap between different events at the congress.  The new agenda can be seen at http://medicaltourismcongress.com/en/agenda.html.  The new speakers for the medical tourism and global healthcare conference can be seen at http://medicaltourismcongress.com/en/speakers.html.

The conference will also have a focus on bringing in employers, insurance companies and governments who deal with international healthcare issues and employees and patients on a global basis. “The ability to access quality, cost-effective health care on a worldwide basis is critical to the success of any company with a global strategy for sourcing employees and/or providing services,” said Arthur Diskin, Vice President and Global Chief Medical Officer, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara, who will be presenting at the Congress.

The 3^rd annual MTA World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress, http://www.medicaltourismcongress.com organized by the Medical Tourism Association, http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com and the Medical Tourism Magazine,  http://www.medicaltourismmag.com will bring together up to 2,000 of the most senior level healthcare, leaders, employers and insurance industry professionals September 22^nd-24th, 2010 in Los Angeles.  

“This year’s conference agenda is called Progress in Motion and we have created a whole new agenda and brought in new speakers to focus on how far the industry is advanced over the last three years,” said Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the Medical Tourism Association.   “The new agenda, schedule format and new speakers will bring an exciting new dynamic to all the attendees,” he added.

The conference is the dedicated annual event of the Medical Tourism Association, the non profit trade association in the Medical Tourism industry,   http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com, and media partner Medical Tourism Magazine, http://www.medicaltourismmag.com the only dedicated magazine for the medical tourism and global healthcare industry, and  by Medical Tourism City, www.medicaltourismcity.com, a social network for the medical tourism and global healthcare industry with over one thousand participants from over sixty countries.

The 3^rd World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress will also feature two additional conferences, the Expatriate Healthcare, Travel Insurance and Global Health Insurance Conference, http://www.expatriateconference.com, which focuses on international employers and insurance companies, and the Sustainable Healthcare and Hospital Development Conference, www.healthcaredevelopmentconference.com, which focuses on the growth of medical tourism in the healthcare sector and the building and development of healthcare facilities around the world.

The Medical Tourism Association™ (Global Healthcare Association) is the international non-profit trade association for the medical tourism and global healthcare industry made up of the top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality of healthcare to patients in a global environment. Our Association (Global Healthcare Association) promotes the interests of its healthcare provider and medical tourism facilitator members. The Medical Tourism Association™ (Global Healthcare Association) has three tenets: Transparency in Quality and Pricing, Communication and Education.

Contact: Amelia Fernandez

Amelia@medicaltourismcongress.com

www.MedicalTourismCongress.com

US  561-792-6676      

Could Israel become the next big destination for Medical Tourism?  At a conference held in Tel Aviv last week, people gathered and seem to think so! Read more about what Israel has to offer to patients:

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/will-israel-become-a-major-center-for-medical-tourism-1.297573

The MTA has posted an updated pricing chart to show the pricing of surgeries in the different countries overseas. The 2010 pricing was collected from our member hospitals and governments in the individual regions. To read more:

http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com/userfiles/files/chart.png

http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com/en/for-insurance-companies.html

http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com/en/for-patients.html

The Medical Tourism is pleased to announce that we have added the feature of Guest Blogs for our Main Blog Site.  Please welcome the guest blog of Prem Jagyasi. 

To access Prem’s blog, please visit this link: http://blogs.medicaltourismmag.com/premjagyasi/

Prem is the Chief Strategy Officer (Dubai) of the MTA and as a distinguished Medical Tourism expert in the field, provides valuable insight to all.

Check out the feature on Medical Tourism that Bumrungrad helped develop with an Asian Community newspaper in Seattle. Bumrungrad is a current member of the MTA.

http://www.nwasianweekly.com/2010/06/medical-tourism-the-next-reform-in-health-care/

Shoreline retirees Yoshi and Naomi Minegishi, ages 70 and 61, returned this spring from a vacation in Asia and brought back a new interest in health care options. “It was just happenstance,” said Naomi Minegishi. They toured Thailand’s Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok at the suggestion of a friend.  After a two-and-a-half hour tour, they were impressed. “I am happy with my care here [in Seattle], but I thought that [Bumrungrad] was not bad at all,” said Naomi.

“Bumrungrad supersedes American hospitals in terms of care. [The hospital] makes sure your every need is taken care of in reasonable time,” Minegishi said.

“[The tour] opened my eyes to medical treatment overseas.  I had never thought about it.”

Medical tourism is the practice of traveling to another country in order to receive health care. The type of medical services varies from elective procedures such as cosmetic surgery, to complex medical procedures, to alternative healing practices.

A hotel hospital

Bumrungrad is an example of a hospital that caters to international patients. It offers a concierge service, picking up patients from the airport and transporting them to the hospital via car service. The hospital also offers a concierge desk in the lobby to assist the families of patients with their personal needs. The hospital rooms are spacious and the food court provides patrons with a variety of ethnic foods to match the diverse individuals who pass through the hospital.

Now in its 30th year, Bumrungrad is considered the top private hospital in Thailand, according to Kenneth Mays, senior director of hospital marketing and business development. In 2009, Bumrungrad had 1 million total outpatient visits and inpatient admits. Mays stated that 5 percent of the patients were Americans, including American expatriates. Eighty-two percent of the patients were from Asia.

A different perspective

These days, medical tourism is more of an option. “People talk about it a lot more,” said physician Dr. Frederick Chen, a faculty member in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington.

Chen stated that hospitals in other countries are attractive to Americans because of the potential for saving costs and the additional amenities that hospitals like Bumrungrad provide. ‘High-end’ medical hospitals provide a hotel feel to attract potential patients who have determined that the financial savings in medical treatment outweigh the travel expense.

Many hospitals in other countries employ physicians with solid training and education. “The quality of care [in other countries] is not as big of an issue as you might think,” Chen said. “Nationwide, there are about 25 percent foreign medical graduates. Certain specialties, like primary care, do have up to 50 percent foreign graduates in training programs nationwide.” Many medical students who go to U.S. medical schools come to this country with the specific purpose of practicing in another country. Also, some U.S. medical school graduates who are U.S. citizens decide to travel abroad to practice medicine.

“High-end care [overseas] is much less expensive.” Chen said. But he also warns that “you are totally rolling the dice” when it comes to health care outside the United States. “The problem is, what if something goes wrong? You can’t go in for a follow-up visit.”  Chen points out a logistical issue in providing an overseas physician with a complete set of your medical records. Conversely, if a patient follows up with a physician in the United States about treatment received overseas, it may be difficult to obtain the records and/or decipher the meaning of the notes made by the overseas physician.

Chen’s general advice on medical tourism is “not to do it.” But Chen admits that although “it is frowned upon, you can’t argue the fact that it costs less.” If a patient has made the decision to seek medical treatment overseas, Chen suggests to “ask around [about the hospital and physician], find the physician’s credentials, be clear with the physician [what will happen] if anything goes wrong, [and] determine the cost and think ahead if insurance will cover the medical treatment.”

Who pays?

“In general, your U.S. health insurance will not cover health care overseas,” said Chen. The only exception would be if a patient is involved in an accident while traveling and has travel insurance.  Furthermore, insurance companies may not cover subsequent treatment performed in the United States because of prior treatment performed overseas.

At Bumrungrad, Mays stated, “About 70 percent of our patients pay out of pocket, 15 percent use insurance, and 15 percent are direct corporate contracts where the employer pays us.” Bumrungrad has contracts with most of the major international health insurance companies including CIGNA and Aetna.

However, as Mays points out, this type of coverage relates to expatriates. The coverage would not cover “intentional medical travel.”

For her part, Minegishi was impressed by the potential savings. “Even if insurance does not cover a procedure, it will still come up much less than if you received it in the U.S.,” he said.

While there is risk associated with seeking medical treatment abroad, the allure of a resort-like medical facility and the financial benefit may be the deciding factor in choosing health care.

“This is the future. If you don’t mind flying, it certainly is an option,” said Minegishi. ♦

Yes, we all know times are tough right now.  They have been and they very well may continue to be for quite some time.  Budgets have been cut and businesses all around the world are looking for creative ways to trim costs.  Many have opted to cut costs by either completely eliminating advertising or by cutting it down to almost nothing. Well, Wharton School of Business, one of the nation’s top-rated business schools, says this is probably the worst decision business owners or decision makers can make in a down economy.  Read on to find out more about how advertising in a sluggish economy is actually one of the SMARTEST decisions you can make for your business, with historical facts and figures to back it up! 

http://lovinlifemedia.com/cgi-bin/nlarchive.pl?action=dsparticle&topic_code=SAMT&artfile=20090301ab&site=SM

Webinar Session #12

Developing Global Healthcare Marketing Strategies for Healthcare Organizations

The Medical Tourism Magazine is pleased to invite you to the educational webinar, “Developing Global Healthcare Marketing Strategies for Healthcare Organizations” led by Dr. Prem Jagyasi. The Webinar will take place Tuesday, June 8th at 10:30 AM EST. Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/187566994

About the Speaker:
A successful entrepreneur and experienced strategic professional, Dr. Prem Jagyasi is a renowned Chartered Management, Healthcare Marketing and Medical Tourism Consultant. Providing high-profile consultancy services to Government authorities and private healthcare organizations, Dr. Prem Jagyasi is a noticeably leading medical tourism consultant in the world.
Currently, Dr. Prem Jagyasi is MD & CEO of ExHealth, a Dubai HealthCare City based firm engaged in offering multi-dimensional healthcare solutions in international domain. He also serves the Medical Tourism Association as Honorary Chief Strategy Officer. He is also the Chief Editor of UAE’s leading health magazine – HealthFirst, published in association with one of the leading English dailies of the region. To learn more about speaker please visit www.DrPrem.com