Cross-border healthcare could leave insurers with a bill payable to European providers.

Neil Thompson, product manager at private medical insurance (PMI) provider National Friendly, recently returned from a trip to Europe to explore the impact of EU legislation on healthcare, said the implications of the directive on cross-border healthcare had yet to be fully explained.

“Nobody quite knows what will happen if somebody does elect to go overseas for treatment and the bill is higher than it would be in the UK,” he said. “If a knee operation was £4,000 in France and £3,000 in UK, who would pick up the extra £1,000? Arguably anybody who had an insurance policy might expect that their insurance provider to meet the excess. This is one of many questions as yet unanswered in the Europe Parliament.”

Thompson said there remained a possibility that insurers would no longer be able to stipulate that only UK treatment would be funded. At the Association of British Insurer’s biannual conference Bupa’s group director of public policy Mark Bassett predicted that the directive could speed moves towards non-NHS financing of healthcare, by enabling patients to supplement their NHS entitlement abroad.

WORKING TIME DIRECTIVE

Another European directive is currently being fiercely contested by doctors unions. The European Working Time Directive (EWTD) would introduce a 48-hour week for junior doctors which the British Medical Association (BMA) claims will render a third of junior doctors’ current hours illegal.

Dr Andy Thornley, chairman of the BMA’s junior doctors committee, said: “Unless the challenges of the EWTD are taken more seriously there will undoubtedly be disruption to patient services in August. We are also deeply concerned that the quality of training for junior doctors will be threatened.”

Thompson speculated that the implementation of the directive could lead to longer waiting times, suggesting that the reductions achieved since 1997 may have been built on junior doctors’ lengthy working hours.

ATTITUDES TO CROSS-BORDER HEALTHCARE

54% of UK citizens are open to travel to another EU country to seek medical treatment

95% of this number would do so if necessary treatment was unavailable at home

81% of this number would go to seek better quality treatment

86% of this number would go to seek quicker access

66% of this number are interested in cheaper treatment

Source: Eurobarometer survey, 2007

        

The Community Quality Index Study, the largest and most comprehensive examination ever conducted of health care quality in the United States, found that adults fail to receive recommended health care nearly half the time. And everyone is at risk for receiving poor care . . .

• No matter where they live or why they sought care (Fig 1)
• What kind of insurance they have (Fig 2),
• Or what their race, gender, or financial status is (Fig. 3).

The gap between the care patients should be getting and what they actually get probably contributes to thousands of preventable deaths each year. Performance-tracking systems and health information technology could help the health system get a better grade.

To assess quality of care in this study, the research team developed the RAND Quality Assessment Tools, a set of measures and methods for “scoring” quality on a consistent and clinically sound basis.

SOURCE: RAND Research Brief 9053-2 (2006). The First National Report Card on Quality of Health Care in America

        

Insurance costs are killing small firms -- but many entrepreneurs are ideologically opposed to government-backed health coverage.

The so-called "public option," backed by President Obama and many Congressional Democrats, would set up a government-backed health insurance plan that would compete with private plans. Though details remain fuzzy, the proposal already has critics on both sides of the aisle decrying "government-run health care." The American Medical Association and private insurers oppose any public option.

Also resisting is the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the nation's largest and most influential small business group. A fierce critic of the Clinton administration's health care reform efforts a decade ago, the NFIB now considers universal health care to be one of its top legislative priorities. But it wants to see that care and coverage come from the private sector.

"Our members, who are entrepreneurs and risk takers, really do fundamentally at the end of the day want lower costs and competition, but they are going to be very skeptical of something that has a lot of government involvement," says Michelle Dimarob, the federation's legislative policy manager. The NFIB is instead pushing for a reform plan that would provide universal coverage and cut costs by increasing competition among private insurers, likely through the creation of government-mediated insurance pools.

Other small business advocates are more willing to let the government take the lead. The Main Street Alliance, founded last year to lobby on behalf of small-business owners around health reform, says its survey of 1,200 small business operators and self-employed entrepreneurs in the 12 states where it operates found that 59% prefer a public option, with only 26% wanting more private plan choices alone.

"Small business are in a position now where, frankly, they don't trust the insurance companies to be able to deliver quality, affordable health care," says alliance director Sam Blair. "Many business owners are saying we need a new kind of choice on the table."

Talk to small business owners themselves, and you'll hear a variety of opinions about how to fix health care. Most agree, however, on one thing: Increasing the variety of available insurance options is a must.

ReShonda Young, an Iowa Main Street Alliance member who runs a family-owned 34-employee courier service in Waterloo, Iowa, says she'll back anything that increases her choices. After two years of looking for coverage, she hasn't found anything affordable.

"I met with our broker in April. He gave me eight different quotes, and all of the quotes were from one company, which was Wellmark," Young says. Even if she covered only her 14 full-time staffers, the financial hit would increase her payroll costs by at least 12%.

St. Louis businessman Jim Henderson says that insurance premiums for his construction-supply company, Dynamic Sales, have jumped 159% in the last 11 years. "We do shop around, but being a small business with seven employees, [insurers] don't get too excited about that," he says.

"You're kind of locked in," agrees Daniel Eosco, who owns a 10-person Internet hosting service based in Bath, Maine.

For local small businesses like his, there's just two choices, he says: "You either go through Anthem [Blue Cross and Blue Shield], or you go through the state with Dirigo." Either way, you're tapping into the same back-end: Dirigo is a state-run program that provides subsidized coverage through a partnership with the private Anthem.

While Dirigo's premiums are lower, they're still high. "It was like $4,000 out of pocket to have a baby, and I was paying $1,100 a month for insurance," Eosco recalls. Covering each of his eight employees would cost at least $100,000 -- more than he can afford.

Eosco is a member of the Maine Small Business Coalition, a Main Street Alliance affiliate. He thinks a public insurance option would be a step in the right direction, but is nonetheless uneasy. "I make a good wage. Am I gonna get taxed higher so somebody who makes $20,000 a year has the same insurance as me? I'm all for public health care so more people can get health care, because it's the right thing to do. But I don't like the whole Robin Hood effect."

Most of all, though, he wonders: "Will it actually bring my health care costs down?"

That's the key question, and one that industry analysts bitterly disagree on. Proponents point to report released in February by the philanthropic Commonwealth Fund, which projected that premiums for a public plan that reimbursed doctors based on Medicare pay rates would be "at least 20% below those currently available for a comparable benefit package in the private market."

What the public plan does is "create some leverage" to ensure that insurance companies don't find new ways to deny coverage, says Ellen Shaffer of the Center for Policy Analysis, which advocates a strong public health insurance plan. "Passing laws to regulate the insurance industry without some sort of alternative if they're not living up to it is really ineffective. You don't want a situation where you're trying to sue the insurance industry for 20 years to get them to obey the law."

The NFIB's Dimarob counters that using government clout to set rates would be unfair to private insurers ("'we're going to set all the rules and then we're going to compete against you' -- that doesn't seem like competition"), and it could also lead to cost-shifting, as doctors hike fees for the privately insured to make up for caps on public enrollees. A Families USA study, she notes, found that cost-shifting for care of the uninsured already inflates the costs for those with private insurance by an average of $368 per person.

With concerns like these in mind, some centrists are pinning their hopes on what's been dubbed the "level playing field" model, where a public insurer would be restricted from imposing Medicare-based fee structures. That would help soothe the fears of private insurers that they'd be undercut by a government competitor. "You need a credible threat in some markets where there is none now," says Len Nichols of the New America Foundation, who has advocated such a plan. "The public plan could do that, just by bidding fairly." Plus, he adds, "if you pay market rates, there's no cost-shifting, so you've solved that problem."

Small business owner Young is likewise hopeful that the mere existence of a public option could help lower costs.

"I personally worked for insurance companies for 12 years," she says. "I know that there could be some cost savings there. But without some kind of competition or regulation, I don't see what their incentive is to lower their costs".

        

Obama's plan to digitize America's health records in five years faces many hurdles including cost, but experts say it will ultimately save billions.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As Congress prepares to do battle over health reform, a parallel dispute is shaping up among small-business groups that are staking out opposing positions on a key element of reform proposals: whether Uncle Sam will take on a bigger role in offering insurance coverage or leave the field to the private market.

The so-called "public option," backed by President Obama and many Congressional Democrats, would set up a government-backed health insurance plan that would compete with private plans. Though details remain fuzzy, the proposal already has critics on both sides of the aisle decrying "government-run health care." The American Medical Association and private insurers oppose any public option.

Also resisting is the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the nation's largest and most influential small business group. A fierce critic of the Clinton administration's health care reform efforts a decade ago, the NFIB now considers universal health care to be one of its top legislative priorities. But it wants to see that care and coverage come from the private sector.

"Our members, who are entrepreneurs and risk takers, really do fundamentally at the end of the day want lower costs and competition, but they are going to be very skeptical of something that has a lot of government involvement," says Michelle Dimarob, the federation's legislative policy manager. The NFIB is instead pushing for a reform plan that would provide universal coverage and cut costs by increasing competition among private insurers, likely through the creation of government-mediated insurance pools.

Other small business advocates are more willing to let the government take the lead. The Main Street Alliance, founded last year to lobby on behalf of small-business owners around health reform, says its survey of 1,200 small business operators and self-employed entrepreneurs in the 12 states where it operates found that 59% prefer a public option, with only 26% wanting more private plan choices alone.

"Small business are in a position now where, frankly, they don't trust the insurance companies to be able to deliver quality, affordable health care," says alliance director Sam Blair. "Many business owners are saying we need a new kind of choice on the table."

Talk to small business owners themselves, and you'll hear a variety of opinions about how to fix health care. Most agree, however, on one thing: Increasing the variety of available insurance options is a must.

ReShonda Young, an Iowa Main Street Alliance member who runs a family-owned 34-employee courier service in Waterloo, Iowa, says she'll back anything that increases her choices. After two years of looking for coverage, she hasn't found anything affordable.

"I met with our broker in April. He gave me eight different quotes, and all of the quotes were from one company, which was Wellmark," Young says. Even if she covered only her 14 full-time staffers, the financial hit would increase her payroll costs by at least 12%.

St. Louis businessman Jim Henderson says that insurance premiums for his construction-supply company, Dynamic Sales, have jumped 159% in the last 11 years. "We do shop around, but being a small business with seven employees, [insurers] don't get too excited about that," he says.

"You're kind of locked in," agrees Daniel Eosco, who owns a 10-person Internet hosting service based in Bath, Maine.

For local small businesses like his, there's just two choices, he says: "You either go through Anthem [Blue Cross and Blue Shield], or you go through the state with Dirigo." Either way, you're tapping into the same back-end: Dirigo is a state-run program that provides subsidized coverage through a partnership with the private Anthem.

While Dirigo's premiums are lower, they're still high. "It was like $4,000 out of pocket to have a baby, and I was paying $1,100 a month for insurance," Eosco recalls. Covering each of his eight employees would cost at least $100,000 -- more than he can afford.

Eosco is a member of the Maine Small Business Coalition, a Main Street Alliance affiliate. He thinks a public insurance option would be a step in the right direction, but is nonetheless uneasy. "I make a good wage. Am I gonna get taxed higher so somebody who makes $20,000 a year has the same insurance as me? I'm all for public health care so more people can get health care, because it's the right thing to do. But I don't like the whole Robin Hood effect."

Most of all, though, he wonders: "Will it actually bring my health care costs down?"

That's the key question, and one that industry analysts bitterly disagree on. Proponents point to report released in February by the philanthropic Commonwealth Fund, which projected that premiums for a public plan that reimbursed doctors based on Medicare pay rates would be "at least 20% below those currently available for a comparable benefit package in the private market."

What the public plan does is "create some leverage" to ensure that insurance companies don't find new ways to deny coverage, says Ellen Shaffer of the Center for Policy Analysis, which advocates a strong public health insurance plan. "Passing laws to regulate the insurance industry without some sort of alternative if they're not living up to it is really ineffective. You don't want a situation where you're trying to sue the insurance industry for 20 years to get them to obey the law."

The NFIB's Dimarob counters that using government clout to set rates would be unfair to private insurers ("'we're going to set all the rules and then we're going to compete against you' -- that doesn't seem like competition"), and it could also lead to cost-shifting, as doctors hike fees for the privately insured to make up for caps on public enrollees. A Families USA study, she notes, found that cost-shifting for care of the uninsured already inflates the costs for those with private insurance by an average of $368 per person.

With concerns like these in mind, some centrists are pinning their hopes on what's been dubbed the "level playing field" model, where a public insurer would be restricted from imposing Medicare-based fee structures. That would help soothe the fears of private insurers that they'd be undercut by a government competitor. "You need a credible threat in some markets where there is none now," says Len Nichols of the New America Foundation, who has advocated such a plan. "The public plan could do that, just by bidding fairly." Plus, he adds, "if you pay market rates, there's no cost-shifting, so you've solved that problem."

Small business owner Young is likewise hopeful that the mere existence of a public option could help lower costs.

"I personally worked for insurance companies for 12 years," she says. "I know that there could be some cost savings there. But without some kind of competition or regulation, I don't see what their incentive is to lower their costs." 

        

Experts speaking at this week’s Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress forecast that Asia’s medical tourism market would remain buoyant due to affordability and higher standards of healthcare.

In the past few years Asia has positioned itself as a major medical tourism market, with Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Singapore adopting state-of-the-art medical technologies to improve patient care.

Asia’s healthcare standards and technology adoption will only continue to improve, subsequently making it a foremost driver of medical tourism in the years to come, with the worldwide gross medical tourism revenue forecast to grow from US$56 billion to US$100 billion by 2012.

"Buoyed by the success stories of earlier waves of medical tourists, consumers, insurance companies as well businesses fully recognise the reliability and affordability of going overseas for medical procedures” said Andrew Keable, Divisional Director, Informa Life Sciences.

“Patients who choose to undergo treatments in Asia can pay just 10% of the cost of comparable treatment conducted in developed countries like the United States or United Kingdom.

“This differential cost, coupled with today's sophisticated travel industry, provides an excellent catalyst to the growth of medical tourism.”

The Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress 2009 is being held at Fairmont Hotel, Singapore.

        

With high healthcare standards and a complex and costly system at home, some patients, particularly those from the UK and U.S., have taken to traveling internationally, especially to Asia, to satisfy their medical needs. Experts speaking today at the Healthcare Travel Exhibition and Congress predicted that this growth in medical tourism will continue, from its current gross revenue of $56 billion annually to $100 billion by 2012.

"Buoyed by the success stories of earlier waves of medical tourists, consumers, insurance companies as well businesses fully recognize the reliability and affordability of going overseas for medical procedures," said Andrew Keable, divisional director of Informa Life Sciences. "Patients who choose to undergo treatments in Asia can pay just 10 percent of the cost of comparable treatment conducted in developed countries like the United States or United Kingdom. This differential cost, coupled with today's sophisticated travel industry, provides an excellent catalyst to the growth of medical tourism."

The focus on medical tourism extends across the continent; hospitals in Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Singapore have recently stepped up their medical technologies and resources so as to stay competitive in this growing sector.

The exhibition, hosted by Singapore's Fairmont Hotel, has brought together leaders from the healthcare and tourism industries. Topics to be covered include healthcare insurance trends in Asia, legal liabilities in global medical travel and health insurance risk management for new markets.

        

NEW YORK, Jun 26, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue.

Reportlinker Adds Asian Medical Tourism Analysis (2008-2012)

http://www.reportlinker.com/p0128162/Reportlinker-Adds-Asian-Medical-Tourism-Analysis-(2008-2012).html

Medical tourism has emerged as the fastest growing segment of the Asian tourism industry despite the global economic downturn. High cost of treatments in developed countries, particularly in the USA and the UK, have been continually attracting patients from such regions towards alternative cost-effective destinations. At present, medical tourism in the region is in its infancy, but has an enormous potential for future growth and development.

As per our new report, "Asian Medical Tourism Analysis (2008-2012)", the revenue from the Asian medical tourism industry is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of around 14% during 2009-2012. Various Asian countries such as India, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand have been investing huge amounts in their healthcare infrastructure to meet the demand for quality-assured medical care through first-class facilities and highly trained medical specialists, including tertiary hospital care. For the purpose of this report, Asia includes Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, India and South Korea.

As per our research, the medical tourism industry in the region is growing at double-digit growth rate, outstripping the 4% to 6% growth in general travel bookings. Thailand, India and Singapore dominate the region's medical tourism industry, with a combined market share of around 90% in 2008. However, our research foresees India to emerge as one of the fastest growing medical tourism industry, accounting for around 25% of the region's industry by 2012. In this regard, we have done in-depth analysis of the key factors driving the growth of medical tourism in the country.

"Asian Medical Tourism Analysis (2008-2012)" provides thorough analysis of the current market performance and the future outlook for each of the key markets discussed in the report. It acknowledges the fact that the six Asian markets covered in the report have vast differences in terms of cost, infrastructure, human resources, patient perceptions, competencies and level of government support. Each of the fact has been thoroughly studied in the report. In all, this report provides valuable information to clients looking to venture into these markets and helps them to devise strategies while going for an investment/partnership in these markets.

1. Analyst View

2. Global Medical Tourism Industry

2.1 Medical Tourist - Profile

2.2 Distribution Network

2.3 Preferred Destinations

3. Market Drivers

3.1 Health Infrastructure

3.2 Cost and Waiting Time

3.3 IT and Internet

3.4 Accreditations

3.5 Linkage between Payers and Providers

4. Asian Medical Tourism Market

4.1 Market Analysis

4.2 Market Segmentation

4.2.1 Cardiac Procedure

4.2.2 Orthopedic Procedure

4.2.3 Neurological and Spinal Surgery

4.2.4 Cosmetic Surgery

4.2.5 Dental Treatment

4.2.6 Wellness Tourism

4.2.7 Others

5. Asian Medical Tourism Destination Analysis

5.1 Thailand

5.1.1 Market Analysis

5.1.2 Success and Risk Factors

5.2 Singapore

5.2.1 Market Analysis

5.2.2 Success and Risk Factors

5.3 India

5.3.1 Market Analysis

5.3.2 Success and Risk Factors

5.4 Malaysia

5.4.1 Market Analysis

5.4.2 Success and Risk Factors

5.5 Philippines

5.5.1 Market Analysis

5.5.2 Success and Risk Factors

5.6 South Korea

5.6.1 Market Analysis

5.6.2 Success and Risk Factors

6. Roadblocks

6.1 Follow-ups, Complications and Post-operative Care

6.2 Perceptions

6.3 Weakening Dollar

6.4 Fear of Epidemics

6.5 Ethical Issues

7. Market Outlook to 2012

8. Key Players

8.1 Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

8.2 Bumrungrad Hospital Public Co. Ltd.

8.3 Parkway Health

8.4 Raffles Medical Group

8.5 St. Luke's Medical Center

List of Figures:

Figure 2-1: Global - Medical Tourism Market (Billion US$), 2005, 2007 & 2008

Figure 2-2: Global - Medical Tourism Trips (Million), 2005-2008

Figure 2-3: Distribution Channel for International Tourists

Figure 4-1: Asia - Average Daily Spending of Medical Tourist in Comparison to General Tourist (US$)

Figure 4-2: Asia - Medical Tourism Market (Billion US$), 2006-2008

Figure 4-3: Asia - Medical Tourism Market by Country (%), 2008

Figure 4-4: Asia - Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2007 & 2008

Figure 4-5: Asia - Medical Tourist Arrivals by Country (%), 2008

Figure 4-6: Global - Most Preferred Spa Destinations (%)

Figure 4-7: Global - Most Preferred Spa Destinations for Next Visit (%)

Figure 4-8: Global - Main Reasons for Visiting Spas (%)

Figure 4-9: Global - Favorite Treatments taken by Spa Consumers (%)

Figure 5-1: Thailand - Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2006 & 2008

Figure 5-2: Thailand - Medical Tourist Arrivals by Country (%), 2006

Figure 5-3: Thailand - Medical Tourism Market (Billion BT), 2006 & 2008

Figure 5-4: Thailand - Forecast for Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2009-2012

Figure 5-5: Thailand - Forecast for Medical Tourism Market (Billion BT), 2009-2012

Figure 5-6: Thailand - Spa Earnings (Billion BT), 2007 & 2008

Figure 5-7: Thailand - Forecast for Spa Earnings (Billion BT), 2009 & 2010

Figure 5-8: Thailand - Number of Certified Spa Centers by Type (July 2005)

Figure 5-9: Thailand - Number of Certified Spa Centers by Region (July 2005)

Figure 5-10: Thailand - Spa Visits by Destination (%), 2005

Figure 5-11: Singapore - Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2006-2008

Figure 5-12: Singapore - Medical Tourism Market (Million US$), 2006-2008

Figure 5-13: Singapore - Forecast for Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2009-2012

Figure 5-14: Singapore - Forecast for Medical Tourism Market (Million US$), 2009-2012

Figure 5-15: India - Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2007 & 2008

Figure 5-16: India - Medical Tourism Market (Million US$), 2005-2008

Figure 5-17: India - Forecast for Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2009-2012

Figure 5-18: India - Forecast for Medical Tourism Market (Million US$), 2009-2012

Figure 5-19: Malaysia - Medical Tourist Arrivals by Country (%), 2007

Figure 5-20: Malaysia - Medical Tourist Arrivals by Country (%), 2008

Figure 5-21: Malaysia - Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2004-2008

Figure 5-22: Malaysia - Medical Tourism Market (Million RM), 2004-2008

Figure 5-23: Malaysia - Forecast for Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2009-2012

Figure 5-24: Malaysia - Forecast for Medical Tourism Market (Million RM), 2009-2012

Figure 5-25: Philippines - Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2007 & 2008

Figure 5-26: Philippines - Medical Tourism Market (Million US$), 2006-2008

Figure 5-27: Philippines - Forecast for Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2009-2012

Figure 5-28: Philippines - Forecast for Medical Tourism Market (Million US$), 2009-2012

Figure 5-29: South Korea - Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2007 & 2008

Figure 5-30: South Korea - Medical Tourist Arrivals by Country (%)

Figure 5-31: South Korea - Forecast for Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2009-2012

Figure 5-32: South Korea - Medical Tourism Market (Million US$), 2006, 2007 & 2012

Figure 5-33: South Korea - Number of Doctors (2007, 2008 & 2013)

Figure 5-34: South Korea - Number of Hospital Beds (2007, 2008 & 2013)

Figure 7-1: Global - Forecast for Medical Tourism Trips (Million), 2009-2012

Figure 7-2: Global - Forecast for Medical Tourism Market (Billion US$), 2009-2012

Figure 7-3: Asia - Forecast for Medical Tourism Market (Billion US$), 2009 & 2012

Figure 7-4: Asia - Forecast for Medical Tourism Market by Country (%), 2012

Figure 7-5: Asia - Forecast for Medical Tourist Arrivals ('000), 2009-2012

Figure 7-6: Asia - Forecast for Medical Tourist Arrivals by Country (%), 2012

List of Tables:

Table 2-1: Global - Emerging Medical Tourism Destinations

Table 3-1: India - Cardiac Surgery Mortality Rate in Comparison to US (%)

Table 3-2: US, India & Thailand - Cost of the Complex Treatments (US$)

Table 3-3: US & UK - Approximate Waiting Period with Nature of Treatment (Months)

Table 4-1: India, Thailand & Singapore - Cost of Various Surgical Procedures in Comparison to Other Countries (US$)

Table 4-2: India - Cost of Cardiac Procedures in Comparison to Other Countries (US$)

Table 4-3: India - Cost of Orthopedic Procedures in Comparison to Other Countries (US$)

Table 4-4: India - Cost of Neurological and Spinal Surgical Procedures in Comparison to UK (US$)

Table 4-5: India - Cost of Parkinson's Procedures in Comparison to UK (US$)

Table 4-6: India - Cost of Cosmetic and Plastic Surgical Procedures in Comparison to Other Countries (US$)

Table 4-7: India - Cost of Dental Treatments in Comparison to US (US$)

Table 4-8: India - Cost of Gastric Procedures in Comparison to Other Countries (US$)

Table 4-9: India - Cost of Arthroscopic Procedures in Comparison to Other Countries (US$)

Table 4-10: India - Cost of Breast Procedures in Comparison to Other Countries (US$)

Table 4-11: India - Cost of Transplant Procedures in Comparison to US (US$)

Table 5-1: Thailand - Major Private Hospitals Serving Foreign Patients

Table 5-2: Thailand - Cost of Various Surgical Procedures in Comparison to US (US$)

Table 5-3: Asia - Number of Hotel/Resort Spas by Country (2007 & 2012)

Table 5-4: Thailand - Number of Spa Visits by Destination (2005)

Table 5-5: Singapore - Cost of Various Surgical Procedures in Comparison to US (US$)

Table 5-6: Singapore - Healthcare Medical Staff (Number), 2006 & 2007

Table 5-7: Singapore - Medical Infrastructure (Number), 2006-2008

Table 5-8: India - Medical Infrastructure by Medicinal System (Number)

Table 5-9: India - Cost of Various Surgical Procedures in Comparison to Other Countries (US$)

Table 5-10: India - Healthcare Infrastructure (Number), 2006

Table 5-11: India - Cost of Accommodation (US$)

Table 5-12: Philippines - Number of Registered Health Professionals

Table 5-13: Philippines - Cost of Various Surgical Procedures in Comparison to US (US$)

To order this report:

Reportlinker Adds Asian Medical Tourism Analysis (2008-2012)

http://www.reportlinker.com/p0128162/Reportlinker-Adds-Asian-Medical-Tourism-Analysis-(2008-2012).html

More market research reports here!

SOURCE: ReportLinker

        

Over the years Colombia has become one of the best medical tourism destinations for all types of cosmetic surgery procedures. Due to the huge numbers of surgeries performed in Colombia, the Colombian doctors and nurses are highly trained, fully practiced and experienced to ensure that their medical skills and knowledge meet the international standards.

Miami, FL, June 26, 2009 --(PR.com)-- We’ve been living with an old and a famous phrase since our school days which says ‘practice makes a man perfect’. The phrase becomes apt in any field of life and when it comes to the medical profession, a big amount of practice is, certainly, needed to perform those difficult and delicate surgeries. Cosmetic Surgery is no exception for that matter. Apparently, Cosmetic Harmony Inc., a Colombia based medical tourism company, highly regards their experienced surgeons and credits the company’s success to them.

Over the years Colombia has become one of the best medical tourism destinations for all types of cosmetic surgery procedures. Strengthening of Dollar, Euro and Pound against Colombian Peso is turning a large number of people from USA and Europe into the medical travelers for cosmetic surgery. Cost is only one factor; the main factor is the experience and skill-set of Colombian surgeons. Due to the huge numbers of surgeries performed in Colombia, the Colombian doctors and nurses are highly trained, fully practiced and experienced to ensure that their medical skills and knowledge meet the international standards.

“The board-certified surgeons and doctors we have chosen for our company have been carefully screened by our consultants, owners, and business colleagues through a highly competitive, rigorous and laborious process. An extensive background check was conducted into the history of their medical practice and educational accomplishments, as well as recognized lifetime awards. We have carefully selected top-rated and board certified surgeons based on the information stated above, in addition to the satisfaction of previous patients, the respect and admiration from peers in their profession, and documentation provided by cosmetic surgery boards in Colombia. Our clients have made our surgeons very popular and we have been getting lots of new clients due to the recommendations and word- of- mouth marketing for our experienced surgeons,” informed Anthony Giudice, Cosmetic Harmony Sales Supervisor.

A substantial increase in inflow of medical travelers to Colombia has led the Colombian government to invest significant resources in promoting a safe and tourist friendly environment. Lonely Planet, a well known international travel guide, picked Colombia as one of their top ten world travel destinations for 2006.

About Cosmetic Harmony:
Cosmetic Harmony specializes in complete cosmetic surgery packages, including cosmetic procedures, travel, accommodations, transportation to medical appointments, a bilingual personal assistant and medications.Cosmetic Harmony uses only FDA-approved materials.

For more information on Cosmetic Harmony’s Procedures, Informative articles, Press Releases and Exciting Offers visit Cosmetic Harmony's Blog:
http://www.bodyblooms.blogspot.com/

Cosmetic Harmony's Affiliate program:
http://affiliates.affordableplasticcosmeticsurgeryincolombia.com/Login.aspx

Contact:
Anthony Giudice, Sales Supervisor
305.726.0527

Cosmetic Harmony receives hundreds of clients every year for various procedures and packages like liposuction, breast augmentation, mommy makeover, cosmetic dentistry, hair transplant, and tummy tuck etc.

        

(SALT LAKE CITY --KSL.com) Instead of 5 miles to the nearest hospital for surgery, jump on a plane and fly hundreds of miles to a foreign medical center and save money.

Dr. DeVon Hale with the University of Utah's International Medical Education program says if you look at numbers worldwide, around 400,000 to over 1 million people are going to a new country to get medical care.

Hale recently returned from meetings with the International Society of Travel Medicine. The group is worried about competition: U.S. health care is pricing itself out of the market, and physicians abroad are loving it.

About 200,000 to 300,000 American patients are traveling abroad each year. Even the Joint Commission of Hospitals, which certifies hospitals in this country, is taking advantage of the trend.

"They have an international branch now that has certified over 300 hospitals worldwide, outside of the U.S., with the same criteria that they use for us," Hale said.

In many cities, insurance companies are looking for places with a good record for quality care that will do the procedure cheaper than a U.S. doctor. According to Hale, "Open heart surgery, bone marrow transplants, organ transplants, infertility clinics; those are all now being offered worldwide."

Caitlin Janeway is preparing for travel to Bolivia and Peru. She doesn't need medical care now but says if she should someday, she wants to have options.

"I mean, I've never had to actually think about that. But if it is really that much cheaper and you get to travel and get your hip replaced, then yes, I would do it," Janeway said.

The University of Utah Travel Clinic does not encourage medical travel. In fact, if asked, Hale says travelers are cautioned about risks.

What about the expertise of the physicians, Hale questions, or infection control in and out of the hospital? Follow up care, he adds, has to take place back home and some physicians in the United States are refusing to give it.

Do your homework, Hale warns. He says moving about seems to be the name of the game!

Hale says while U.S. patients are traveling abroad to save money, Canadians and Brits are going elsewhere because of long waiting lists in their own countries. In poor countries, wealthy people are coming to the United States because the procedure they want is not offered back home.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

        

(6-24, Spectrum) Imagine undergoing surgery overseas to save yourself money. The doctors and hospital seem reputable. Your primary U.S. physician endorsed your choice. So did your insurance carrier, which covers eligible expenses as if they were accrued domestically. Now, imagine suffering post-surgical complications after returning home. You can’t easily return overseas. So you secure treatment locally, racking up unexpected, out-of-pocket costs. Afterward, you consider suing.

But who’s liable? The surgeon, or your primary care doctor? How about your insurance company? Do you sue domestically or abroad?

Those are some typical questions being considered by Nathan Cortez, an assistant professor of law at Southern Methodist University, where he teaches courses in administrative law, health law, Federal Drug Administration law and the legislative process.

His research focuses on medical tourism, the fast-growing but seemingly unregulated industry of health care professionals offering consumers more-affordable care abroad. Among other things, Cortez is examining what legal recourse U.S. patients have when problems arise.

“There’s legal uncertainty about everything, as well as a regulatory void,” he says. “There’s a flood of ethical, policy, legal and moral issues.”

High-quality medical procedures overseas run the gamut, from dental implants to hip joint re-surfacing; prostate removal to organ transplant. Some operations are as much as 90 percent cheaper in foreign countries, Cortez says, adding that the most popular destinations include India, Chile and Thailand.

In 2005 alone, one particular Bangkok, Thailand, hospital saw more than 55,000 Americans. In a 2008 issue of the Indiana Law Journal, Cortez suggests the Department of Health and Human Services as a viable entity that could coordinate U.S. regulatory controls over medical tourism. He proposes policymakers build on existing consumer protection laws and expand licensing systems.

He hasn’t found any court rulings involving disgruntled medical tourists so far, although health care providers everywhere have presumably reached confidential financial settlements with at least some unhappy patients. “The lack of test cases illustrates the legal uncertainty,” Cortez says.

Cortez, who holds a law degree from Stanford University, became interested in medical tourism while practicing at a Washington, D.C., firm. There, he represented medical technology clients, specializing in health care fraud, FDA enforcement and health privacy. While medical tourism didn’t directly enter his work, some of his clients were outsourcing clinical trials to health care providers abroad, causing Cortez to wonder about the legal implications and potential liabilities. Closer to home, his grandmother had gone to Mexico for dental care, but wound up with after-care problems requiring treatment back in the United States.

Cortez says employers are growing increasingly receptive to foreign health care for their workers in order to trim costs. However, he’s unaware of any U.S. universities actively promoting overseas health care to their faculty and staff at this time.

People considering medical procedures in another country should carefully weigh the advice of their local physicians, Cortez says, especially if that advice opposes their going abroad for surgery. Consumers also should limit their overseas selection from among upscale facilities accredited by the Joint Commission International, which works with health care organizations in more than 80 nations.