THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 4, Issue 19

by Amanda Haar, Editor

Greetings,

What does the benefits industry think of medical travel?  We're pleased to feature an exclusive interview with Fred Hunt of the Society of Professional Benefits Administrators (SPBA; www.spbatpa.org) who sheds some light on how the organizations’ members currently perceive medical travel and what the opportunity truly is. We also have reader input from Josef Woodman who contributed his thoughts on  both the NDM-1 issue and his recent attendance to the Brazil Medical Travel Meeting. And speaking of meetings, we have a cautionary tale from Maria Todd regarding the potential risks of participating in a medical travel conference.

As always, we welcome your comments, story ideas, and press releases.

Cheers,

Amanda Haar, Editor
ahaar@cpronline.com

READERS WRITE

Editor's Note: Josef Woodman, CEO of Healthy Travel Media, publishers of Patients Beyond Borders, recently sent in his thoughts on how hospitals, facilitators, and consumers should respond to the NDM-1 issue.

"NDM-1 is just the tip of the iceberg.  From a medical tourism perspective, NDM-1 is a perfect example of why all hospitals must aggressively publish infection rates for the top bugs and superbugs (MRSA, etc.), so that patients and the industry at large can begin to distinguish hospitals allocating time and resources to control hospital-borne infection rates from those that don’t. Medical Travel facilitators must seek such information from hospitals in their networks, and inform prospective patients of the risks.

As for consumers seeking to evaluate a prospective facility in terms of safety, it's very difficult without published information. Right now all the industry has is the assurances that accredited hospitals generally have lower rates of infections.  One strategy for consumers considering medical travel is to narrow the list of desired destinations, then as part of the vetting process, request that the chosen hospitals provide data on infection rates.  If they’re not willing to furnish such data, the consumer may wish to move on to a hospital that will.

READERS WRITE ON OTHER FORUMS

Editor's Note: A recent posting by Maria Todd of Mercury Healthcare on the Medical Tourism & Travelers Group of LinkedIn caught my attention. As the post notes, a number of speakers, vendors, and attendees to the 2009 Consumer Health World Health Care Globalization Summit at the DoubleTree Miami Mart Airport Hotel have been contacted by the hotel for payment of monies that were to be paid by the host organization MedicaTree. According to Ms. Todd, the hotel is attempting to misuse an authorization to charge incidentals to a credit card and an indemnification on room charges to transfer a balance of the conference organizer on an entirely different contractual matter.

The incident highlights the need for speakers, both professional and from industry alike, to have a signed engagement agreement stating that travel expenses are to be paid directly to the travel vendor by the seminar sponsor. Expenses for room, tax, and incidentals should be arranged with the hotel as "Direct Bill All Charges," not just room and tax, so that speakers are not required to sign a backup indemnification in order to receive keys to the room. If a request is made, individuals may rightfully decline to sign.

As Ms. Todd noted in a separate exchange, "It's the only way not to have to give a credit card at the time of registration. I have presented more than 2,600 live seminars, breakout sessions, panel discussions, and the like since 1989. I failed to do that on this one occasion. Never again!  Any upstanding seminar sponsor with genuine intentions to pay should have no problem with a DBAC arrangement. One who does not should cause antennae to rise sharply."

SPOTLIGHT: Fred Hunt, Society of Professional Benefit Administrators

Fred Hunt, President Society of Professional Benefit Administrators

Editor's Note: Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (SPBA) is the national association of Third Party Administration (TPA) firms that provide comprehensive ongoing administrative services to client employee benefit plans. SPBA also has a Stop-Loss Service Partner category for carriers, MGUs, and re-insurers of self-funded health plans.

SPBA is a unique community offering an ongoing exchange of business strategies, government compliance insights, as well as political and industry trends impacting employee benefits. By focusing on the real-world effects of government rules, SPBA has become a leading voice for employee benefits and a major behind-the-scenes sounding board for government policymakers.
SBPA president Fred Hunt has a unique and clear perspective on how Washington D.C. works...and especially the role and future of health care and its payment now and in the future.  He is a 9th generation Washingtonian from a family of behind-the-scenes insiders so he knows the ways of Washington.  He has also been deeply involved in the health and employee benefits issues for a third of a century. 

"Since there isn't much new under the sun, longevity is a great advantage for accurate forecasting," he says.

Fred also has a unique occupational vantage point.  Since 1980, he has been president of the Society of Professional Benefit Administrators, the national association of independent Third Party Administration (TPA) firms. 

"These firms manage the benefits of 52 to 55 percent of non-Federal U.S. workers in every size and format of employment, every industry, and in every geographic region," says Hunt.  “Thus, we have the tremendous advantage in that White House, Congressional, and agency policy-shapers often brainstorm with us to see how their ideas would work in the real world. Since TPAs are independent, much like CPAs, we have credibility, and we work hard to preserve that and to also always be totally honest and candid." 

For example, The White House once planned to create three sounding-board committees:  one for union plans, one for corporate plans, and one for association-sponsored plans.  Fred Hunt turned up as chief spokesman in all three groups, so the taxpayers saved money, and the sounding boards were shrunk to just Fred. 

Because of his broad perspective, Fred is often selected to represent the entire employer, business, and insurance community on committees and in hearings.  Fred is also sometimes selected by the U.S. Government to brief visiting dignitaries on how the U.S. health system works, and the many confusing roles of government in our system; fourteen major countries have sent official delegations to meet with Fred to advise them on the U.S. system as a way to save their governmental health systems.  Fred has been selected for Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Finance & Industry, Who's Who in the East, and Who's Who in the World.

Previously, Fred worked with the American Academy of Actuaries, the National Association of Life Underwriters, and a housing association.  Before that, he served two years as a coordinator of ceremonies and media activities with the White House, and for the Army, working directly with the President and visiting foreign dignitaries.

Fred received his early schooling around the world as the son of a U.S. diplomat.  He can literally say that his first school had a dirt floor and no windows.  He later attended schools in the Washington D.C. area and graduated in 1970 from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.

 Fred's style is very energetic and inclusive.  He likes to interact with audience and readers, not lecture.  "It's the only way the people can relate their situation and background to the new information,” says Hunt.  “I want them to be able to use the insights later to make informed judgments."

 This style has proven effective -- "It makes a potentially deadly-dull topic fun,"  says Hunt.


Medical Travel Today (MTT):  Give me a thumbnail about your organization and its growth.

Fred Hunt (FH):  There are third party administrators and firms that are hired by client employee benefit plans and employers of every size and format, which puts us in a unique situation.  I feel funny saying this, but while we’re a small operation, we are the largest — meaning that about 52 to 55 percent of U.S. workers with coverage are with plans administered by our members. 

What is unique is that TPAs are in an advisory position with every kind of self-funded plan, including union, non-union, big and small employers, government entities, and even some native tribes and some new things such as prison systems.   We have received a few calls from the local hospitals, and they call TPAs and say, “Hey, it’s not a plan obviously, but can you help us manage the medical costs and all?” The role that we play is that we try to stay under the radar in terms of remaining non-political, non- partisan.  We are a type of resource for the government, and we have a very close relationship.  They will often call upon us and say, “Here is the direction we are thinking about going in…what would happen if…” What would work for a single employer plan might work for a government plan.   That’s what we do. 

As far as the future of TPAs, I think our demise has been predicted every year for the past 30 years. I have been here and it hasn’t happened. The reason is that we’re in the red tape business, and as long as there is red tape —  and we know that there will always be red tape -- our business will flourish.  Also, the real key to the TPA business is personalization, and that kicks in on the travel issue, as well.  People often approach me with ideas that make absolutely perfect business sense, and yet they flop.  The reason is that human nature issues -- not business concerns – come into play.   But, because our members are very sensitive to their plans and their needs, and our clients are very attentive to what their workers want, we sometimes end up being the messenger of bad news.

 I often describe our office as the fire department.  It will often seem slow and then all of a sudden all hell breaks loose. We get about 2,000 or more calls from members and people a year, a month, and every week. 

MTT:  What is your knowledge of the medical travel market place, and how do you see it positioned in 2010 and beyond?
FH:   I see medical travel as one of several different kinds of things — old and new — which are available and make perfect, logical sense.  But then they have to face the challenge of the human nature test.

 I’m often reminded of centers of excellence.  About 20 years ago, you could go to the center of excellence for the best service in the country for less money, and employers were willing to pay for you to go.  I remember doing this for a group of businesses, and there was this elderly senior woman who said, “ I can’t leave my grandbabies!”  This became the problem:  People would say, “No! No! I’m going to a county hospital rather than the best clinic because I don’t want to be far from people in the family.” 

I repeated this to some of my organization members, and they said they had the same anecdotes.  One woman had remarked, “My husband wouldn’t know what to do if he couldn’t come to ask me where the things in the kitchen were located.”

As a result, the centers of excellence thing kind of fizzled. Being a long-term skeptic, that is my concern.  What really makes perfect business sense may not meet the needs of the lady who says, “I’m not leaving my grandbabies.”

Then there was a major push by overseas firms.   I think I got 153 proposals from groups in India, all anxious to do the TPA work much cheaper.  It absolutely bombed -- I don’t think anyone showed interest.  The reason was because on the TPA side, they like to keep things close at hand and because of the need for compliance, it doesn’t take long for something to fall through the cracks.  On things like stop loss, for example, there’s so much now that is built into the system and so many other parties you have to keep happy. 
I have watched the overseas medical providers.  They bend over backwards to try to accommodate the wants and wishes of patients and their vacations.  And their facilities are top notch -- you’re not going to some jungle hut.   I think that they have certainly done their share. Some have also made the outreach to designate facilities in the U.S. for follow-up care.  So I think that the effort has been done above and beyond the call of duty. 

But is that enough to get you away from your grandbabies? Also, I think employers are a little shy to promote anything that’s out of the norm. It goes back to the early PPOs. I know that when they first came out, the lawyers were going nuts.  They were saying, “NO, NO, NO! Don’t do that! People will sue for millions of dollars and claim they wouldn’t have gone to that quack if you didn’t make them.”  As a result, the employers tended to be sensitive.

I think one of the things that is interesting is that employers -- from those covering 100 lives to those with 3,000 or 4,000 employees -- may not know everyone’s name, but they do know their space or have seen them in the parking lot. There is a sense of paternalism, in a nice sense, and we have often found that employers will say, “WOW! That’s great.  It would save me money, but I’m not sure if my employees are ready for it.”

It’s like Health Savings Accounts (HSA).  Employers think they are great and would love to have it for themselves.   But they are not sure if their employees are ready for it or that they have the money-management skills to handle an HSA.  There is a sense of protectiveness on the part of employer, and a lot of psychology on the end of the consumer that needs to be overcome.

MTT:  Do you think that with health care reform and the economic pressures on employers that they may be changing their tune a little bit with regards to medical travel?

FH:  I think that this is a lob in the air.  There’s nothing jumping out telling me that it’s going to change on the medical travel issue. The key thing is going to be the impact of reform on compromising access to care and the restricted availability of doctors and providers of medical services.  I think that’s going to be the driver. 

It’s going to be something like:   “I have friends in Canada.  He was injured this winter and his wife finally got an appointment for an MRI in JULY!!”

What I think is going to happen with employers is this:  There’s going to be less of an issue over cost and micro managing the coverage.  I don’t mean to downplay the issue of cost.  But it’s comparable to losing the use of an important piece of machinery and needing to get it back online as soon as possible.  So if it means getting an injured or sick worker on a plane to Singapore — and getting the surgery done in a week vs. waiting a long time to have it done — I think that this rapid access to care could change things.  I think that could to be the new dynamic.

MTT:  With physician shortages looming, which destinations outside the U.S. are most likely to succeed?

FH:   I think in terms of psychological advantages.  The shortest airplane flight and the best perception of cleanliness are primary.  Right now with all the issues in Thailand -- and I don’t make any pretenses of really understanding the politics, if somebody said, “I can give you a great deal in Thailand,” I would be hesitant.

In speaking to people about medical travel, I’ve learned that some of the most sophisticated medical facilities are in places that the average American thinks are dirty, dusty scenes.   Clearly, marketing needs to be done with respect to those places where there are issues.  I don’t know the exact focus of the message, but those who are in the business should understand the problems and address potential concerns. 

MTT:  Do you think people will go to places like South Korea or Brazil?

FH:  I don’t know.  I mean I think once something catches on, people will go no matter what.  For instance, there are a couple of great restaurants in a part of town where you wouldn’t normally go.  You hear you MUST go, and all of a sudden it’s got standing room only. 

You know its funny because I’m old enough to remember that if you had asked the average American housewife in the 1950s, 1960’s, or 1970s, “Do you want to drive an SUV?” -- the answer would be NO!  They would say, “You’re crazy.” 
The point is that perceptions can be changed. 

MTT:  What about those who don’t have insurance?

FH:   If they are savvy -- then yes.  One of the things that I discovered —  and it’s sad —is that most people  who don’t have coverage shift their attention to getting the job  for free.   For whatever reason, they feel that someone should take care of them and say, “You mean I have to pay for it?” 

One of the things is that the younger population will get on a plane and go anywhere anytime to take advantage of a less expensive option.   They are more attuned to this, I think.

MTT:  Would people who are sick and need care be willing to wait?

FH:  What I think is that if I am in one of the exchanges, I don’t want to wait and I am willing to leave the country for care. I’d also want to know if the exchange would pay for it? I’m willing to go to Brazil or somewhere else, and I think the government will go for it — for whatever reasons.

MTT:  If you had to give any advice to your constituents and TPAs, what  would you tell them about medical travel?

FH:  I would say to do the educated thing:  Preempt the human psychology part because that’s the biggest issue.  That would be the same advice to the centers of excellence and all the other programs; You have to make it so it’s not punitive – medical travel is a good thing.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Infertility Medical Tourism on the Rise in Europe

There is good news in the medical travel industry. A recent article in Human Reproduction, “Cross border reproductive care in six European countries,” showed that inbound infertility tourism to six European countries - Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland -- came from 49 different countries. Fortunately for providers of infertility treatments abroad, this bucks the overall trend that has seen medical tourism slowing in response to global recession.

Many patients travel for infertility treatment to evade restrictive legislation in their own countries. For Europeans and Americans looking for low-cost, high quality infertility treatment Spain, in particular, offers excellent options for these reasons:

• There are no age restrictions for in vitro fertilization (IVF)
• Every woman is allowed to receive IVF, independently of their legal status or sexual orientation
• Egg and semen donors are available. (The donor, if it is not conjugal, remains anonymous.)
• Same-sex marriages are legally accepted
• Partners can serve as donors, which is important for women, in particular, who are facing chemotherapy or postponing childbirth.

In general, Spain offers the best infertility treatment technology in Europe, according to one study, as well as highly restrictive confidentiality rules. Additionally, the prices in Spain tend to be lower due to high physician competency, especially in Barcelona and Madrid. 

Take a look at these cost comparisons (Chart 1):

Chart 1

Infertility Treatment In Spain Made Easy
Representatives from Sphera, a multi-national company that works with medical travel facilitators in the U.S. and abroad through a network of health care facilities in  Brazil and Spain, provide access to various infertility treatments, including:

• High quality IVF treatment for women, single women, and couples with rates of about 70 percent of success per cycle
• Andrology – analysis of individual male fertility
• State-of-the-art technology like IMSI, which increases fertility success rates
• Fertility Preservation – to preserve female and male sperm and egg donation for a variety of reasons, including health problems, vasectomy, and postponement of birth.
• Lesbian couples – One partner donates eggs to the other woman. An anonymous semen donor fertilizes the eggs, which are implanted so that genetically and physically both female partners feel more integrated and linked to the baby.
• Artificial insemination from a conjugal or anonymous donor.

Because of its fertility laws, fertility clinics in Spain -- and with facilitation support from Sphera Internacional -- can provide services for homosexual men, as well. This requires an egg donor and a semen donation from one of the male partners. From there, the fertilised egg must be relocated to a country where a surrogate mother is allowed to have the egg implanted in her womb – a process that is not currently permitted in Spain. Sphera’s health care facilities have relationships with fertility clinics in India and the Ukraine, where surrogacy is legal.

Additionally, in Spain couples are not allowed to choose the sex of the baby through genetic modification unless it is for a medical reason. Sphera works with clinics in Spain that have a relationship with other clinics in countries where this process is legal. This means that patients would be able to monitorize the treatment from the clinic in Spain and then move to the partner country.

Getting started

Sphera representatives suggest steps for getting in touch with a fertility clinic in Spain and learning more. One option: Travel to Barcelona for a consult and to undergo a variety of fertility tests. Depending on the treatment, expect medicines to be prescribed and more analysis. After one to two months, depending, expect to spend about one week in Barcelona for completion of the fertilization process.

A second option for those on a budget involves a videoconference – using Skype or another method – for the initial consult.

Advantages of travel to Barcelona for infertility treatment include:

• Non-restrictive legal requirements
• High-quality egg and semen donors, without problematic negotiations
• Care givers accustomed to accommodating medical travellers
• A culture that is more familiar to Americans than that of countries like India or Russia
• Excellent weather all year long
• Easier to reach by air than Eastern countries

The advantages of going to a clinic in Spain and relying on a facilitator such as Sphera are numerous. In general, Sphera provides the fertility consulting, administrative services, and medical travel guidance. They also provide access to top-notch medical facilities -- many of which are accredited by the Joint Commission International.

Operation vacation: More insurers are covering medical procedures abroad

NYDailyNews.com — Some patients aren’t recuperating from surgery in a drab hospital room. They’re staying abroad in a free hotel with a complimentary concierge, sightseeing, and a car service thrown in, too.
Company health insurance plans are featuring a medical travel option more often than ever before, so many individuals are traveling internationally for their operation, according to CNN Money.com.
It actually saves money for the insurance company as well.

To read more click here.

Sea, Sun, and Scalpels: Brazil's Bid to Be the Four Seasons of Medical Tourism

Fast Company, by Greg LindsayTue Aug 31, 2010 -- Brazil, which has seen the number of foreign patients rise from 48,000 in 2005 to 180,000 last year -- and is growing at a 30 percent clip year-over-year -- is poised to draw still more from its neighbors and the U.S. thanks to shorter flights and a bump from futebol.

To read more click here.

World Renowned Gender Reassignment and Plastic Surgeon Pierre Brassard, M.D., Joins Satori World Medical’s Network of Providers

San Diego, CA, August 30, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Satori World Medical, the leader in medical travel, adds world-renowned gender reassignment and plastic surgeon Pierre Brassard, M.D., to its prestigious network.

Canadian surgeon Brassard brings nearly three decades of experience in plastic surgery and performs more than 200 gender reassignment procedures each year. Known as one of the world’s leading physicians in the field of gender reassignment procedures, Brassard joins Satori World Medical’s physician network to give greater access to patients across the globe.

“At Satori, one of our pillars of excellence is to align ourselves with only the best of the best in health care,” said Steven Lash, president and CEO, Satori World Medical. “Dr. Brassard is widely known as one of the top physicians in his field, and we are delighted that he has joined our network. All of our physicians are U.S./U.K. or equivalently board certified and trained, and are experts in their field.”

Lash added that Brassard’s credentials speak for themselves; he is one of the leaders in his field.

Brassard obtained his medical degree with honors, finishing first in his class in 1985 from the University of Laval. In 1989, he completed his residency in plastic surgery at the University of Montreal and went on to do his fellowship in microsurgery at Maisonneuve-Rosemont and at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

Prior to dedicating his medical practice to a purely private one, Brassard was an attending doctor at l’Hotel Dieu de Quebec where he held a position as professor, at l’Hotel Dieu de Levis and at l’Hotel Dieu de St-Jerome as chief of staff. He is presently director of the Metropolitan Center of Plastic Surgery.

“Patients come to us from all over the world for procedures because of the quality of the results, the unmatched pre-op and post-op care that makes our center unique, the ability to acquire and master the after-care before they go home, and the warm relationships we build with them,” said Brassard. “I am committed to upholding the highest quality of medical care in the world, which is why I have joined Satori’s network of physicians. Our principles in excellence in health care are perfectly aligned.”

Satori World Medical provides access to its global network of board-certified doctors and worldwide centers of excellence through a high-quality integrated program, which is easily added to any health plan, reducing the costs of surgical procedures by an average of 40-80 percent when compared to the same procedures performed in a U.S. hospital. Its business model is specifically designed to deliver high-quality health care services, share the tremendous cost savings with plan sponsors and their employees and to coordinate all medical and travel services for individuals who need care. For more information about Satori World Medical, call +1 (619) 704-2000 or visit at http://www.satoriworldmedical.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Asian Countries Unite for Medical Tourism in IMWell Summit
With the Philippines spearheading the initiative for Asia to be a regional hub for health, wellness, and retirement, representatives of different Asian countries including India, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore are set to gather in the International Summit on Medical Travel, Wellness and Retirement (IMWell Summit) on October 12-15, 2010, at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel to discuss the most important issues in global health care.

A convergence of health care, hospitality, and travel industry leaders, the IMWell Summit is envisioned to be a forum for different countries to hold multilateral dialogues and discuss how they can cooperate for the region to further develop medical and wellness tourism.

“Without question, medical travel has significantly transformed the face of global health care,” says Undersecretary Cynthia Carrion, who heads the Department of Tourism’s Office for Sports and Wellness. “The pool of patients around the world seeking medical treatment abroad has grown, with increasing cost efficiency and adoption of advanced medical technology overseas. This presents a huge opportunity for us, and it is only fitting that the Philippines is hosting the IMWell Summit, as we have already proven our country to be an emerging powerhouse as a health and wellness destination.”

According to the Department of Tourism, the number of overseas patients and clients visiting the Philippines has rapidly increased from 60,000 foreign patients in 2007 to about 100,000 foreign patients in 2008 and gross revenues estimated to be at US$350mn since the program was launched in 2006. In light of this booming phenomenon, the Department of Tourism expects the Philippines to corner a total of US$3bn of the global medical tourism industry by 2015, with 200,000 foreign patients arriving annually.

“The IMWell Summit demonstrates that the Philippines is at the forefront of this ‘sunrise’ industry, which has been a key driver in our economic growth. As a pioneering initiative in the whole region, it also establishes our pro-active stance in cooperating with our neighboring countries and making them partners in medical tourism,” says Joyce Alumno, Conference director.

The four-day event features a full agenda that includes plenary sessions on Industry Perspectives, Opportunities and Risks; Regional Presentation of Best Practices; Global Opportunities in the Retirement Industry; Marketing and Branding for Global Markets; Quality Management and the Continuity of Care; and the Future of Medical Tourism and Healthcare Travel Industry.

The IMWell Summit also includes Executive Workshops about Balanced Score Card in Healthcare Organization and Effective Leadership Styles in Healthcare Organization. Four break-out conference tracks will be presented: Quality in Healthcare, Marketing, Investment and Capacity Building, and Retirement, giving an in-depth look at each specific aspect of medical and wellness tourism.

“We have ensured that the program of the IMWell Summit is comprehensive and at the same time attuned to the needs and gaps in information of this growing field,” states Sanjiv Malik, M.D., a renowned international guru in medical tourism, who sits as the Conference Honorary chairman. “By gathering the region’s leading policy makers, decision makers, and solution providers, we aim to redefine, redesign, and refine health care delivery around the world. ”

The Advisory Board and Speakers of the IMWell Summit include prominent leaders in their fields of expertise, including David Vequist, M.D., of the Center for Medical Tourism Research (USA), Dato Jacob Thomas of the Association of Private Hospitals in Malaysia, Nipit Piravej, M.D., of Bangkok Chain Hospital (Thailand), Ares Leung, M.D., of Union Hospital (Hong Kong), Sam Bernal, M.D., of Cedar Sinai and The Medical City (USA and Philippines), Samie Lim of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Girdhar J. Gyani, M.D., of the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (India), Jeff Staples, M.D., of Parkwayhealth (China), Tony Gibson of the Australian Human Resource Institute, Henry Schumacher of the European Chamber of Commerce, and others.

“Aside from our powerhouse line-up of speakers and advisors, what makes the IMWell Summit truly exceptional is the fact that it’s a pioneering event in regional cooperation," adds Alumno. "It is the first of its kind to present the global state of health care, explore current and future opportunities in medical tourism, and map out a strategy for the growth of the entire industry.”

The IMWell Summit is produced and organized by HIM Communications, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism as Host, and supported by the Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry, Retirement and Healthcare Coalition, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Spa Association of the Philippines, with HealthCORE and Asian Academy for Healthcare Executives as Knowledge Partners.

For more information about the event, please visit www.IMWellSummit.com, or call (63 2) 910.8030 or 468.9999, or email info@himcommunications.com

mHealth World Congress 2010 to Focus on Strategies for Mobile Health Standardization & Integration

October 18 – 19, 2010 — Concorde Hotel, Singapore

mHealth World Congress 2010 will be host to many high level professionals and executives coming from mobile network operators, health care providers for both private and public health care, departments of health, NGOs, telecom and health care regulators and authorities, medical technology and information providers, handset and device manufacturers, medical gadgets and new medical technology solution providers, open source platform developers and health care researchers and informatics developers.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES have emerged in this new disruptive health care revolution!
m-Health is now fast becoming the future face of health care delivery management systems, and will significantly re-engineer the health care delivery system worldwide on the personal, collective, and system levels.

At mHealth World Congress 2010, you will have the opportunity to hear the pioneers in mHealth present their experiences and opportunities. The event will critically examine the pressing issues of standardization and integration in the largely fragmented mhealth projects around the globe and what needs to be done in order to secure industry commitment and achieve progress to more standardization and integration.

MEET the new players, pioneers and global leaders in health care and mobile operators in the emerging sector of “m-Health Service Providers.”

Key issues demonstrated in CASE STUDIES and new KEY INSIGHTS will be presented by the pioneers in the emerging field:

    * mHealth opportunities and key applications which are of greatest value to the various stakeholders in the ecosystem
    * Strategic visioning for m-Health and aligning it to health care priorities
    * How can operators’ monetise health care services?
    * Approaches to mobile health business and payment models
    * Key motivations and challenges of stakeholders in the m-health value chain
    * Partnerships in mHealth
    * M-health and disease management, emergency response, and data collection
    * M-Health in emerging markets
    * Framework for accessing mHealth outcomes
    * Strategies and approaches for mHealth standardization and integration
    * How should mHealth be regulated?
    * Regulating m-health care technologies

To register, click here.

Medical Tourism Expo-2010 Set for Mumbai December 2-4, 2010

International Wellness and Healthcare Travel Association (IWHTA) is pleased to announce 'Medical Tourism Expo-2010' - the largest and most comprehensive medical tourism expo in Asia. This exhibition and conference along with many networking events and Hospital FAM tour opportunities is set to be organized at Nehru Center in Mumbai, India, December 2­4, 2010.  

Events include:

December 2: Hospital FAM tour in Mumbai

December 3: Conference, Workshop, Networking events

December 4:  Conference, Workshop, Networking events and Awards Ceremony.

Top Indian government officials and health care providers from various states will also participate and discuss with buyers and experts about developing a medical tourism destination. Post MTE 2010 India will experience new dynamics for its health care and medical tourism industry.

For more information visit: http://www.mte2010.com 

Destination Health Set to Return to London Olympia April 15-16, 2011

As Europe's largest buyers of medical tourism services, demand from U.K. patients who are planning to travel abroad for treatment is growing every year. The show is expected to attract thousands of people from all walks of life who are actively planning to travel abroad for treatment. In addition, visitors will also include health and medical professionals who are looking to establish business partnerships with health care providers from around the world.
Patients visiting Destination Health are interested in the following treatments:
Dental Treatments
Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery
IVF & Infertility Treatments
Medical Spa & Wellness
Elective Surgery
Orthopedic
Bariatric Surgery
Cancel Treatment
Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation
Eye Surgery
Heart Surgery
Ayurveda Treatments

Exhibiting at Destination Health provides you with direct access to thousands of potential patients who are looking to travel abroad for various types of medical treatments - allowing you to promote your services to people who are eager and willing to spend money on their needs.
Complete the online Exhibitor Enquiry Form or contact:
Nav Mann
Event Director, Destination Health
Tel: + 44 (0)208 230 0066
Fax: + 44 (0)208 230 0067
E: navmann@destinationhealth.co.uk
W: www.destinationhealth.co.uk

OBSERVED AND OVERHEARD: Medical Travel Meeting Brazil

Editor's Note: The Medical Travel Meeting took place August 25 – 28 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Among the presenters and attendees were Joe Carabello, president and CEO of CPR Communications, and Josef Woodman, president of Healthy Travel Media.

Both Joes were kind enough to provide us with some observations from the perspective of both presenter at the podium and an attendee in the aisles. Their comments follow below:

Notes From the Podium, Joseph Carabello

Being the last speaker on the last day of any conference is always a challenge. Most of the time the speaker finds him or herself speaking to a mostly empty room, as most attendees have already headed for the airport.

However, this was not the case at the Medical Travel Meeting Brazil held on August 25-28, 2010. Aside from those attendees venturing off on hospital site visits, the room was filled with an enthusiastic and attentive audience keen to learn what they could about luring medical travelers to Brazilian hospitals.

On a day when marketing was the focus, the session on public relations was an opportunity to round out earlier talks regarding branding and promotions. So little is known about Brazil by U.S. travelers. When asked what they think of regarding Brazil, most North Americans respond with Rio, World Cup, and the Olympics. When asked what they think of regarding Brazilian health care, most will say “plastic surgery.”

These are stereotypes that must be overcome by Brazilian hospitals and tourism authorities if they are to become real players in the medical travel space and attract U.S. patients for major surgeries. Branding Brazil as a medical destination is the first order of business and will require an investment by the hospitals, the department of health and the department of tourism working together to showcase what Brazil has to offer the medical traveler.

From the nods, smiles and knowing looks given around the room following a branding exercise built around the 1965 song of the year, “The Girl From Ipanema,” I believe this audience gets it. Getting all interested parties on board will be the challenge.


From the Aisle, Josef Woodman

The conference was well-attended, with the likes of top insurers Ori Karev (United Healthcare); hospital administrators Curtis Schroeder (Bumrungrad International); top level health care marketing and branding consultant Ruben Toral (MedNetAsia), medical travel facilitators David Boucher (Companion Global Healthcare), as well as a well-rounded group from hospitals in Sao Paulo, Recife, and Porto Alegre.

Representatives from Sao Paulo’s top hospitals have formed a loose confederation known as the G5. All JCI –accredited, they include Albert Einstein, HCor, Oswaldo Cruz, Samaritano, and Sirio-Libanes.

While most of the hospitals in Sao Paulo and Recife are currently operating at or near capacity, expansion plans are underway, and ground has already been broken for a nearly 100 percent increase in beds over the next two years.

Brazilian health leaders are well aware of language and culture barriers, and some are making positive strides, e.g. websites in English and other languages, signage in multiple languages, improved services such as airport pick-up and drop-off, dedicated partnerships with medical travel facilitators.

Concluding observation: Brazil—and all of Latin America—is now unquestionably a rising star on the global health care front. Mexico has eight JCI hospitals, where three years ago it had none. Costa Rica, three; Brazil, a whopping 22. Perhaps more important, the number of incoming patients is rising dramatically, with a marked shift in procedures. Mexico, for example is no longer just about dentistry and cosmetic surgery. All the Monterrey hospitals I visited last March were filled with patients visiting for bariatrics, orthopedics, cardio, and all the procedures one would expect to find in international hospitals in the EU or Asia.

Similarly, Brazil, heretofore known for luxury cosmetic surgery travel, offers patients a complete array of procedures: cardiology and urology (Hospital Santo Paula); oncology (Albert Einstein and Sirio Libanes); orthopedics (Samaritano and Oswaldo Cruz); bariatrics and weight management (Hospital Santa Catarina); and the list goes on.

Brazil welcomed 180,000 international medical travelers last year, with a 30%+ annual growth rate. In addition, the country takes its BRIC status seriously, and its overarching financial, industrial, and social infrastructure demands participation as a global health care leader.

With more JCI hospitals (22) than all other Latin American countries combined, Brazil hospitals can well compete, regionally as well as globally. The question is: Will they expend the collaborative vision and effort to take the necessary first steps? My bet is yes, and perhaps for an unorthodox reason: There’s nothing like a major sporting event to spur government officials and industry leaders into action. The medical tourism implications of millions descending upon Brazil for the World Cup (2014) and the Olympics (2016) are too great to ignore the opportunities and the upside.