The Medical Tourism Association™ and Richard Krasner, professional in workers compensation; released this white paper which presents evidence indicating that employers and insurance companies may not have a choice in implementing medical tourism.

Throughout the debate leading to the enactment of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), one area of healthcare has been relegated to the sidelines; the rising cost of workers’ compensation claims. One major factor for the increase of workers’ compensation claims costs is the rise of medical costs associated with those claims. The average medical cost per loss time claim in workers’ compensation in 2008 was $260,000, and medical losses in that year represented 58 percent of all total losses.

The white paper concludes on the note that the globalization of healthcare will necessitate the removal of all barriers to providing the best care possible at the lowest cost. The cost savings that are being realized by medical tourism as a part of the healthcare industry can be just as beneficial in workers’ compensation. Therefore, medical tourism should be implemented into workers’ compensation and the legal barriers should be modified.

As part of the mission to provide education to those seeking information about the industry, the Medical Tourism Association™ has published the white paper, you can view it here: http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com/en/workers-compensation-white-paper.html

Please send an email with any questions or comments.

Olivia@MedicalTourismAssociation.com

I have been given the opportunity to work from Mexico for two months, I am in my third week and already I have had two medical experiences. The city I am in is called Manzanillo in the state of Colima which is about four hours away from Guadalajara. Manzanillo is, located on the Pacific Ocean and is the home of one of Mexico’s busiest ports. It is also home to some beautiful beaches! I am fortunate enough to be staying right on the beach called La Audiencia.

1^st experience

On my lunch break one day I decided to accompany a friend while he took his boss, an elderly woman from Texas to the dentist.  I really wanted to see what a dental office in Mexico looked like! His boss and her husband came here on their honeymoon 50 years ago and decided to retire here. She told me that the decision was easy because it was beautiful and they could afford a full time caretaker (which her health requires) and maid for her.

We entered a two story building that did not have an elevator, so getting her up the stairs was a challenge. Once we entered the small but well equipped dental office there was air conditioning and two friendly dental assistants. Her appointment this day was to have a root canal. Once the procedure began she became very scared, so the dentist to my surprise starting talking to her in English and asked the assistant to hold her hand the entire time. Once the appointment was over I asked the dentist where she learned to speak English and if she had to do it often with her job. She informed me that several of her patients are retirees from the U.S. and they live here six months out of the year so she gets to practice her English often. She also told me that most of them pay in cash and then request a letter from her dental practice which is used for reimbursement in the U.S. I found this very interesting because I was hearing firsthand about people retiring abroad so they can afford the care and style of living that they need, which is a highly discussed topic in medical tourism! Overall, I was impressed with this medical experience and would have no concerns about having dental work done there myself.

Click here to read an article about baby boomers and retiring abroad.

2^nd experience

My next medical experience happened when I was going to a local clinic to try and get a prescription. The wait was more than 50 people long, all packed in the waiting room with no air conditioning. It was so long I didn’t even wait I just left. I know that Mexico has social security, meaning everyone gets healthcare at some level, so I starting asking around if this was a clinic that mostly treated patients who had healthcare through social security and the answer I got was yes.  There were older men and women, children and several pregnant women standing in line to be treated. I can imagine a lot of people putting off going to the doctor because of the wait and the heat. But, I still needed my prescription. After doing some research and asking around I found out that I could just go to the pharmacy and pick up the medicine I needed.  I went to the local pharmacy, Farmacia Guadalajara (which I believe is a franchise) and showed them the pill bottle that I brought from the U.S.; luckily they carried the same type of medicine I needed. I paid $60 pesos which is roughly $5 USD and I was out the door! The medicine I needed was for something very common and that I didn’t really need to see a doctor for. In order for me to get that same prescription in the U.S, I have to request time off of work because no doctors’ offices are open on Saturdays, pay the $40 USD co-pay for my appointment and finally pay around $20 USD to get my prescription filled. Whether this is the right or wrong way to do things, I do not know. But I do know that this simple and common medicine that I needed was given to me quick and inexpensive!

The view from where I am working right now.

Just a reminder that the 25th issue of the Medical Tourism Magazine has been released! The theme of this issue is Navigation Towards Opportunity. Each article in this issue illustrates what a country, insurance company, hospital, government or a new unique industry is doing to promote, improve, initiate or overcome challenges they face. For those examples without a direct relation to medical tourism, look at it from another prospective to see how it could fit in. Do not underestimate the possibilities.

Some of the topics include:

• Free Healthcare Zones-Maximize the Potential

• Cruising to Better Health- New Medical Treatments at Sea

• Medical Tourism and the Destinations Country’s Poor

• Japan- Realizing Medical Tourism Potential

• Medical Tourism -Entering the Educational System

The next issue of the magazine will be the Pre-Congress issue that will be printed and distributed at the event, please let me know if you have some interest in participation! Don’t miss the chance to be featured in one of the largest issues of the year!

After speaking to some people recently, the idea of attracting international patients to their area seems impossible so they just write off the concept of medical tourism. But, maybe they should consider domestic medical tourism to begin with.

I have spoken to a few tourism boards from small counties lately and they all say what great tourism offerings they have and when I ask about the healthcare they can usually list at least one local facility off hand that specializes in something. So why not start there? The tourism board could partner with the one or more local healthcare facilities and maybe a few hotels to begin with. They can create a small partnership agreement and see how it works.

I’m sure most patients covered by health insurance do not really consider going to a different state or county to receive treatment.  In most cases it is probably because they don’t really know a lot about it, not everyone does extensive research before getting a procedure. But, if they have the same coverage in another state and they can afford a trip, then why wouldn’t they be interested? Depending of course on the procedure they need.  This is where I see the opportunity for small counties to shine.  The example that keeps coming to my mind is relaxing at a wine vineyard in some small town, while recovering from a minimally invasive procedure. Some of these smaller places will be quieter, quaint and have unique features.  This way the patient could enjoy recovering and so could the companion they bring along. Even if a patient has a procedure in their home town, they typically have a friend or family member to assist them during the recovery process; this is the chance for the companion to enjoy the recovery time also.

A clear marketing plan needs to be put in place, and once the destination has been established or has seen results from their efforts then they could take it to another level, in the medical tourism industry, possibilities are endless!  The Medical Tourism Association has a Destination Branding Program in place that could assist smaller destinations in finding the right marketing strategy for them.  The point is, there are so many aspects to this industry and new ideas are always being implemented, do not get scared off at the thought of your small destination trying to attract all these patients from all over the world. Just start off at a comfortable level.  The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress would be a good starting point to learn all about the industry from the experts!

If anyone else is interested in this idea, please let me know!

Olivia@MedicalTourismAssociation.com

For those of you in the travel industry or those of you that know someone who is, I hope this is helpful in determining the possible role in medical tourism.

The hospitality industry which is made up of hotels and tour operators is a very important part of proving an overall exceptional patient/companion experience. Many hospitals have partnered up with these companies to coordinate transportation and tourism activities. The hospitals are staying focused on providing quality healthcare and are allowing hospitality to handle the rest. For tour operators this could be a new market.  Nowadays, it is simple to book your own trip so the demand for travel agents is not as high. With the growth of medical tourism, a travel agent specializing in medical or wellness travel could attract more business.

Hotels can really go above and beyond by offering certain services that recovering patients would require such as:

• Prescription pick-ups
• Wellness packages
• Custom dietary accommodations
• Special activity accommodations
• Medical personnel on staff

Tour operators could extend their services by:

• Arranging transportation to medical appointments
• Planning tourism activities based on the recovering patients capabilities
• Providing activities or restaurants for the companion that may need to spend time alone while the patient recovers

For tour operators there is an opportunity to get even more involved by taking on the role of a medical tourism facilitator. Facilitators can simplify the daunting process of patients trying to find the best healthcare, where to stay, will someone speak their language and how to get around in a different country. Medical tourism facilitators can assist with the following arrangements:

• Provide a list of recommended hospitals and doctors
• Ensure that a translator is provided at the hospital if needed
• Provide approximate cost for the procedure, and the length of time to stay in the destination
• Arrange conference calls between the patient and doctor as well as between the patients primary care physician and the overseas doctor
• Provide detailed information about the destination the patient would travel to
• Transfer patient medical records to the overseas hospital
• Arrangements for passports, visas, flights, lodging and transportation
• Provide a complete itinerary, recommendations and contact numbers

Facilitators can be based anywhere and assist the patient in finding the best facility for their needs. In some cases facilitators are contracted with hospitals so the patient could approach the hospital themselves and they could then set them up with a facilitator to take care of the details. Some countries have developed healthcare clusters which would include hospitals, facilitators, tourism boards and hotels this is where all entities work together to provide the best patient experience and to brand their destination as leaders in medical tourism.

Getting started

The MTA receives so many phone calls each week from people that want to get into the medical tourism industry and they think they could be a facilitator, but that is the extent of their knowledge. It is difficult to help someone in getting started when they have no idea where their expertise lies within this industry. The MTA has many articles published and even a book called The Medical Tourism Facilitator that will guide you through the process of getting started.  If you are serious about starting a business as a facilitator you must know everything it entails, read this book and all the articles you can find to become an expert on what to do.  Some people even call in asking how can I work for a company that is already established, in this case the MTA could post their job inquiry on the MTA members only page and if someone is interested they could contact you directly, but you still need to read the book first!

Additionally, if you already have a facilitation company and are looking to get patient referrals or to contract with a hospital, becoming a member of the MTA could be the right step for you.  We have several patients calling in looking for the best place to go, we post the inquiries on the members’ only page and this provides the members the opportunity to contact them directly. If you are looking to develop a relationship with a hospital or cluster you can connect with the MTA members on the social network Medical Tourism City, or in some cases the MTA will do personal introductions.  And if membership isn’t for you, attending the MTA’s annual conference will put you face to face with these healthcare providers for the chance to establish a relationship, you can even request one on one networking meetings with them.

Below is a list of articles and books to read that will provide examples and hopefully answer some questions you have about medical tourism and the travel industry.

Understanding Medical Tourism- An Overview

Legal Issues- Medical Tourism Association Contract Guidelines for Medical Tourism Facilitators

Legal Issues in Obtaining and Providing Healthcare Internationally

Due Diligence in Facilitation

Hospitality- Creating Alliances and Developing Services

Las Vegas- Adding Healthcare to the Brand

Food Service Meet Your New Patron- The Medical Traveler

Health and Wellness Destination Guides

Feel free to contact me with any additional questions, Olivia@MedicalTourismAssociation.com

In April the Medical Tourism Association™ (MTA) traveled to Los Angeles for the annual International Pow Wow, which brings in more than 1,000 U.S. travel organizations and 1,200 international and domestic travel buyers from more than 70 countries all for the purpose of generating revenue in the future from USA travel.  The MTA has been working with tourism boards, travel agents, hotels and others from all around the world to assist in making the connection between tourism and healthcare. Inbound medical tourism to the U.S. is becoming more of a focus for the MTA and those that are interested in increasing patients and tourism revenue in their area. This event marked the launch of the first global marketing campaign to attract international travelers to the U.S.

Brand USA was established by the Travel Promotion Act in 2010 which was passed as a way to start the nation’s first global marketing effort to promote the U.S. as a premier travel destination and communicate U.S. entry/exit policies and procedures.  The Act established a public-private partnership between the travel industry and the U.S. government in efforts to drive job creation and spur economic growth.

“Our goal is nothing short of rekindling the world’s love affair with the USA- the place, the spirit and the dream,” said Jim Evans, CEO of Brand USA at a press conference hosted by the Pow Wow. “We want to spread America’s message of welcome around the world and invite travelers to experience the limitless possibilities the United States has to offer.”

This is the first time the since the USA was founded that the country has had a nationally coordinated effort dedicated to inviting tourists to visit.

“Visit USA associations and committees did a great job of doing what they could to attract visitors, but they are a membership organization so their funding was somewhat limited,” said Chris Perkins, CMO for Brand USA in an interview with the MTA.  “Now we can collaborate with them and the industry to have a clear and consistent message.”

One of their first calls-to-action as a way to spread the word was to develop an anthem. Rosanne Cash, daughter of American music legend Johnny Cash, composed an original song titled “Land of Dreams.” As part of its marketing efforts Brand USA will extend invitations to musical artists from around the world to come and perform their music in their favorite U.S. cites as well as profiling their trips and favorite things about the USA online and through social media. The anthem is available at DiscoverAmerica.com.

“It’s about having an integrated campaign; the anthem is just a part of it. We will be doing trade shows, FAM Tours and have special promotions in key markets,” said Perkins.

One of their main initiatives is the USA All Access, which is a syndicated television series where the original content will be created by notable people from all over the world sharing experiences of their favorite places to go in the U.S.

They have an advertising campaign that launched May 1^st in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada which will last for three months followed by advertising in Brazil and South Korea. This advertising will take place on television, billboards, print ads, and a huge social media presence.

Since inbound medical tourism is developing more and more attention, this national marketing effort can only benefit this niche industry. This is the perfect opportunity for medical facilities in the U.S. to take every step in branding themselves as leaders in U.S. healthcare. The MTA’s Destination Guide Series would be helpful in doing this as it is a comprehensive guide geared towards consumers, showcasing all the tourism and healthcare aspects of an area. This guide could help in getting one step ahead of others; it would show that a hospital or hotel is capable of handling international patients and tourists.

As of right now, Brand USA has no plans in place to market to people searching for medical care in the U.S.

“It is something that we have plans for the future to do, but we had to start first with the biggest market which is leisure travel, that said we believe even the brand advertising will put us on the map in a way that it hasn’t before,” said Perkins. “ Hopefully we will collaborate with medical tourism industry partners to help shine a light on what they already do in order  to promote that very unique kind of offering. “

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to a couple of conferences that were not directly related to medical tourism. Upon introducing myself and the Medical Tourism Association™ (MTA), the listeners interest was immediately sparked.  Most of these were either in the hospitality industry, a tourism board or even a translation service…I did not put a limit on the companies I was trying to attract. Some had never heard of it, others kind of knew what it was and some had even thought about implementing this as a new target market. The overall response I received was “how so I get involved in this industry on a smaller scale, in order to find out if it would work for my company?” Companies new to the industry are just looking to get more information and do some networking. At the office we receive several calls a month from people wanting to work in medical tourism but have no idea where to start. I’m sure that most people in this industry get similar inquiries…the MTA is the perfect platform for people to discover the ins and outs of this niche market.  Here are some things the MTA can offer for all the newcomers wanting to tap into this versatile and limitless industry.

Step 1 – Research

The MTA has books and magazines dedicated to educating readers with the most up to date information in the industry. Reading through some of this information could give you some insight on how you could become involved. I’ve given a few examples below.

This article provides a quick overview of the terms and markets for medical tourism.

This article gives an example how a company involved in the travel industry could implement this concept.

Many hospitals and clinics have or should have international patient departments in order to cater to the needs of a foreign patient, this article gives an example of why this is so vital to the success of the industry…it also serves as an example of another important market in this industry…language translation.

For more detailed information on these topics you can purchase the books written by the president of the MTA…an expert in medical tourism. 

Step 2 – Start networking and asking questions

The MTA has its own social network, Medical Tourism City…you can join this network and become connected to other experts and members of our association, find out what is going on and how others are actively participating.

Step 3 – Keep learning and networking!

The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress is the best way to maximize on knowledge and networking. It will also give you a chance to see just how huge this industry is. The Congress brings in around 2000 people from 87 different countries, including Ministers of Health, hospitals, doctors, buyers of healthcare, tourism boards, insurance companies and others. We invite experts to share best practices and case studies for the medical tourism industry.  The Congress also features advanced networking software which allows you to schedule one on one networking meetings, this is your opportunity to see who is coming and meet with them face to face to get all the information you need or a new possible business opportunity.  Take a look at our agenda to see the sessions and speakers for the 2012 Congress in South Florida.  Also, if you register before July 1^st you save $500 on the registration fee.

There are so many ways the MTA could assist you in becoming part of the medical tourism industry…please contact us if you or someone you know needs help in getting started!

Olivia@MedicalTourismAssociation.com

This is not a topic discussed as often as it should be. What can people in the medical tourism industry do to solve this crisis? What are people already doing?

Sure, the news sometimes features stories about medical tourism and yes many people have at least heard of it. But in almost every case where I have personally talked to someone I know about this industry they have never heard of it, aside from some of the horror stories blasted in the news. They do not know the legitimacy of this industry and all the things it has to offer.

What is the MTA doing?

Www.MedicalTourism.com is the MTA’s consumer based website, it is designed to assist a potential medical tourist in the research process of planning a trip. The site features:

• Details about certain destinations such as, hotels, airlines, currency, entrance requirements and more
• Price chart comparisons per procedure
• The latest news stories in the industry
• The MTAs  membership directory, so patients can see who we work with and possibly contact them directly
• Full versions of the Health & Wellness Destination Guides

The Destination Guides are designed with the consumer in mind, it features, clinical listings, tourism activities and even gives a guide to how much a patient should budget for a medical trip to that destination.  CVB’s are highly involved in the production of this guide, as they have direct access to the consumers.

There are many more initiatives the MTA is involved in, but there needs to something more!

For the next issue the Medical Tourism Magazine, I am planning to write an article on this topic. I would like to speak with several different people in the industry and find out what they are doing, why they are not doing anything and what do they think would have the greatest impact on increasing consumer awareness and how can it be achieved?

If anyone is interested in contributing some thoughts on this topic, please let me know! Olivia@MedicalTourismAssociation.com

This year the number of people globally with dementia stands at 35.6 million. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2030, there will be 65 million people with dementia and by the middle of the century 115 million people will be affected by this.  More than half of the people with dementia come from low-to-middle-income nations, and that number is expected to keep increasing.

Along with the rising numbers of dementia patients, also are the numbers rising in dollars spent on caring and treating for these patients.  In many cases, it is not just the patient that is unable to work, but their caregivers have to give up their jobs. As of right now $604 billion is spent each year worldwide on dementia.

The WHO and Alzheimer’s Disease International published a report called “Dementia: a public health priority.” This report illustrates the importance of diagnosing this early. Currently eight countries have an active national program to address the issue of dementia.  In most cases this is diagnosed once the disease is already in late stages. Authors of the report say that these programs should focus on better early diagnosis, improving public awareness, reducing stigma and providing better support for the caregivers.

The issue with the caregivers is that the majority of the time they are the patient’s relatives or friends. As the primary caregiver, they are more likely to develop health issues of their own such as anxiety, depression and poor physical health.  The pressure of taking on this role is incredibly stressful.  As mentioned before many have to give up their jobs, so in addition to constantly caring for someone they are also suffering economically.

So when designing programs to effectively aid dementia patients, it is recommended that the caregivers be highly involved to insure proper support for themselves and the patient.  The more the caregiver knows about helping the patient and the more assistance they have will help to extend the time the patient can remain at home. The costs of an assisted living facility can become very high.

This issue is like so many others in every industry today. Finding a way to improve something before it gets worse and becomes more costly just makes sense.  35 million is a significant amount of people and $604 billion is a significant amount of money.

Read full article here

Once diagnosed with cancer, the next step is to immediately start treatment for this disease. But maybe that hasn’t been the best approach?

A study presented on April 3rd at the American Association for Cancer Research, conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, suggests that cancer survivors could benefit from a more comprehensive approach to their health, not just the cancer treatment. Results from this study showed that 776 cancer survivors died: fifty-one percent from cancer and 49 percent from other causes. Cardiovascular disease was the primary cause.

This study used data from 1,807 adult cancer survivors that participated in this survey between 1988 and 2004. They were followed for up to 17 years.  About 63.2 percent of men in the study and 66.9 percent of women had a cardiovascular condition, 58.7 percent of men and 62 percent of women had high blood pressure, and 61.3 percent of men and 70.5 percent of women had high cholesterol levels.

The study also showed that the longer patients survived after their initial diagnosis, the more likely they were to die from another disease: 32.8 percent died from another condition within five years of diagnosis, compared with 62.7 percent after 20 years.

“After the detection of cancer, clinicians and cancer survivors pay less attention to the prevention and treatment of other diseases and complications,” said study researcher Dr. Yi Ning, assistant professor of epidemiology and community health at Virginia Commonwealth University in an article by MSNBC. “We shouldn’t neglect other aspects of health because we are focused on cancer.”

In light of this new information, it will be interesting to see if the standard protocols are altered for newly diagnosed cancer patients.

It would also be interesting to hear if any other countries already have something like this in place.  If you know of or work at a facility that focuses on overall health of a cancer patient after diagnosis, surveys, success rates and methodology…this would be an interesting story! Please let me know if you have anything to add.

Read full article here.