Below find the most up to date company list as of August 11th 2010 for the 3nd Annual World Medical Tourism and Global Health Congress, taking place in Los Angeles September 22nd-24th 2010. (www.medicaltourismcongress.com)

*Partial Attendees List*
24 x7 Medical Tourism
AB Complete Medical Tour
ACS, a Xerox Company
Advanced Practice Nurse International
Adventist Hinsdale Hospital
Advisor Alliance
Aetna
Aflac
Ageless Wonders Panama
AIICO GENERAL INSURANCE CO. LTD
AirMed International, LLC
AirTran Airways
Albert Kahn Associations
Alianza Exportacion de Servicios de Salud
Allianz Egypt
AllMedicalTourism.com
AllynJoyce, LLC
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
American Institute of Minimal Invasive Surgery-Spine
American Medical and Life Insurance Company
American Seniors Association (ASA)
Anesthesia Consultants International, Inc.
Angeles Health International Inc
ANGELS OF FLIGHT CANADA INC
Anshen+Allen
Aon Consulting
Apollo Hospitals Group
Arabia Insurance Company – Bahrain
Aranwa Hotels Resorts & Spas
Argentina Foundation
Argentina HealthCare – Fundacion Export.Ar
Aria Persian Shafa
Arroyo Insurance Services
ASIAN JOURNAL
Asko
Assaf Harofeh Medical Center
ASSIST-CARD
Association for German Consulting Engineers and Architects, VBI
Assuta Medical Centers Ltd.
Babcock & Helliwell
Badia Hand to Shoulder
Baptist Health South Florida
Barbados Fertility Centre
Bavarian Ministry of Health
Beike Biotechnology
Belize Healthcare Partners Ltd
Benefit Controls Companies
BenefitsLab 
Bill Lucas & Associates
Bill Lucas Insurance 
Blackbaud, Inc.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Shield of California 
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
BM International
Boultbee & Co
Bovis Lend Lease LMB Inc.
Bradley/Dixie Companies
Breeden Benefit Group 
Broker Benefit Services 
Bulgarian Cardiac Institute
Bumrungrad
Bumrungrad Hospital Public Company Limited
Bupa International
Burt Hill
Cairo University
California Broker Magazine
California Hospital Associaiton
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry
Cannon Design
Caribbean Health Travel Magazine
Carolina Benefit Designs
Catalan Tourist Board – Barcelona Medical Centre
Cayman Islands
CCHER ~ Center for Healthcare Emergency Readiness
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centro Dental, Guatemala
CGFNS International (and Legacy Health System)
Chai Medical Tourism
Chatham Steel Corporation
Chihuahua Medical City
Children’s Hospital Boston
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
CIGNA
Circana Health Passport
Clements International
Cleveland Clinic CompreCare Affiliate
Cleveland Clinic 
Clinica Biblica, Costa Rica
Clinica Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
Clinica Unibe
Clinical Support Services Sector – Dubai Health Authority
CMN/ Europ Assistance
Cochin Medical City and Tourism
Colombia- Proexport
COLOMBIA TOURS SOLUTIONS
Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company 
Columbia University
Commercial Insurance – Westport Insurance Corporation 
Continental Airlines
Continental Medical Travel
Coomeva Medicina Prepagada
Corporate Health and Wellness Association
Corporate Wellness Magazine
COSI
Cosmetic Dental Care
Costa Rica
Costa Rica Medical Solutions
Costamed Clinics and Costadental
CSG Systems
DANCA, Architects
DavidShield International Medical Insurance
Daviron Group LLC
DCB Insurance Services
Debson Medical Tourism Inc
DelAm / Atlas Expatriate Benefits
Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas – Austin, Texas
Dell Services
Deloitte – Brightman Almagor Zohar
Deloitte Consulting
DENTAL HOUSE
Dentis International Dental Care
Destination World Travel, LLC
Direct Laboratory Services
Direct Labs
Discovery Communications
DNV Healthcare Inc. 
DocFroc LLC
Dr. Marco A. Muñoz Cavallini & Assoc.
Dubai Health Authority
Dubai Health Authority, UAE
Eastway Insurance Agency, Inc.
ELITE IVF AG
Elite Underwriting Services 
Ellis, LLC Ukraine
e-MedSol
Equals3
Europ Assistance
EuroSpaClub
Evergreen General Agency, Inc
Executive Financial Advisors, inc
ExHealth, Dubai HealthCare City
Fairmont Specialty
FLENI
Florida Med-Retreat
Fortis Healthcare Limited
Fresenius Medical Care EG
Fundación Cardioinfantil
Fundacion Export.Ar
FV Hospital
Gallup, Inc.
GD3 Solutons Inc.
General Electric
German Healthcare
German National Tourist Board
German National Tourist Office
GH Healthcare Consultants
Global Benefit Associates
Global Benefit Associates of California
Global Benefit Options
Global Excel Management Inc
Global Health, Inc.
Global Spa and Wellness
Global Spa and Wellness
Gordon Insurance Services
Green Crescent Insurance Company 
Green Nurture
Group Benefits Agency, Inc.
Grubb & Ellis
Guatemala Health & Wellness Tourism Commission of Agexport
Gulf Coast Medical Specialists
Gulf Medical University and GMC Hospitals
HAND AND UPPER EXTREMITY CENTER
HCC Medical Insurance Services
Health Insurance, Ministry of Health -Syria
Health Systems International
Health Tourism Magazine
HealthCare Brazil
Healthcare Reform Magazine
Healthcare Without Harm (HCWH)
Healthcarebrazil.com
Healthways, Inc. 
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
Hello Tourism and Travel Inc
Hernia Center of Southern California
HOK Advance Strategies
Homewood Health Centre
Hospital Aleman
Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz
Hospital Centro Medico
Hospital Centro Médico
Hospital CIMA – Chihuahua
Hospital Clinica Biblica
Hospital Clinica Biblica’s International Patient Department 
Hospital Universitario Austral
Hospitals International
hospitalscout.com
IBIS (International Benefits Information Service) Advisors
Ilan Geva & Friends
INGUAT (Guatemala Tourism Board)
Inha University Hospital
Inova Health Systems
Insuremytrip.com
InterGlobal Insurance Company Ltd. (IGIC)
International Captive Managers Limited
International Medical Group
International Orthopedic Group ~ Badia Hand to Shoulder Center
International Relations & Health Affairs and Director of Health Minister’s 
International SOS Assistance, Inc.
International University of Health and Welfare
ISPA International Spa Association
Israel Ministry of Tourism
Jack H. Horwitz Insurance Serivces Inc.
Jackson Memorial Hospital International
Japan Tourism Marketing Co.
Johns Hopkins Medicine International
Jordan Tourism Board
Kaniksu Consulting
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre
KIVULINI WOMEN’S RIGHTS ORGANISATION
Kiwi Medical
KONGRESIST at Healthcare
Korea Health Industry Development Institute
Korea International Medical Association
KPMG International Cooperative 
Kraft Foods
L2BW HealthCare & Wellness
LA ASSOC OF HEALTH UNDERWRITERS
LabCorp
LAGOS STATEUNIVERSITY COLLEGEOF MEDICINE
LeClairRyan LLP
Leslie Steven Rothenberg
Levity Corporation
LIFE Support 
Life’s Benefits and Insurance Services
Lockton Benefit Group
Lockton Companies LLC 
Lowdermilk and Associates, inc.
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. 
Lufthansa Airlines
M3 Insurance Solutions for Business (M3)
Maccabi-Dent
Majan International Agencies Travel & Tourism LLC 
Managed Benefit Plans Inc 
Marsh U.S. Consumer, a service of Seabury & Smith, Inc
MaryKay
Mayfair Brooker Ltd
Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch (M+NLB)
McKinsey & Co, Harvard
Medellin Health City
MEDEX Global Group
MEDEX Global Solutions
Medica San Miguel
Medical Care Canada
Medical Helpline
Medical Services Organisation SA
Medical Tour Experts
Medical Tourism Associates
Medical Tourism Association
Medical Tourism Magazine
Medical Tourism Guatemala
Medical  Tour experts
MedicalTourism.com
Medicine Without Boundaries, LLC
Medicoast
Medtrav
Mercer
Mercer Health & Benefits Services (Mercer) 
Merian Iselin – Orthopaedic Clinic
Merwitzer Insurance Solutions
Midwest Business Group on Health
Ministry of Health Cayman Islands
Ministry of Health United Arab Emirates
Ministry of Tourism Brazil
Mintz Levin
Moolchand Healthcare Group
Morehead State University
Moscow Medical & Health Tourism
Mutual Healthcare Development Ltd.
National Australian Bank
National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA)
National Health Service, UK
National Insurance Specialists 
National Preferred Provider Organization  
NBBJ (Naramore, Bain, Brady & Johanson)
Nelson J. Merwitzer & Associates 
Network of Better Medical Care
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Nixon Benefits
Norfolk Mobility Benefits
Northwest Community Hospital
Oak Park Finanical & Insurance Services
OECD ~ Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development 
OLAJUMOKE SPECIALIST HOSPITAL
One Hundred Years, LLC
PAHEF ~ Pan American Health and Education Foundation
PAHO ~ Pan American Health Organization
Pan American Life Insurance Group
Panama
Partners Havard Medical International
Partners Insurance
Partners International
Passport Medical, Inc.
PCFI Senior Living and Leisure Corp.
Penn Medicine
Perkins+Will
Perpetual Equity
PERUMEDICALTOURS
Philippine Dept. of Tourism
Pine Creek Medical Center/ Diversified Surgical Management, LP
Piper Jordan
PlacidWay
Plan To Win Insurance Agency
Planet Esperanto XXI
Polenzani Benefits & Insurance Services
Porto Alegre, Brazil  
Preferred Medical Claim Solutions
PREMIER CHARTER TRAVELS
Prince Court Medical Center, Malaysia
PROESA Investment El Salvador
Progencell
Promotora Médica Las Américas
Puerta de Las Americas
Putnam/Price
Qatar Insurance Company-Doha
Quality Resources International
Rapport Benefits Group, Inc.
Recife, Brazil
Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield 
REZA Consultancy
Route Three Employee Benefits
Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. 
RTKL Associates Inc. 
Salud sin fronteras
SAM Medical Center
Scholle Packaging 
Seattle’s Convention & Visitors Bureau
Select Energy Services
Self Funding Employer Association
Self Funding Magazine
SEOUL ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL US OFFICE
Seven Corners
Shaw Hankins
Shuang Ho Hospital
Sisters’ Care
SKYBOND HEALTH PLAZA NIG LTD
Skyservice Air Ambulance
SmithGroup 
Sorry Works!
Southern Cross University
Spa-Med-Holiday
Spas of America
Spazio Urbano
Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center,Inc
SQEAssure
Squire Sanders
Sri-Samudarasanna Vaharaya
St. Joseph’s Candler Health System
Stackpole & Associates, Inc.
Star Management Consultancy
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
State of Arkansas
STUWEB TRAVELS LTD
Sunshine Medical Tourism, LLC
SuperSmartHealth 
Surgical Trip LLC
Swiss Reinsurance Company
Syria Ministry of Health
Taipei Medical University Hospital
Teleosis Institute 
Texas Benefit
The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers (AAHID)
The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc
The American Institute of Minimal Invasive Spine Surgery (AIMIS) Ltd
The Biggest Loser – Season 2
The Center for Progressive Sports Medicine
The Compliance Team, Inc.
The Consolidated Marketing Group 
The Exigence Group
The Mahoney Group
The Spine Center
The State of Montana Health Care and Benefit Division 
Thoits Insurance Service, Inc. 
THTDC Turkish Healthcare Tourism development Council
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Transpelo
Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada
Travel Partner International
Treatment Abroad Russia
Tri Wellness
Trusted Insurance Services
Tucson Medical Center
Turkish Culture and Tourism Office
UBIFRANCE – French Trade Commission
UC San Diego Health System
UCLA School of Public Health
UKE Consult & Management
United Family Healthcare
United States Department of Energy
United States Environmental Protection Agency 
UnitedHealth International
Univers Workplace Benefits
University Insurance Agency
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Health Services Administration
University Of California-Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of Miami International Medicine Institute
University of Miami Medical Center
University of Washington Integrated Design Lab
Urban Ltd.
USAID Jordan Economic Development Program
USBenefits Insurance Services
USGBC  – United States Green Building Council
USNOW
Veiovis
Verisign
Verso Paper Corp.
Voluntary Benefits Magazine
Wan Fang Hospital
Warner Pacific Insurance Services
Washington National Insurance Company 
Wealth Management
Webb and Greer Insurance Agency 
Weight Loss Forever
Wellness Health Fairs
WHR Architects
Williams and West LLC
Willis
WinningMan.com
World Bank
World Med Access
World Medical Resources
WorldMed Assist
www.MedicalTourism.com
www.visitandcare.com
Xellum Ltd.
Xellum Management Consulting
Yellow Sea Free Economic Zone Authority- YESFEZ
Zebra Technologies Corporation 
Zotai General Trading

*The companies listed above are attendees of the 2010 World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress, the Expatriate Healthcare, Travel Insurance and Global Health Insurance Conference and the Sustainable Healthcare & Hospital Development Conference. All conferences will be held in Los Angeles, CA on Sept. 22-24, 2010. 

Israel is a country where the medical landscape is continually changing, with never ending stream of research, innovation and scientific breakthroughs. Israel’s reputation as a center for specialized medical treatment is well established, and many patients worldwide are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits and cost effectiveness of medical treatments in Israel.  Israel’s hospitals are home to some of the world’s leading surgeons, diagnosticians and medical doctors, and the country’s nurses and physical therapists are well known for their rigorous attention to details and high level of patients care. Moreover, the hospitals boast the most advanced equipment available, and the country’s ongoing commitment to medical research and development is resulting in many scientific breakthroughs in the fields of equipment, surgical procedures, medical diagnosis and treatments.  “Israel’s reputation as a center for medical research and health care is not new. Foreign patients are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits and cost savings of the treatment in our country”, said Eliezer Hod, Israel Ministry of Tourism.

This year we have allocated a budget to bring in up to 200 “Buyers” of healthcare, including insurance companies, employers, and governments to the congress.  The conference will feature up to 2,000 attendees, up to 140 exhibitors and sponsors, and over 100 speakers from over 60 countries. Save the date today by going to the Medical Tourism Congress website and register for this once a year event.  Accomplish in three days what would otherwise take you years to do.  Come to the only medical tourism and international health insurance conference in the world that truly brings together the buyers and sellers of healthcare from all six continents. 

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

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

The 3rd Annual World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress is pleased to announce Fundación Exportar Argentina as a Silver Sponsor at the conference held on September 22-24, 2010.

Fundación Exportar Argentina is a mixed institution comprising both the public and private sectors to assist the business community in selling its competitive products effectively abroad in order to access, increase and diversify its exports.  The services and tools provided by Fundación Exportar are constantly updated to meet businesspeople needs and demands based on a daily interaction and an agile and effective communication. This results in almost 200 promotion actions involving over 4,900 companies every year.  

The Foundation has a commitment to providing quality technical services that help enhancing the country’s image and competitive development.  “The main reason why Fundación Exportar is attending once again the WMT & GHC is to continue promoting Argentina as a major destination for medical tourism”, said Fernanda Yanson, Argentina’s Trade Promotion Agency, Fundación Exportar Argentina.
This is the one event per year where Employers, Self Funded Health Plans, Insurance Companies, and Medical Tourism Facilitators that are looking to outsource healthcare overseas have the opportunity to meet with top International Hospitals and Medical Tourism Companies in one place for the ultimate networking event. As a Silver Sponsor, Beike Biotech will receive multiple benefits including premium recognition throughout the conference and preferred exhibit booth placement.

This year we have allocated a budget to bring in up to 200 “Buyers” of healthcare, including insurance companies, employers, and governments to the congress.  The conference will feature up to 2,000 attendees, up to 140 exhibitors and sponsors, and over 100 speakers from over 60 countries. Save the date today by going to the Medical Tourism Congress website and register for this once a year event.  Accomplish in three days what would otherwise take you years to do.  Come to the only medical tourism and international health insurance conference in the world that truly brings together the buyers and sellers of healthcare from all six continents. 

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

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

The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress has official released the 3^rd Annual Congress Brochure. Find out who the top speakers and exhibitors are and get new updates for this year’s Congress. The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress Brochure is available for download here: www.medicaltourismcongress.com

This year’s Congress will take place in Los Angeles, California from September 22-24^th, 2010 and will feature up to 2,000 attendees, up to 100 speakers and up to 120 exhibitors. Up to 10,000 Pre-Scheduled Private One-on-One Networking Sessions will be arranged with the use of new innovative software technology.  The MTA has implemented this software, which has already gone live, to make scheduling your networking meetings as easy as the click of your mouse! Learn more about networking opportunities here: http://medicaltourismcongress.com/en/networking.html

Stay Tuned…

Sarah

The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress has released an updated Sponsorship Guide. The Exhibitor Sponsorship has been officially Sold Out and the Exhibit Hall is filling up rapidly. Other exhibition booths are still available, such as the Silver Corporate Sponsorship, but are selling out quickly! The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress is making tremendous strides and is an international event that cannot be missed. http://medicaltourismcongress.com/en/exhibitor-sponsorship-packages.html

The sophisticated networking system is now open to registrants. Attendees are able to request up to 50 private one-on-one networking meetings while at the conference. To learn more about networking opportunities at the World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress visit http://www.medicaltourismcongress.com/en/networking.html

The conference will feature up to 2,000 attendees, up to 140 exhibitors and sponsors, and over 100 speakers from over 60 countries. Accomplish in three days what would otherwise take you years to do. The conference is the dedicated annual event of the Medical Tourism Association. http://www.medicaltourismassocaition.com

Stay Tuned…

Sarah

There is still time to register for the webinar ‘Highlights and Updates for the upcoming Medical Tourism Conference September 22-24th’.  This webinar will discuss the upcoming 3rd Annual World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress, providing updates on speakers, sponsors and agenda topics. There are exciting new speakers from the US and international insurance industry, and employers who will be speaking. Highlights about the Buyers of Healthcare VIP program will be presented with explanation as to how this means return on investment for you. The webinar will also go into detail about the updated agenda, new format of networking meetings, and the special focus at the conference on healthcare reform. The webinar will also discuss the global health insurance conference and healthcare development conference that will take place simultaneously with the medical tourism conference this year, and updates on where the medical tourism industry is headed.

Webinar Option A: Wednesday, August 11, 2010

10:00 AM US Eastern Standard Time (EST)

4 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST)

11 PM Korean Standard Time (KST)

To register, pleaes click here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/407638227

Webinar Option B: Thursday, August 12, 2010

3 AM US Eastern Standard Time (EST)

9 AM Central European Summer Time (CEST)

 4 PM Korean Standard Time (KST)

To register, please click here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/926835234

In a recent survey conducted by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, alternate care options seem to be increasing.  As unemployment rates continue to rise, one in five Americans chose not to seek medical care for recent illnesses or injuries with the primary factor in this decision being revealed as high cost.

Paul Keckley, Ph D., executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health stated, “As the burden of care continues to be shifted to the individual, and more Americans lose their jobs and their health insurance, we expect this trend will continue.  It will be interesting to see what happens in 2014 when the individual mandates requiring Americans to purchase health insurance kick in. Will we see a significant spike in visits to the doctor as more Americans join the ranks of the insured?”

As we move forward to 2014, we will continue to see changes in direction for medical care and the consumer’s decision.  To read further on current alternative care options, click here.

The Medical Tourism Association has released an educational White Paper on Healthcare Reform, detailing what positive and negative effects healthcare reform is expected to have on both inbound, outbound and domestic medical tourism.   Healthcare Reform passed into law in March 2010 and has both immediate implications and those to go into full effect in 2014. Many expect the reform will continue to raise healthcare and health insurance costs in the United States. 

As healthcare costs and health insurance costs rise in the United States this will push American patients to choose to travel domestically for medical tourism, a new term coined towards the provision of more affordable healthcare services within the US, or to leave the United States to travel abroad for medical care.
As stated by Devon Herrick of National Center for Policy Analysis, USA, “The recent Health Reform legislation contains virtually nothing to encourage patients and providers to control costs.  By contrast, medical tourism represents global competition in health care, where providers compete on price and quality. Medical tourism is our best opportunity to encourage competition within the health care industry.”
The Healthcare Reform white paper is meant to give guidance and understanding on how the different aspects of healthcare reform will interact with medical tourism. The Medical Tourism White Paper can be read in the Healthcare Reform Updates section of the Medical Tourism Congress website. http://medicaltourismcongress.com/en/healthcare-reform-updates.html
“We have released this white paper in order to provide insight into healthcare reform and its different provisions, projecting how it may affect medical tourism. Many people around the world do not understand the lengthy healthcare reform document passed in the US and mistakenly think that it provides more affordable healthcare to Americans and that it will lower healthcare costs.  Costs will likely go up under healthcare reform and this was reaffirmed in the recent medical tourism survey the MTA conducted with almost 100 insurance companies and employers, where almost 100% of respondents found that they believe costs will rise,” said Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the Medical Tourism Association.
The healthcare reform and medical tourism white paper will be available at the MTA’s annual conference, The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress, which will have a large focus on Healthcare Reform this year in Los Angeles, California from September 22-24th. The conference will focus on how healthcare reform affects employers, insurers, insurance agents, healthcare providers and patients and will peel back the onion of the thousands of pages of healthcare reform bill to look at how different aspects of health care reform will really work. www.medicaltourismcongress.com 

The Medical Tourism Association also conducted a survey of over one hundred US insurance companies and US employers on the effect medical tourism will have upon them.  The survey, “Healthcare Reform Survey Among Industry Stakeholders Discovers Similar Concerns,” July, 2010, shows a sample of the future growth potential of the medical tourism industry. 71 percent of insurance companies and employers felt healthcare reform was extremely positive for the medical tourism industry and more Americans would travel overseas under the new law. Employers and insurance companies know that healthcare reform will increase costs and medical tourism is one of the few ways to lower those costs. http://medicaltourismmag.com/article/healthcare-reform-survey.html
The Medical Tourism Association (Medical Travel Association), also known as the Global Healthcare Association, at http://www.MedicalTourismAssociation.com  is the first international non-profit association comprised of the top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality of healthcare to patients in a global environment. Our Association promotes the interests of its healthcare provider and medical tourism facilitators members. The Medical Tourism Association has three mission-driven tenets: Education, Communication and Transparency.

The Medical Tourism Association has released an educational White Paper on Healthcare Reform, detailing what positive and negative effects healthcare reform is expected to have on both inbound, outbound and domestic medical tourism.   Healthcare Reform passed into law in March 2010 and has both immediate implications and those to go into full effect in 2014. Many expect the reform will continue to raise healthcare and health insurance costs in the United States. 

As healthcare costs and health insurance costs rise in the United States this will push American patients to choose to travel domestically for medical tourism, a new term coined towards the provision of more affordable healthcare services within the US, or to leave the United States to travel abroad for medical care.
As stated by Devon Herrick of National Center for Policy Analysis, USA, “The recent Health Reform legislation contains virtually nothing to encourage patients and providers to control costs.  By contrast, medical tourism represents global competition in health care, where providers compete on price and quality. Medical tourism is our best opportunity to encourage competition within the health care industry.”
The Healthcare Reform white paper is meant to give guidance and understanding on how the different aspects of healthcare reform will interact with medical tourism. The Medical Tourism White Paper can be read in the Healthcare Reform Updates section of the Medical Tourism Congress website. http://medicaltourismcongress.com/en/healthcare-reform-updates.html
“We have released this white paper in order to provide insight into healthcare reform and its different provisions, projecting how it may affect medical tourism. Many people around the world do not understand the lengthy healthcare reform document passed in the US and mistakenly think that it provides more affordable healthcare to Americans and that it will lower healthcare costs.  Costs will likely go up under healthcare reform and this was reaffirmed in the recent medical tourism survey the MTA conducted with almost 100 insurance companies and employers, where almost 100% of respondents found that they believe costs will rise,” said Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the Medical Tourism Association.
The healthcare reform and medical tourism white paper will be available at the MTA’s annual conference, The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress, which will have a large focus on Healthcare Reform this year in Los Angeles, California from September 22-24th. The conference will focus on how healthcare reform affects employers, insurers, insurance agents, healthcare providers and patients and will peel back the onion of the thousands of pages of healthcare reform bill to look at how different aspects of health care reform will really work. www.medicaltourismcongress.com 

The Medical Tourism Association also conducted a survey of over one hundred US insurance companies and US employers on the effect medical tourism will have upon them.  The survey, “Healthcare Reform Survey Among Industry Stakeholders Discovers Similar Concerns,” July, 2010, shows a sample of the future growth potential of the medical tourism industry. 71 percent of insurance companies and employers felt healthcare reform was extremely positive for the medical tourism industry and more Americans would travel overseas under the new law. Employers and insurance companies know that healthcare reform will increase costs and medical tourism is one of the few ways to lower those costs. http://medicaltourismmag.com/article/healthcare-reform-survey.html
The Medical Tourism Association (Medical Travel Association), also known as the Global Healthcare Association, at http://www.MedicalTourismAssociation.com  is the first international non-profit association comprised of the top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality of healthcare to patients in a global environment. Our Association promotes the interests of its healthcare provider and medical tourism facilitators members. The Medical Tourism Association has three mission-driven tenets: Education, Communication and Transparency.