THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 4, Issue 4

by Amanda Haar, Editor

Greetings,

I once had a boss describe his feelings about a business opportunity as "wildly, cautiously optimistic." I think that pretty much sums up this week's collection of news items related to medical travel.

Even in the midst of great caution and concern, exciting new opportunities and partnerships continue to emerge. From where I sit, the caution and optimism seem completely warranted. The trick is to not see the viewpoints as adversarial but rather complementary.

Every step forward in any endeavor is an act of faith. Tempering each step with caution is what gives us direction.

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

Cheers,

Amanda Haar, Editor
ahaar@cpronline.com

SPOTLIGHT: Judy Dugan

Judy Dugan, Consumer Watchdog

Medical Travel Today (MTT): How long has medical travel been on your "Watchdog" radar?

Judy Dugan (JD): I informally followed it for a few years. It was nothing intense, but there was something fascinating about the fact that people would see medical travel as a solution to the health care challenges here at home.

As a Californian, I am aware there are a number of growers paying for their employees to receive medical care in Mexico. Plus, of course, there are those folks flying to Brazil to take a tour and get their eyes or teeth done. The latter is what I perceive as the ultimate medical tourism.

MTT: In your recent piece in the LA Times you mentioned you attended the medical travel conference in Los Angeles. I'm wondering what you found to be the most surprising aspects of this event?

JD: I think I was most struck by the very frank focus in many sessions on things like 'how do I get hooked up with employers or insurance companies?' People were curious about the pathway into this business. There were multiple sessions involving this topic. In fact, in one of the network sessions, United Healthcare had a speaker offering advice on how to work with them. It was very clear that companies see this as a promising business area.

This is alarming to me. I appreciate that it's a business and that it does what it does, but the alarm comes from the complete lack of knowledge about what patients would be getting into. And I'm not talking about facilities, or doctors, or the promise of care.

It's in lack of study-able comparable outcomes and quality data from overseas providers. It was even addressed in conference. In a session on quality measures, it became very clear that facilitators are desperate for something on paper that looks like quality data. They're looking to develop something outside or beyond the traditional JCI standards that don't address outcomes at all.

In California you can go online and compare the number of procedures performed at various hospitals, outcomes, hospital-acquired infections, and so on.

International hospitals aren't in cultures where published outcomes data are the norm. It was a struggle to get it accomplished in the United States. Going global with that kind of transparency is a huge, huge undertaking.  And from what I heard, I can’t see a way to get there. There's simply no business reason for global hospitals to gather data much less report it.

Even without data, I understand why employers are interested in medical travel.

They can send their worst (i.e. most expensive) cases abroad and reduce costs by half. Their potential saving is enormous in ways we can't duplicate in this country.

We simply can't pay doctors what they're paid in the Philippines or Thailand. Plus, we have to build hospitals to meet certain standards – like earthquake standards here in California. Everything that people like about health care here in the U.S., well, they cost money. If medical costs keep rising in double digits, global surgery is going to look better every year. I don't think it’s ready for primetime, and I don't think its effect on the U.S. system has been studied.

I don't think enough attention is being paid to the economic impact of having patients go abroad. And by this I don't mean simply the dollars lost for today's procedure.
The truth is that the patients traveling abroad are likely to be in better health than the general run of people who need surgery nationally. At the very least they’re in good enough condition to get an okay by a doctor to travel abroad for surgery.

This essentially gives global hospitals the cases less likely to suffer a complication and  subsequently lower in cost than cases involving  sicker patients. 

By taking healthier patients abroad, U.S. hospitals are stuck with less healthier and more costly patients to contend with. How is that a winning proposition?

MTT: You concluded your piece with the statement that "medical tourism should be under a microscope now, before employers and insurance companies decide it's part of their own cost -- and profit -- solution."

Who do you think should be doing the looking and what specific things should they be looking for or at?

JD: I think you've got to start with Health and Human Services (HHS) or the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

They could put out standards that hospitals need to meet. There needs to be economic study on the effect on U.S. health care related to the growth of global health care
One of the things that occurred to me as I looked at the policies of various countries is they have controls on prescription cost. A similar effort in the U.S. would help.

You know we favor government bargaining with pharmaceuticals. In fact we argued for it when Medicare part D was put into effect. It's what the Veteran's Administration and Medicaid do, but it's forbidden for Medicare.

Some nations also make an effort to bargain with medical device manufacturers. That's another big cost area that could save a lot of money.

I think there are still some important lessons to be had, and I don't think employers and insurers should come to immediate conclusions that we should send patients overseas to save costs.

I got the impression that the U.S. insurers and employers are scared to death to know about the data from abroad as it could be detrimental to the uptake of the option. And if it's not used, they don't save any money. But the truth is, patients aren't that concerned about the effects on the U.S. economy when they can save money.

I just caution that we shouldn't dive into this as a solution for anything until we have more information and controls. Informed decisions typically lead to better outcomes for everyone.

About Judy Dugan
Judy Dugan is research director and a health policy advocate for Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer advocacy organization in Santa Monica.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Aon Risk Services Announces Alliance With Assent Medical Cost Management
Assent Will Provide Health Care Concierge Services to Aon Mexico Members
MIAMI, FL and MEXICO CITY -- (Marketwire - February 4, 2010) - Assent Medical Cost Management, a leading provider of medical claims and health care services, announced today that it has entered into a strategic alliance to provide personalized health care concierge services to members of Aon Risk Services in Mexico. Aon Risk Services is the risk management and insurance brokerage business of Aon Corporation.

Under the agreement, Assent will provide Aon Mexico members with a number of health care concierge services including obtaining medical appointments, travel arrangements, and hotel accommodations for patients and their family. Assent will also provide complete financial advocate services as well as a premium service for executives including transportation service to medical appointments. Additionally, Assent will help gather information required for insurance and health care claim reimbursement and assist in identifying and addressing potential problems related to accessing  health care services.

"We have been searching for an organization that could help our members with much-needed personalized health care concierge services. Assent has the reputation of being a leader in this field, and we are looking forward to working with them and having their associates provide us with these critically important personalized services," says Lic. Roberto Arroyo Santisteban, general director of Aon Consulting - Aon México.

"We are delighted that Aon Mexico has selected us to be their partner for providing its members with personalized health care concierge services," says David Lubowitz, president of Assent Medical Cost Management. "We know how valuable these kinds of services can be and are very excited about the opportunity to work with Aon and its members throughout Mexico."

Medical entrepreneurship, from the bottom up
MIT students aim to bring affordable health care to India’s masses.
Peter Dizikes, MIT News Office

From left to right, Arjun Nair, Murali Govindaswamy, and Ashish Kothari 2009-2010 fellows at the Legatum Center for Development & Entrepreneurship Photo: Patrick Gillooly

A few years ago, Ashish Kothari thought he had found his life’s calling as a doctor. Raised and educated in Mumbai, the son of a doctor himself, Kothari graduated from medical school, became head resident at an Indian hospital, and held valuable internships in Singapore and New York. Back in Mumbai, he established a private practice and helped it grow to five doctors and 30 staff members in three years.

Then in 2009, Kothari, an orthopedic surgeon, left his practice to study at MIT, not because he was tired of helping people, but because Kothari believed he could help more people as a medical entrepreneur working to lower the cost of care in India.

“The difference between developed and developing economies is the way people are treated at every level of society,” says Kothari, who is pursuing degrees at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. “Not just at the top, but how people are treated at the middle and at the bottom, and I firmly believe a basic level of medical care is something everyone deserves.”

For the rest of this story click here.

Indian Medical Travel Association (IMTA) to modify Medical Visa norms to Indian Government

“M Visa – Medical Visa,” the Indian government’s pioneering initiative to encourage growth of medical value travel to India, was introduced in 2005, but in the last five years very few overseas patients have chosen to apply for Medical Visas as the scheme has inherent flaws that actually hassle the foreign patients who avail of it.

A majority of foreigners coming to India for medical treatments have been applying for a tourist visa and not opting for M Visa because norms make it mandatory for them to register with the Foreigner Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) within 14 days of arrival in India. This is an avoidable inconvenience imposed by M Visa, particularly in view of the fact that the patients may not be able to leave the hospital once their treatment starts to go and register at the FRRO.

The patients who come on M Visa have to seek the Indian hospital's help to go to the FRRO and comply with the procedures, which puts strain on the hospital's resources. Therefore the hospitals have been advising potential patients not to apply for M Visa and opt for Tourist Visa only. But this has defeated the very purpose and the good intentions with which the Government of India introduced the Medical Visa scheme.

The volume of foreign patient arrivals at Indian hospitals is growing at a healthy pace of over 40 percent every year, and medical tourism is indeed the next billion dollar opportunity after IT outsourcing for India to benefit from its fast expanding private health care infrastructure. Indian doctors and professionals are world-renowned for their skills, and the country has an abundance of talented young manpower, a local high-quality manufacturing base for pharmaceuticals, and technology hardware and software that makes the Indian costs for high-end surgical procedures so attractive.

"IMTA has apprised the concerned ministries of the Indian Government of the issues with Medical Visa, and we have requested them to modify the norms to make it an enabler for the growth of Medical Value Travel to India. An early action to address the issues with Medical Visa would surely enhance the volume of international patients coming to India. It will also help to track the number of medical tourists more accurately," says Pradeep Thukral, executive director, IMTA.

New report: “Opportunities in Malaysian Tourism Industry (2007-2009)” Now Available

The Malaysian tourism industry continues to grow rapidly, thanks to increasing promotional activities, growing MICE industry and rising level of personal disposable income that are fueling growth in the country’s tourism industry. Also, being a preferred medical tourism destination and politically stable, the country has become a more profitable tourism industry.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of the present and future prospects of the Malaysian tourism industry. It focuses on different tourism parameters, like inbound and outbound tourism, expenditure by inbound and outbound tourists, accommodation and transportation facilities, and medical tourism. The report will help clients evaluate the opportunities and factors critical to the success of the tourism industry in Malaysia.

Click here to learn more and to buy a copy of your report.

Costa Rican Medical Care Offers Medical Financing

“Costa Rican Medical Care is proud to announce that we have put together a group of lenders that are willing to provide financing for medical procedures done in the U.S., Costa Rica, or anywhere,” says CRMC president Tim Morales. “You cannot plan for a medical emergency and sometimes you may forget that you have a deductible to meet. Other people would like to get a procedure done and haven’t saved up enough to cover the complete cost. But CRMC can help you determine whether you qualify for a medical loan.”

Lake Geneva, Wisc., and Alajuela, Costa Rica (PRWEB) February 9, 2010 -- Costa Rican Medical Care (CRMC), a medical tourism company specializing in Costa Rica medical providers, can now help patients finance their medical care.

“Costa Rican Medical Care is proud to announce that we have put together a group of lenders that are willing to provide financing for medical procedures done in the U.S., Costa Rica, or anywhere,” says CRMC president Tim Morales. “You cannot plan for a medical emergency and sometimes you may forget that you have a deductible to meet. Other people would like to get a procedure done and haven’t saved up enough to cover the complete cost. But CRMC can help you determine whether you qualify for a medical loan.

“We met with many of our medical providers in Costa Rica last month, and they were very excited about offering financing options because they have also received many requests from patients for this service. We are already receiving referrals from them.”
A recent report on Medical Tourism by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions said that an estimated 1.6 million Americans will travel abroad for medical care by 2012. Americans looking to save 30 percent to 70 percent on bariatric surgery, dental, cosmetic surgery, hip or knee replacements, and other medical procedures should look no further than Costa Rica.

“Beautiful Costa Rica is only two and a half hours from Miami, three hours from Dallas, and flights are very inexpensive. Do you really want to get on plane and travel for 12 to 18 hours halfway around the world, when you can just go to Costa Rica for the same procedures? What if you have to go back in a few months?”

Costa Rican Medical Care will be showcasing their services at the First Latin America Global Medicine & Wellness Congress in San Jose, Costa Rica, April 26-28, 2010. If you would like more information on working with, sponsoring, or attending the conference, please contact Tim Morales at Costa Rican Medical Care at 262-348-1300 or visit www.costaricanmedicalcare.com.

A Full-Service Partnership Between Debson Medical Tourism and Debson ITS

The newly announced partnership between Canadian companies Debson Medical Tourism and Debson ITS will give patients and doctors what they both want: The flexibility to travel, with instant access to vital medical information at any time of day. Debson Medical Tourism, which is known as one of the medical tourism companies in Canada, offers a suite of services, from low-cost cosmetic surgery to bariatric surgery to dental surgery abroad.

Debson ITS is one of the leaders of medical interactive video conferencing, including the development of the innovative telemedicine technologies, such as smartphones. The long-term benefits of the new partnership will extend not only to Canadian medical tourism patients and doctors, but to the globe as a whole. Through technology, the overall state of global health care is being revolutionized.

Debson ITS and Debson Medical Tourism have partnered in order to provide patients and doctors with what they want, in a form that is easily accessible and relatively inexpensive, in virtually every part of the globe.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Health Care Tourism Congress 2010 Announces its 2010 Speakers – April 2010

The Healthcare Tourism Congress 2010 announces its 2010 speakers! Among the experts sharing their expertise is Joseph Woodman, the author of Patients Beyond Borders.

Online PR News – 20-January-2010 – The Healthcare Tourism Congress 2010 announces its 2010 speakers! Poised to be Malaysia’s largest and most dynamic health care tourism event, this congress will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre April 12 – 13, 2010, providing the perfect corporate interface venue for technology and services in the health care tourism industry.

Given the economic crisis challenges that most companies and industries faced last year, medical tourism is more important than ever before, creating more economically viable health care solutions while providing profitable return-on-investment. Professionals working in the health care tourism industry believe that the next 12months will, again, see a large increase in the number of people travelling abroad for medical treatment.

We are excited to announce our confirmed speakers with many more to be announced in the upcoming months. Speakers include:

• Josef Woodman, president, Healthy Travel Media Company (U.S.) and author of Patients Beyond Borders
• Suresh Ponnudurai, founder and CEO, Malaysia Healthcare
• Amir Firdaus Abd, CEO, Gleneagles Hospital (KL) Sdn Bhd
• Dr. Umapathy Panyala, CEO, Apollo Hospitals
  Raymond Chong Chin Wah, M.D. and CEO, Samitivej Group of Hospitals
• Stuart D. Rowley, CEO and member of Board of Directors, Prince Court Medical Centre
• Paul Chang, M.D., Asia Pacific, Joint Commission International
• Joe Ledesma, president and CEO, St. Luke’s Medical Centre
• Milton Lum Siew Wah, M.D., director, Medical Defence Malaysia Berhad
• Ramli bin Abd Ghani, M.D., director of Traditional & Complementary Medicine Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia
• Talavane Krishna, M.D., founder and president, Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre
• Catherine-Brillantes Turvill, founder and President, Spa Association of Philippines
• Jason Yap, marketing Director, Raffles Hospital

Healthcare Tourism Congress 2010 promises to provide even more networking opportunities and stream sessions. The newly launched Malaysian Health Tourism Council (MHTC) is also endorsing and supporting this inaugural congress.

With partners like the Malaysia Health Travel Council (MHTC), Malaysia Healthcare and Medical Defense Malaysia, the congress is simply heading towards success.

Knowledge Group is also in discussion with the Ministry of Health and Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia, which will further add value to this congress as a whole.

At present, 70 percent of the floor space has been reserved and booked out. This event stands to be the benchmark in Healthcare Tourism-related events in the region.
This congress will be driven by an integrated marketing campaign, with media advertisements forming the crux of the plan, attracting professionals with a passion for the industry.

For more information regarding the exhibition please visit www.htcongress.com or call +60321701588.

Destination Health – The Health & Medical Tourism Show London April, 17-18, 2010

Destination Health is the ultimate show for people planning to travel abroad for health and medical treatments.

Destination Health has been launched to help the increasing numbers of British medical tourists find out all they need to know about traveling aboard for health and medical treatment. The two-day event will showcase top hospitals, clinics, and spas from around the globe, giving visitors the opportunity to meet doctors and medical specialists, get free advice, and explore various treatment options abroad. 

Up to 100 exhibitors are expected to attend the event, covering practically every aspect of medical, dental, cosmetic, and health treatment abroad. Online visitor registration for free entry to the show is already exceeding expectations.

Easy access to top quality medical treatment, good prices, cheap flights, no waiting lists, and the opportunity to recuperate in the sun is appealing to more and more Brits each year -- with dentistry, cosmetic surgery, IVF and medical spas among the most popular treatments.

With a wide range of treatment options and countries offering competitively priced medical treatments and dentistry it can be difficult to make the right decision.  The new Destination Health show www.destinationhealth.co.uk will give visitors the opportunity to get free advice, attend free seminars, discuss, and compare treatments and international options, helping potential patients make educated, informed choices when choosing health care providers, destinations and facilities.

Visitors to the show will be able to meet doctors and health care providers from destinations including Hungary, Poland, India, Cyprus, Spain, Croatia, Malta, Egypt, Czech Republic, Antigua, Germany, Turkey, the United States, Barbados, the West Indies, and Thailand.

Event director Nav Mann comments, “Interest in medical tourism is growing all the time and we are expecting a lot of visitors to this show.  With over 100 providers exhibiting their health and medical services, we have made it easy for potential patients to easily find the type of medical specialists they are looking for. The event will be divided into different areas to include sections for dentistry and cosmetic surgery, fertility and conception, medical spa and wellness, and general treatments and procedures.”

To take advantage of the free entry, visitors must register in advance at www.destinationhealth.co.uk

National Newspaper confirms support for Health & Medical Tourism Show
The Independent Newspaper has confirmed support of the forthcoming Destination Health exhibition, which is set to take place on 17 - 18 April 2010 in London.

Destination Health is a brand new exhibition designed exclusively for people planning to travel abroad for all types of treatments.

If you are involved in any aspect of health tourism, then you should be exhibiting at Destination Health.

For everything from heart disease to hip replacements, breast implants, and medical spas, Destination Health is dedicated to every area of health tourism. It brings together thousands of patients and medical providers under one roof and offers an exclusive platform to meet people who are ready to invest in their personal health, body image, and well-being.
Whatever the size or nature of your business, if you want to promote and increase awareness of your health and medical travel services in a focused and dedicated environment, you should be at Destination Health.

To find out more, visit the Destination Health website or call us on + 44 (0) 20 8230 0066 or email sales@destinationhealth.co.uk

European Medical Travel Conference 2010 Draws Global Participation

Europe’s largest medical travel conference to take place in Venice, Italy (Monastier di Treviso) May 5‐7, 2010

U.S. / Venice, Italy - December 31, 2009 - The European Medical Travel Conference 2010 (EMTC; www.emtc2010.com) will be hosted in Monastier di Treviso, a municipality of Venice, Italy, on May 5-7, 2010. The largest medical travel conference in Europe, the EMTC provides an exciting platform for networking, discussion, and cooperation among industry stakeholders and is expected to draw 350 to 450 participants from around the world.

“Besides attracting some of the leading authorities on medical travel, this event will draw physicians, hospitals, hotels, tourism agencies, patient services, IT services, associations, service providers, government representatives, patients, and anyone interested in learning more about the future of medical travel,” says Uwe Klein, M.D., chairman of the event.

Conference organizers expect that the EMTC will raise awareness and increased popularity of the medical travel option, which provides greater access to quality health care for patients and increased cost efficiency for employers.

“The effective collaboration between the tourism and health sectors will offer greater scope for tackling the increasing impact of patient mobility in and outside of Europe,” Dr. Klein adds. “The EMTC represents not only a platform of debate on medical tourism among Italian, European, and non-European colleagues, but also a potential solution for the needs of increasingly mobile patients traveling across the globe for better, more cost‐effective, and timely medical treatment.”

The diverse roster of speakers will address a wide range of medical travel topics and issues, including:

• Legal aspects and solutions of American insurance and intermediary companies
• Finding quality providers and services
• Patient security
• European Union directive on patient mobility and patient rights, patient safety
• Follow-up treatment back home
• Cost transparency and service orientation
• Sea-based health care

The two-day event includes a Welcome Reception, keynote lectures, workshops, panel discussions, B2B meetings, a Gala Dinner, and possible sight-seeing excursions. Service providers may book a booth within the framework of an industrial exhibition.

For more information visit: www.emtc2010.com
                                 

Asia Medical Tourism & Wellness Congress
May 13-14, 2010, at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will be hosting an international event next year in Berjaya Times Square. Medical Tourism & Wellness Congress (GLOW 2010) will be an international trade exhibition running concurrently with a multi-stream conference session.

GLOW 2010 will gather senior-level decision makers across the health care, wellness, and corporate executive sectors from around the world to brainstorm on issues concerning their industry.

The objectives of the Congress are:

• To bring together our clients who are senior decision makers in major organizations across the region (100 - 150)
• To provide an exciting neutral platform for vendors/solution/service providers to position themselves effectively
• To conduct marketing/ advertising and promote brand awareness
• To conduct business development activities to a targeted focused audience
• To network and benchmark with professionals as well as other vendors and solution/service providers

GLOW 2010 will bring together our clients who are key corporate professionals in the medical, spa, and wellness sectors across the Asia Pacific and Middle East region to provide an exciting platform for vendors and solution providers to position themselves effectively. We estimate in excess of 100 to 150 senior-level decision makers for the exclusive conference in addition to walk-in trade visitors of over 1,500 for the exhibition.

A wide variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. Visit http://www.glow2010.com/ to learn more.

Central and Eastern Europe Medical Tourism and Healthcare Summit  
May 17-18, 2010, at the Aristos Hotel, Zagreb, Croatia

Medical Tourism in Central and Eastern Europe has been increasing rapidly. The region as a whole offers a variety of affordable treatments and procedures within easy reach of most travelers.

Global Engage, in partnership with Global Health Consulting of Croatia, is pleased to announce this international summit, which will bring together and showcase facilitators, providers, and medical organizations from across the region including Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, and surrounding countries to meet and network with senior level delegates from all over the world.

The Central and Eastern Europe Medical Tourism and Healthcare Summit will include an exhibition area, workshops, and a two-day conference agenda featuring an international speaker panel focusing and sharing their experiences on current issues affecting medical tourism and health care in the region and the world in general.

A further dedicated conference stream will focus on dental medical tourism providing an educational platform for dentists in the Central and Eastern European region to develop their business internationally and attract foreign patients to their practices.

There will be adequate time provided for networking and forming collaborations with potential partners over business lunches, drinks reception, and a gala dinner and the opportunity to visit local medical facilities.

Attend as a delegate or if you prefer to gain increased exposure for your company or organization please enquire about our exclusive exhibition, sponsorship, and marketing options.

To view further details of the conference agenda, speakers, sponsorship, and registration details please visit - http://www.globalengage.co.uk/central_eastern_european_medical_tourism_summit.html

Or to discuss your participation in more detail contact Steve Hambrook (Conference Director). Tel +44 (0) 1865 811 189 or email steve@globalengage.co.uk