Medical Travel Today

THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 3, Issue 6
by Amanda Haar, Editor

We start with a conversation with Ruben Toral regarding his recent appointment as president of the International Medical Travel Association (http://www.intlmta.org). Toral shares with us his vision for the organization in the year ahead.

We've also got news of an exciting new medical travel insurance product specifically designed for employers. In an interview with our publisher Laura Carabello, Arthur Seifert, president of U.S. Risk Underwriters, discusses the product MedTour Pro and how it facilitates the continued growth of the industry.

Another company that's clearly banking on continued growth in the field is Aetna Global Benefits (AGB). Under INDUSTRY NEWS you'll find the company's latest announcement regarding a new direct settlement network in Africa comprised of more than 31,000 health care professionals.

PERSPECTIVES: Ruben Toral
This month's PERSPECTIVES contribution from Ruben Toral is a bit different from others.

As Toral was recently elected president of the International Medical Travel Association (intlmta.org), we decided to devote this issue's PERSPECTIVE to learning more about his plans and vision for this important group.

Medical Travel Today (MTT): Give us a little background on the IMTA?
Ruben Toral (RT): The IMTA was launched in January of 2006 by Dr. Jason Yap, who was then director of Healthcare Services for the Singapore Tourism Board. It is the first international association for the medical travel industry, and its mission is to promote and protect the interests of medical travelers.

MTT: It looks like you have a strong support team to help you this year.
RT: I do. Our executive committee includes two very experienced hospital CEO’s – Mack Banner and Vishal Bali – and Dr. Jason Yap, who led Singapore Medicine for so many years. I think our board is indicative of the quality and professionalism of our organization, and many of them are people I have known and worked with for years.

MTT: What issues will be most important for you in the short and long termf?
RT: Short term, I want to strengthen and grow our membership base and consolidate focus around a couple of core issues that propel the industry forward. This month, we will conduct a survey of our members to ensure that our activities are aligned with member interests. My approach is to do one or two things well and use those achievements as a springboard for new programs and to expand our membership base.
Long term, I want to see the IMTA become THE platform and the voice for the medical travel industry representing providers, intermediaries that support medical travel and insurers.

MTT: Do you foresee greater involvement among hospitals, medical travel coordinators, and others in — the United States, Central/South America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, and beyond?
RT: Definitely. I’ve lived and worked in Latin America, have clients in the Middle East, and have traveled in Africa so I know the potential of these regions firsthand. I think the IMTA is perceived as an Asian-centric association, and that is understandable because Asia took the lead in developing and promoting medical tourism. But clearly Latin America, Brazil, Argentina, Central Europe, and the Middle East are formidable players, and we need to make sure they are part of our platform and that they have a voice.

MTT: What are the benefits to the above stakeholders for joining the IMTA?
RT: Simply put, the benefit is being part of a credible organization comprised of health care professionals who helped to create the industry and want to move it forward. I think the real value comes from networking, developing business relationships, and sharing best practices.

Medical travel is still a small and fragmented industry, and to gain credibility we need to speak with one voice and coalesce around a couple of key issues. For me, those are liability, quality standards, and continuity of care. Like any association, the output is equal to the input of its members, and if they feel that they have a voice and a vehicle to move the industry forward then that is pretty good reason to join, I think.

MTT: It sounds like you are moving the IMTA to be more of a provider-focused association. Is that a fair statement?
RT: The IMTA membership has always been focused on bringing together providers and medical travel facilitators, so there is no change there. My focus is to get providers and facilitators to converge around solutions that make it easier for patients, employers, insurers, and governments to say “yes” to medical travel. I think that 2009 is a watershed year for medical travel, because employers and insurers are more open to exploring new cost saving options. The IMTA has an important role to play in facilitating the connection between all stakeholders.

MTT: You mention wanting to grow membership. Who are you targeting and how will you achieve this?
RT: We want the IMTA to be the definitive industry voice, and to be that we need to bring more stakeholders under our umbrella. International providers are certainly a key target, because they are the foundation of the industry, in my opinion. On the other side of the spectrum, I also hope to attract insurers and employers, because their involvement will help the industry better understand the needs of the buyer. In the middle, there are facilitators, government agencies, and other industry groups that certainly add value.
Expanding our membership is actually quite easy. We can double it tomorrow if each member brings in one additional member that they think will strengthen our base and add value to the organization.

MTT: If there is one thing you hope to do this year while at the helm of the IMTA,
what is it?
RT: Currently the IMTA is run and managed by volunteers, like myself, who already have full-time jobs and then some. I would like to supplant the current volunteer structure with a paid staff run by an executive director. I think the association and industry would benefit immensely from this.

The following press release prompted our publisher and managing editor, Laura Carabello, to interview Arthur Seifert and Lorna Greenwood, the business leaders at U.S. Risk Underwriters. This may be a game-changer for U.S. employers that will encourage them to roll-out medical travel benefits.

Dallas, Texas (PressExposure) February 20, 2009 -- U.S. Risk Underwriters, a subsidiary of U.S. Risk Insurance Group, Inc. (www.usrisk.com), the fifth largest managing general agency in the nation, announced the launch of a new professional liability product for the medical tourism industry called MedTour Pro for Employers.

MedTour Pro for Employers is designed for companies that provide freedom of choice to their employees, including an option to obtain medical services outside of the United States. Coverage is for damages caused by any actual or alleged negligent act, error or omission by the insured while providing options for medical tourism services.

“We are the first to market with a product specifically designed for employers,” said Art Seifert, president of U.S. Risk Underwriters. “MedTour Pro for Employers enhances our suite of products designed specifically to cover the risks inherent in the dynamic new industry, predicted to generate $100 billion in revenue by 2012.”

Currently the only provider of Professional Liability for medical tourism facilitators and for employers, U.S. Risk is on the cutting edge in providing important coverage for this rapidly growing industry. Its travel and complications coverage for medical tourists is tough to beat.

MedTour Pro for Employers is written with an A.M. Best “A” rated carrier on a claims-made basis. Limits are offered up at $1M with a minimum premium of $5,000. Excess over the $1M limit is available.

Agents and brokers should contact Lorna Greenwood at 1-800-232-5830 or lornag@usrisk.com.

About U.S. Risk Underwriters, Inc.

About U.S. Risk Insurance Group
U. S. Risk Insurance Group, Inc. (http://www.usrisk.com) is a specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker headquartered in Dallas. Operating 11 domestic and international branches, it offers a broad range of products and services through its affiliate companies, which include U.S. Risk Underwriters, U.S. Risk Brokers, Lighthouse Underwriters, LLC, Boston Insurance Brokerage, Inc., Professional Claims Managers, Omnisure Consulting Group, NCG Professional Risks Ltd. (London), and NovaPro Risk Solutions, LP.

Laura Carabello for Medical Travel Today (MTT): Tell me how you got involved in the medical travel industry.

Arthur Seifert (AS): The kind of work we do involves keeping track of trends in the industry in general, always with an eye on the market to see if there are places where the insurance industry has not paid enough attention or where there needs to be some modification to some existing products that are more relevant to where certain trends are leading.

I’ve been tracking medical tourism out of my own interest and following general business publications and periodicals. As I looked at this industry, the thing that struck me was this: “If I was going to sponsor a medical travel program what would be my concerns?”

What if I went to India to have a hip shaved, and I came back to the United States and experienced medical complications? Until recently, a lot of doctors wouldn’t want to touch the work that somebody else did – especially outside the United States. The other issue is the money I thought I saved by going to India and having it done for $12,000 versus having it done for $4,500 here may get evaporated with the follow-up work that would be required in order to treat the medical complications.

So I thought it would make sense if I talked a carrier into medical complications coverage so if something were to happen, there would be recourse. MedTour takes the "what if" out of medical tourism.

That was the first approach, and the other had to do with providing coverage for medical facilitators. Right now, they are the primary model, although that may be shifting. Today, they need special liability coverage. In case a client was sent overseas to have work done and then had a bad experience -- and comes back and sues the medical facilitator – the facilitator needs to have some sort of protection that they can purchase. This was previously not available.

MTT: As I understand your product, you are making this coverage available to employers. This is the piece that was really missing.

AS: Anytime you get involved in a new industry, it tends to be an evolutionary process and as you get deeper into it, the industry model itself is shifting and evolving. We endeavor to be responsive to that as far as our products offering.

We saw the model going from facilitator-centric toward hospitals going directly to the public and also employers. Employers see it as a cost saving measure and are now offering it as an option --starting with self funded plans and eventually traditional medical insurance companies. We see it happening with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina and others. We needed to have a product that protected both the insurance company and the employer from a professional liability stand-point. Our offering is designed to make employers feel more comfortable as the sponsors, with additional coverage for their individual employees, as well.

MTT: Tell me more about the employer product -- because there have been medical travelers’ products around for some time. Is there a ceiling to the coverage?

Lorna Greenwood (LG): There is a ceiling; the basic policy is $1M per occurrence, but higher limits are available. And, this is specifically for the employer. Coverage up to $5M is also available, and if an employer needs higher limits, we can certainly go to the open market for it.

Employers and payers should be aware that with higher coverage, there may be a deterioration in the cost savings.

The coverage is designed to respond to employers’ needs whenever they are sued for any wrong doing that’s involved with administration of medical travel benefits, but it would exclude medical malpractice as far as medical malpractice for the operating physician or hospital.

AS: We recommend that they provide MedTour – Travel and Medical Complications coverage as well. Here’s the key: it’s a non-negligent trigger coverage, there just has to be the complication – it does not matter who or what was involved. This will alleviate anyone being forced to try and sue somebody overseas, which is very complicated and very expensive.

LG: With MedTour, the patient can just focus on his care and on getting well.

AS: The MedTour Product itself is the one that would cover the individual’s medical complications that might develop. The employer can purchase this themselves for the employee -- to protect them as a group. They would also want to buy the MedTour Professional Liability for Employers to protect them if something still went wrong and they were sued by an employee.

MTT: That’s the piece that’s been missing in the market place. I think you’re the first one to come up with a solution am I right?
AS: Yes, we believe that we are.

MTT: Would it apply to travel agents?
AS: Any travel facilitator can purchase MedTour. Travel agents probably already have travel insurance and this can complement the coverage.

MTT: I think the real key is the employer market. Have you had any interest yet?
AS: We are getting a great deal of interest through carriers and facilitators, but have not marketed directly to employers. We expect that there will be great interest going forward.

MTT: What’s your vision for the medical travel industry?
AS: I went to an industry meeting last fall. If 25 percent of the buzz could be converted into business, it will be phenomenal. How fast will can this catch on in the United States? The answer is that people who lost benefits but still need important medical work performed can go to India and have it done. The economy will drive growth.
The MedTour Suite includes important coverage - all from A- rated or better carriers:

MedTour Pro: Professional Liability for Medical Tourism Facilitators

MedTour Pro for Employers: Covers Medical Tourism Benefit Administration for Employers

MedTour: Travel insurance and Surgical Complications coverage, with affordability in mind

From 2006-present, Seifert has been president, US Risk Underwriters, Inc. (over 200 employees and 16 profit centers). He is chief underwriting officer and senior vice president, US Risk Insurance Group, as well as CEO, Lighthouse Underwriters.

Seifert’s professional designations include Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, CPCU, Certified Insurance Counselor, CIC, and Registered Professional Liability Underwriter, RPLU. From 1994-2006, he was founder, president and CEO of Lighthouse Underwriters, L.L.C., a nationally recognized specialty insurance program company. Lighthouse Underwriters, L.L.C. creates products for the insurance industry and for the members of national trade associations. Founded in 1994, Lighthouse Underwriters has grown from zero premium to just under 100 million with no outside capital.

From 1991-1994, he was on temporary assignment as president and CEO of Eagle Risk Management, where he built a specialty insurance practice for an existing independent agent. Her started two new programs and grew them to over $10M in premiums.

Seifert was founder and president of Seifert Chao & Co., a financial risk management company specializing in estate planning and business transfers. Held a series 7 and provided financial consulting to prominent Washington, DC clients. Prior to this, he was president and founder of Professional Insurance Purchase, PIP. PIP specialized in consulting to trade association concerning the formation of captives, Risk Retention Groups and traditional insurance programs.

He has also served as vice president of HMS, a large regional insurance brokerage, where as a retail broker, he built an $800,000 net revenue book in three years; and Reliance Insurance Company as a large account multi-line underwriter.

A 1979 graduate of Colgate University with a BA in philosophy, he serves on the Colgate Alumni Board of Directors, and was regional vice president from 1992-1996. Seifert is on the board of directors of the National Center for Nonprofit Law, and from 2004-2006 was president, Target Market Association.

About Lorna Greenwood
Lorna Greenwood, WCS, CRM, CIC, CISR, ACSR is program manager at U.S. Risk Underwriters, Inc. in Dallas, Texas with over 15 years in the insurance and risk management industry.

With over ten years experience in real estate portfolio management, she gained additional business insight and expertise as trustee and fiduciary in legal proceedings, solidly gaining property possession and clear title without benefit of counsel. Active in volunteering, she has served on the board of a local non-profit organization for the betterment of at risk girls and young women and is active in a variety of community service projects.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Aetna Expands Global Provider Network

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE) — As part of its commitment to build strong and secure partnerships with health care facilities around the world in order to promote access to quality care, the international division of Aetna (NYSE: AET), Aetna Global Benefits (AGB), today announced that it will establish a new direct settlement network in Africa comprised of more than 31,000 health care professionals. As a result of this arrangement, members on international assignment in Africa will reduce their out-of-pocket expenses at the point of care for eligible inpatient hospitalization and specialized outpatient procedures received at these facilities.

“We’re so pleased to be able to provide our more than 13,000 members living and working in Africa with additional provider and payment options,” said Martha Temple, president of Aetna Global Benefits. “Our direct settlement network will allow them easier access to quality care at thousands of hospitals, clinics, and physicians in the region by reducing their out-of-pocket costs at the point of care.”

AGB will work with South African-based Medical Service Organization to implement the new direct settlement network. Implementation will initially begin in South Africa, Kenya, and Angola, with plans to roll out to the rest of Africa by the end of 2009.

AGB’s direct settlement network currently includes approximately 2,000 health care professionals in over 110 countries. Members can also access care at health care professionals with similar arrangements through several AGB business partners, including HTH Worldwide, MD Abroad, and World Assist. Additionally, members always have the ability to pay up front for care received at any health care professional worldwide, and submit a claim to AGB for reimbursement. Under certain plans, members can also receive significant discounts when accessing care in the United States, provided the care received is from a doctor or hospital that participates in the Aetna PPO network, which currently includes more than 902,000 health care professionals.

The addition of the new direct settlement network in Africa is consistent with the organization’s continued commitment to total employee health and wellness. In 2007, AGB launched Aetna Global Health Connections, a suite of health and wellness programs designed to help members stay healthier while on assignment and meet their health goals. AGB will continue to identify opportunities to promote access to quality care and provide resources and programs to help members complete successful assignments.

About Aetna Global Benefits
Aetna Global Benefits, the international division of Aetna Inc., is a provider of comprehensive health benefits solutions and health management services for multinational employers, high-net-worth individuals and government entities. AGB's health benefits offerings include medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and emergency assistance for employees and high-net-worth individuals who live, work or travel internationally. With the acquisition of Goodhealth Worldwide, AGB is one of the industry's largest and most prominent U.S.-based international benefits providers, supporting approximately 400,000 members worldwide from offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.5 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their healthcare. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates. For more information, visit www.aetna.com.

Virgin Launches Stem-Cell Bank in Qatar

Doha-- March 8, 2009 — The benefits of stem cell therapies will soon be realized for the people of Qatar as Virgin Health Bank establishes a partnership with Qatar Science & Technology Park.

Qatar parents will be able to have their newborn babies’ stem cells collected, processed, and cryogenically stored. The stem cells are obtained from the blood remaining in the umbilical cord after birth and are already being used in treatments for 85 different medical conditions. Additionally stem cells are a major focus of medical research around the world, and this is expected to add to the number of therapies available.

The announcement was welcomed by Qatar’s health authorities and religious leaders.

“Stem cells have already proven useful for fighting leukemia and are one of the most promising areas for future medical developments,” says HE Ghalia Al Thani, M.D., Minister of Health. “The Ministry welcomes the Virgin blood bank because it increases the range of medical options available to Qatar’s population.”

Virgin Health Bank and Qatar’s medical authorities are exploring the use of the umbilical cord-blood stem cell bank as part of a national public-health program. Such a program would create the world’s first comprehensive source of stem cells for the indigenous Middle Eastern population and would for example, make it easier for clinicians to source a matched tissue typed stem cell unit when a transplant is needed.

Umbilical cord-blood stem cell transplants are increasingly being used in preference to bone marrow for conditions such as leukemia and thalassemia. Evidence shows that umbilical cord blood stem-cell transplants result in fewer complications, reduced occurrences of graft-versus-host syndrome, and importantly, they are more readily available.

Because Virgin Health Bank’s process collects stem cells from ordinary umbilical cords, ethical considerations related to other sources of stem cells are avoided. Its model has been deemed compliant with Shariah law by a Qatar-based Islamic scholar.

Virgin Health Bank, with the support of local institutes, expects to start storing cord-blood stem cell samples from Qatar within the next few months. The company, which was launched in the United Kingdom in 2007, will relocate its international headquarters to Qatar Science & Technology Park where it will build a state-of-the-art processing and cryogenic storage facility.

Hanan Al Kuwari, M.D., managing director of Hamad Medical Corporation, says “Our goal is to increase the range and quality of public-health services available in Qatar. Virgin Health Bank marks a large step in this direction and I welcome its arrival.”

David Macauley, chief executive officer of Virgin Health Bank, adds, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to use our skills and technology to help realize the current and future benefits of stem cell therapies for the people of Qatar and to be working in partnership with QSTP, the Qatar Foundation, and Qatar’s medical authorities to accomplish this.”

Tidu Maini, M.D., executive chairman of Qatar Science & Technology Park, states, "We are delighted that Virgin Health Bank is moving its global headquarters to Qatar. This is a significant decision, and a testament to Qatar's ability to accelerate the world's best medical science. The legacy of our partnership with Virgin will serve the health of Qatar's citizens for years to come.”

About Virgin Health Bank
Virgin Health Bank is a cord-blood stem cell collection and storage company through whose services clinicians can both maximize the benefits of allogeneic transplantation today and access the potential of regenerative medicine in the future.

Virgin Health Bank was originally a U.K.-based operation launched in February 2007, as a joint venture between Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Excalibur (formerly Merlin Biosciences), the private equity house of Professor Sir Christopher Evans OBE, one of Europe's leading biotechnology entrepreneurs. In partnership with Qatar Science & Technology Park it will leverage its scientific and operational knowledge, together with the global reach of the Virgin brand, to develop new, sustainable Middle Eastern and European markets. The company is uniquely positioned to efficiently exploit these market opportunities and establish a leading market position. www.virginhealthbank.com/qatar

Desirability of New Zealand as a Medical Tourist Destination Questioned

A recent article on DigitalJournal.com called into question the desirability of New Zealand as a medical tourism destination. In the story entitled "Medical Tourist Destinations May Not Be What They Promise," author Carol Forsloff cites the fact that New Zealanders suffering with cancer or anorexia nervosa are sent "across the ditch" to Australia for treatment. Based on this practice of patient export, the author suggests that the country's "advertising itself as a world-class center for medical care might not be entirely accurate."

To view the article by Carol Forsloff, click here: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/268774

The Power of “I’m Sorry”: Why Service Recovery Matters Deeply in Healthcare - and How to Help Your Employees Find the Right Words

Gulf Breeze, FL (March 2009)—You know your employees care deeply about their patients. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be working in healthcare in the first place. Yet, mistakes do happen. Conditions aren’t always ideal. Patients get upset. And no matter how sincerely a staff member wants to “make it right,” sometimes she just can’t find the words. And that, says Quint Studer, is where service recovery training comes in. You can teach your staff to handle complaints and field tough questions the right way—a way that doesn’t only solve the problem, but also builds goodwill, improves patient perception of care, and boosts profits.

“The way a single employee handles a single complaint—whether the problem is caused by her own mistake, someone else’s, or just the reality of 21st century healthcare determines how that patient feels about your hospital or practice,” explains Studer, CEO of outcomes firm Studer Group®. “When all employees learn to respond to that complaint in the right way, well, it can have a powerful impact organization-wide.

“We know there is a strong connection between a patient’s state of mind and her clinical outcome,” he adds. “When we say the right words to a distressed patient, we not only increase the likelihood that she’ll give us a high satisfaction score, we actually help her heal. And both factors are critical to an organization’s long-term prosperity.”

Here’s the thing: When most of us are blindsided by a complaint, we can’t come up with a good response on the spot. Perhaps we shut down, or get defensive, or toss out an automatic answer that the patient (mistakenly) perceives as arrogant or condescending or indifferent. The patient gets more upset, and the situation escalates.
That’s why Studer Group published “I’m Sorry to Hear That…”: Real-Life Responses to Patients’ 101 Most Common Complaints About Health Care (Fire Starter Publishing, 2008, ISBN: 978-0-9749986-5-7, $18.95), by Susan Keane Baker and Leslie Bank. The book is written for health care professionals in hospital, home care, and physician practice/outpatient settings. It helps leaders teach employees the right words for tough situations—apologies that defuse tension without assuming or casting blame.

Baker, who has helped scores of hospitals across the nation improve their patient responsiveness, and Bank, who has 40 years of experience in hospital customer service under her belt, have crafted more than 300 word-for-word scripts that soothe patients while offering hope of a remedy.

Baker and Bank say “I’m Sorry to Hear That…” is intended for use as a training tool for new staff members, as a refresher course for all leaders and employees, and as a guide for written apologies. It covers the most common complaints related to a variety of areas: access, environmental, service quality, quality of care, communication, and billing.

The idea is for an organization to standardize these responses across the board, so that all employees are singing from the same “service recovery” choir book—and so that all patients in all departments have the same positive experience.

“Teaching staff members how to say ‘I’m sorry,’ and say it in the right way, is not just a nice thing to do,” says Studer. “It’s a strategic business tactic that pays off in tangible ways. Such training helps employees do their jobs more effectively and gain more satisfaction from their work, which results in higher productivity and less turnover. And of course, it results in happier patients who feel genuinely respected and cared for.
“Words are more powerful than most people realize,” he adds. “An empathetic apology takes only a few seconds and costs nothing, yet it can completely change a patient’s perception of care. In hard economic times, especially, that’s no small matter.”

About the Book
“I’m Sorry to Hear That…”: Real-Life Responses to Patients’ 101 Most Common Complaints About Health Care (Fire Starter Publishing, 2008, ISBN: 978-0-9749986-5-7, $18.95) is available at bookstores nationwide, from major online booksellers, or directly from the publisher at www.firestarterpublishing.com. Copies also can be purchased online through the Studer Group website at www.studergroup.com.

MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT: Eyelid Lift

According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons over 231,000 blepharoplasties were performed in the United States in 2007. Also called a blepharoplasty, eyelid lifts are done to repair sagging or drooping upper eyelids.
While sagging or drooping of the eyelid occurs naturally with age, there are also diseases and conditions that can cause drooping. An eyelid lift is needed most often when excessive eyelid drooping interferes with vision.
Blepharoplasty can be performed on both the upper and lower lids.
In an upper lid procedure, a small incision is made in the upper lid and excess skin and fat are removed.

For the lower lid, fat is either removed or repositioned. Excess skin may also be removed to eliminate the puffiness, bags, and dark circles.

Eyelid Surgery is performed under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation. Depending on the number of eyelids getting done, surgery lasts between 2 to 4 hours. The procedure is most often performed in a surgeon's office or as outpatient surgery in a medical center.

Country	Cost
France	$5,296 - 2 eyelids
France	$7,051 - 4 eyelids
India	$1,668 - 4 eyelids
Turkey	$4,800

Source: MedSolution.com All prices are in U.S. dollars and include the cost of the procedure and minimum hospital stay. Estimates and minimum hospital stay will vary depending upon individual needs and requirements.

Is there a topic you'd like to see covered in our MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT? Please let us know. Send your thoughts to ahaar@cpronline.com

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau to Sponsor the 2009 World Medical Health Tourism Conference in Phuket

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is set to sponsor the World Medical Health Tourism Conference: A New Way Forward, which will be held in Phuket, Thailand, September 2009.

TCEB’s participation and sponsorship in this internationally diverse networking event will aim to promote Thailand on an international scale as a medical tourism destination and a preferred venue for international meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition (MICE) events.

The whole of Phuket Island is getting behind the conference, which will cater to more than 1,200 delegates. Local supporters range from local community groups, tourism operators, and many of the major hoteliers and resort owners, namely Woraburi Phuket Resort, Millennium Resort Patong, The Moevenpick Resort, Karon Beach Resort of Kata Group, Aquamarine Resort, Cape Panwa Hotel, and Andaman Seaview Hotel group.

Phuket, dubbed as the medical tourism hub in Asia, is the ideal location to hold the conference because of its infrastructure, capacity to host a massive number of international guests, and the availability of cutting-edge technology and internationally trained medical experts manning their world-class medical facilities.

Sometime within the next month the floor plan or layout for exhibitors at the venue, Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa, will be published online and application forms will be available for the exhibitors to download from the Web site. Many pre-conference and post-conference activities have been planned for the conference, which early estimates expect to bring a windfall to Phuket of about $10 million over the two-week period. Interested parties are advised to visit the conference website: www.sosmedicaltourism.com for more information.

Alternatively, for more information call + (66)76-289-800, to request a printable registration brochure by email sosmedical@sosmedicaltourism.com or sosmedical@ymail.com

Date Set for Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress in Dubai: October 27-29, 2009

With the healthcare travel industry poised to play an important part in Dubai's growth strategy, the Institute for International Research (IIR) Middle East, the organizers of the first medical tourism conference in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which concluded in Dubai, recently have reported high levels of interest from a potentially huge international market.

"Research unveiled at the event indicated a global market of around two million medical travelers a year and an industry constrained by hospital capacity and lack of consumer familiarity with medical travel," says Sietske Meerloo, marketing manager at IIR Middle East and organizer of Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress.
IIR Middle East is also the organizer of the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress, the region's premier event for Middle East healthcare that takes place in Dubai 27-29, October, 2009.

“Large numbers of hospitals and clinics around the world are attempting to tailor their health services to cater to medical tourists," Meerloo added. "Several major insurance companies offer a travel component in their policies, and governments are looking closely at policies to take account of the trend."

The health care event was officially opened by Haidar Al Yousuf, M.D., transition director at the Dubai Health Authority, who highlighted the importance the Authority is placing on the future of medical tourism.

"As we look to develop our domestic health strategy, we also want to develop a joint strategy with our colleagues in the Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM), for the future of health tourism in Dubai," says Dr. Al Yousuf. "The health care sector in Dubai will become an increasingly attractive place for international health care investors, providers, services, facilities, and other health care professionals."

PlanetHospital, a California-based leader in medical tourism, used the event as a platform to announce the official opening of its Jeddah Saudi Arabia office to serve inbound and outbound medical tourists from the Arabian Gulf region.

"The Gulf has the potential to drive growth in medical tourism," says Mohammed Alarifi, managing director for the new operation. "It is not only a destination from where patients seek medical care abroad but is also becoming a medical tourism destination itself thanks to major hospital developments throughout the region."

The American Hospital Dubai also had high visibility at the event. There was "a lot of exchange of experience among colleagues from around the world," says Naser Saleh, director of marketing and sales. “On the conference side, the sessions were very informative."

Gary Miller, CEO of Health Travel TV, says the event had been important for them. "We have a unique product, and we’re the only broadcast media here dedicated to this area. I’m coming back to Arab Health in January."

Organized in association with the International Medical Travel Association, the Healthcare Travel Exhibition and Congress was supported by the UAE Ministry of Health and the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi. Platinum sponsors were Singapore Medicine. Gold sponsors were the American Hospital Dubai and Dubai Health Authority.
For details about Arab Health events, please visit: www.arabhealthonline.com