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August 8, 2008 – Atlanta, GA
GPS-Magazine launches global patient services and information for the first 1.9 Million people in the US insured for medical tourism.

Corporate America experienced a “Eureka!” moment in February, 2008 when the national and international press extensively reported the advent of two Columbia, SC group insurance experts’ foray into insured medical tourism to rein in runaway US corporate healthcare cost.

David Boucher, Companion Global Healthcare, and Morgan Armstrong, Plan Benefit Services, pioneered the way for group insurance medical tourism benefits.  Their programs provide high quality medical care, immense savings for US patients and their employers, plus economic prosperity for international destinations is a winning combination.  These options can provide significant financial solutions for strapped employers and employees.  An additional bonus for the benefit is a boost in employee morale.

The number of employees insured for medical tourism in the USA is on an accelerated trajectory for growth.  Currently, 1.9 Million people enjoying the medtour benefits provided by Companion Global Healthcare can choose both regional and international hospital options in their Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC PPO network.

GPS-Magazine is patient-oriented and serves as a knowledge-based source, delivering key information to people interested in utilizing the many advantages of medical tourism.  GPS will help medtour candidates discover just how exciting and “do-able” international medical travel is, even if they have never traveled outside of their state or have a passport.

The GPS focus is to alleviate patient apprehensions about international travel and medical services and introduce patients to a new realm of affordable global options.

GPS will address language concerns, serve as a resource for questions and source for answers about medical and travel concerns, provide resources for patients and their travel companions, and relay the best travel and medical opportunities available in the world.

Global Patient Services features information and personal attention that patients require to help them reach decisions about international destinations for dental or medical care.  GPS-Magazine reports on expediting passports, travel-medical packages to superior medical & dental destinations, medical specialties and break-troughs, certified travel chaperon companions, advice about best seasons for some destinations, currency exchange, translations services, and a forum for readers to report about their medtour experience.

It has been said that General Motors spends more on employee group health benefits than steel and Starbucks spends more on their group health benefits than coffee beans.  Medical tourism benefits provided by firms such as Companion Global Healthcare and Plan Benefit Services, Inc of Columbia, SC will be a positive step in solving those financial headaches for mid-size and large group self-funded employers.

GPS will provide the insight and information necessary to help employers, employees, and individuals make educated decisions to opt for the advantages of medical tourism, and successfully utilize and enjoy the international options.

Closing the knowledge gap and eliminating concerns about travel and medical opportunities for potential patients will enable employers, employees, international medical and dental facilities, travel venders, and destinations to benefit from the financial advantages at a faster rate.

ACF provides a venue for government ministers from the Western Hemisphere to come together with leaders from the private sector, academia, and non-governmental organizations, to explore innovative ideas and practices in specific areas of competitiveness, to develop new avenues for economic prosperity in the region.

Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez - Americas Competitiveness Forum

The upbeat atmosphere was punctuated with the flurry of successful cross-continent networking for business and tourism development.

Jeff Senior, V-P of Marketing and Sales for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts noted that their next opportunity for growth is South America.

Dawn Drew, V-P and Publisher, National Geographic Traveler magazine, framed the importance of countries funding advertising and marketing efforts to  promote their tourism industry.  Her experience has proven that educated and informed consumers gravitate towards affordable, sustainable travel.

His Excellency Alvaro Uribe Velez, President of the Republic of Colombia, His Excellency Elias Antonio Saca Gonzales, President of the Republic of El Salvador, and His Excellency Alvaro Colom Caballeros, President of the Republic of Guatemala offered frank and compelling rational for business development in their countries.

Columbia – His Excellency Alvaro Uribe Velez, President of the Republic of Colombia

The dynamic President Uribe of the Republic of Columbia presented a persuasive pitch for luring tourism to his country. Uribe, obviously driven to create economic prosperity via the development of tourism and industry; readily acknowledged that their first priority was to make Columbia a safe destination.

President Uribe highlighted a comprehensive government initiative to court industry and tourism. The Columbian government introduced a series of zero (0) taxes for foreign development and expansion of hotels.  Consequently, Columbia is enjoying the advent of tens of thousands of new hotel rooms and building development.

The country launched tourism schools to instruct their citizens in graces of the industry and in serving a variety of cultures.  A bilingual system has been integrated in Columbia’s service industry enabling taxi drivers, hoteliers, and servers to communicate in simple, conversational English and foreign phrases.

The government is stimulating airline and transportation connectivity to Columbia between other countries.  A new route from Bogata to Washington, DC has been established with non-stop flights.  President Uribe said the new hotels and infrastructure represented the “hardware” to build the tourism industry and equated their citizens to the valuable “software” for Columbia’s tourism success.  Columbia offers a skilled work force for building coupled with the comprehensive government initiative to effect change.

President Uribe is working aggressively to influence foreign embassies to update their travel advisories.  His marketing efforts have had a positive impact on foreign travel advisories for Columbia.  The more progressive embassies have updated their safety reports on the popular Columbian destinations.

US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez & forum attendees

Columbia proudly announced the addition of a Minister of Tourism, owing to their success in solving some of Columbia’s image issues.  Noting Columbia’s past pervasive safety concerns, Uribe acknowledged that previously his government could not, in clear conscience, invite international tourist to vacation in beautiful Columbia when the safety of their own citizens was undermined in areas.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of President Uribe to rid the country of drug trafficking and his marketing drive to change Columbia’s image, the country is making great strides as an emerging destination for exotic travel.  Uribe compared Columbia’s current tourism expansion situation to Cambodia, another beautiful travel destination that overcame a controversial past to achieve prosperity through tourism.

The world’s past perceptions of Columbia will quickly change with President Uribe’s tenacious marketing and concerted efforts to compete in the global market.

President Uribe remarked, “While Columbia has changed for the better, we are not ‘perfect’.  Yet, Columbia is very fortunate that the government and the people are working together to close the gap between the former image and the reality of our new positive image.”  He added, “If you want to see and experience the Caribbean, Pre-Columbian culture, indigenous cultures, Andean Mountains, Amazon rain forest, great European influence and beautiful colonial architecture, as well as cosmopolitan cities, then go to Columbia where you can experience it all in one place.”

This smart, new ‘reality’ puts Columbia on an upward trajectory for success in global tourism, trade and industry.

Mexico – Rodolfo Elizondo Torres, Secretary of Tourism, Mexico

Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism approached the podium and pronounced that “Mexico Gets Tourism”.  It seems that they, indeed, do.

A tourism website, www.VisitMexico.com was recently launched, instantly generating interest in Mexican destinations. Mexico is expanding their former marketing campaigns touting “sun & beaches” to include promotions of other valuable destinations offering culture, food, music, and Mayan history.

Ten excellent golf courses have been built and residential real estate in Mexico has grown significantly due to the growth of the second home market.  Hotel room sales are another area of extensive growth.

40% of tourist entering Mexico do so to vacation in Cancun.  Elizondo wants to expand their options by offering tourist ‘products’ similar to Europe.

The Mexican government is creating legislation that provides laws favorable to foreign land investments and making land ownership in Mexico safe.

Mexico is developing urban areas and infrastructure balanced with the preservation of nature and their historic areas.

Technology and the World Wide Web has opened up a new world for Mexico’s tourism and economic development.  The government strives to facilitate travel to Mexico with their website information and online immigration application process.

Costa Rican Sky

Sheila Liner, an employee of Plan Benefit Services, INC., in South Carolina, will be traveling to Costa Rica in November for extensive dental surgery. The procedures she will undergo range from simple x-rays to crowns and partial dentures. The total for the work being done figures out to $3,125 including molds and consultation. After her fifty-dollar deductible, her insurance provider pays 50% of the remaining $3,075, leaving Sheila with an out-of-pocket total of $1,587.50. She checked with her local dental provider and after deductible and percentage paid by insurance, her out-of-pocket came to $5,900. Liner said “The financial benefits speak for themselves for the dental procedures. As a vacation destination, I have never been out of the country, but I couldn’t imagine anywhere better than a place with palm trees, beautiful weather, and beaches to recuperate during and after having dental procedures done!” Liner has been advised to remain in Costa Rica for nine days to guarantee a smooth recovery.

Hotel pool in San Jose, Costa Rica

As far as accommodations and transportation are concerned, there is a firm called Tropical Expeditions, Costa Rica (www.tropicaldestinationsofcostarica.com) that has teamed with Companion Global Healthcare to provide assistance with the vacation. Blue Cross Blue Shield members receive attractive rates on packages tailored specifically to the patient’s travel needs. And, there are many reputable hotels within a short distance from the dental facilities. Both clinics are located in San Jose, which puts the patient in close proximity to beaches, rain forests and volcanoes. So, whether it is the beach or a volcano that suits the mood, there are many natural wonders to explore before, during or after the dental treatments. There are also companies that will enable the traveler to ship back to the states the many treasure certain to be found.

Quick travel tips when considering Costa Rica as a dental healthcare destination:

• Travelers need a passport and a round trip airline ticket.
• Take raingear or be prepared to buy an umbrella while you are there. It is a tropical climate and rain is always a possibility.
• Packing a pair of hiking boots is a good idea if volcanoes and rainforests are your cup of tea.

Links to hotels in San Jose:

1. Parque del Lago HotelPhone: 011 (506) 2257-8787
2. Best Western IrazúPhone: 011 (506) 2232-4811
3. Apartotel CristinaPhone: 011 (506) 2220-0453
4. Apartotel La SabanaPhone: 011 (506) 2220-2422
5. Kalexma Bed and BreakfastPhone: 011 (506) 2232-0115
6. Crown Plaza CorobiciPhone: 011 (506) 2232-8122
7. Hotel Barcelo Palma RealPhone: 011 (506) 290-5060
8. Barcelo San Jose PalacioPhone: 011 (506) 2220-2034

After careful cost comparative research and minimal preparation, the traveler is sure to find Costa Rica to be

San Jose Costa Rica

at the top of the list of dental tourist destinations. There is a plethora of natural wonders to explore and quaint shops to browse or, if the traveler prefers, the sway of a simple hammock on the beach, sunning and dozing to the rhythm of the sea while wearing a brand new smile.

Armstrong’s clients were intrigued by the opportunity for significant cost savings. “[But] the same types of questions kept coming up and it was really a perception issue, in terms of quality of care,” he says. “At that point I determined that we needed to make a trip.”

So, Armstrong decided to see the hospitals for himself. He talked to David Boucher, assistant VP for health care services with Companion Global Healthcare, a medical tourism subsidiary of BCBS of South Carolina, who arranged meetings with doctors and hospitals executives.

Armstrong gathered CEOs, CFOs and HR executives to accompany him on his trip. He organized the itinerary with the help of Boucher. Each employer paid their own way. Armstrong brought five clients, with two executives each, and three members of his team.

“I wanted everyone to have a first hand feel for what the employees would anticipate and what they would see when they got over,” says Armstrong.

The group visited two hospitals in two countries — Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand and a facility run by Parkway Hospitals in Singapore. At both facilities the group had the opportunity to meet with the CEO of the hospital and department heads from each section of the hospital. At meetings with hospital executives the employers asked questions about how the hospitals saw medical tourism fitting in with their development. The trip to both hospitals also included a complete tour of each facility.

“We were amazed at how upscale these hospitals were, and the quality of care and the way we were treated when we walked in,” says Armstrong. Several of the travelers even had procedures done at the hospitals with positive outcomes and were especially impressed by the number of hospital staff attending to them. “We were anticipating some language issues, but we really didn’t notice any,” says Armstrong.

In Thailand many people do not speak English, but in Bumrungrad everyone did. Regardless, the hospital assigns every patient an interpreter if he or she requests it. Language was not an issue in Singapore because English is the nation’s second language and everyone is required to learn it. They may not have been in South Carolina anymore, but the group felt right at home.

GETTING THERE

“When I was there I had absolutely no qualms about having any services done at Bumrungrad. I felt like, as long as I could get there, I’d be in fine hands,” says Armstrong.

But how hard is it to get there? Armstrong admits traveling was one of the group’s major concerns. He did feel uneasy about just what to do when he landed in the airport.

When the group did land in Bangkok they were worn out and nervous. Their fears were relieved when they were greeted by a representative from the hospital. They were then taken to a special customs area for those individuals coming over for medical assistance where there was no line. Their bags were picked up and brought to the Bumrungrad welcome center, right there in the airport and they were taken directly to the Bumrungrad suites. The suites are where companions of someone having a procedure stay. Armstrong describes them as beautifully done, reasonably cheap and connected to the hospital.

“The traveling part really wasn’t difficult and it wasn’t difficult getting tickets,” says Armstrong.

The group traveled coach for about $1500 roundtrip — that’s stopping in Thailand and then Singapore.

If they choose to use Companion as their medical tourism service, it will be even easier for employees. Companion works with a vendor called World Access who helps determine what the anticipated cost is, what the recovery time is and transfers all medical files before a procedure is booked, to make sure the hospital can do that procedure. Then the company helps the patient arrange travel and accommodations.

MORE HOPE THAN HYPE

To some advisers the story of Armstrong’s trip may sound outrageous, or at least premature. But it seems people are beginning to look into medical tourism more seriously.

One question that’s often asked about medical tourism is whether it’s more hype than anything else. The idea of saving $60,000 on invasive surgery while sipping fruity drinks in a semi-tropical locale sounds just too good to be true. That it might solve America’s broader health care woes further heightens skepticism.

For those questioning the validity of medical tourism, there are new numbers on the trend from McKinsey & Co.

The firm released a detailed presentation of its research on the subject earlier this spring. And while initial media reaction to McKinsey’s work energized finger-wagging medtour skeptics — its research estimates just 60,000 to 80,000 people are currently traveling for medical services — one of the researchers says the sober analysis should not be construed as pessimism about the market’s potential.

“For us it’s a fact-based view of what the market is today and clearly we think that the potential it has is much bigger,” Ceani Guevara, a consultant for McKinsey, says.

The pessimistic quick read of McKinsey’s findings is understandable. Their estimate of the size of the current market is a fraction of the mass of medical travelers others have tossed around. But Guevara says it’s crucial to understand how McKinsey defines medical travel — patients traveling for the explicit and primary purpose of receiving care outside of their home country. That doesn’t include tourists who happen to get emergency or elective care, expatriate care or individuals who breach borders between contiguous geographies in pursuit of the closest care point.

McKinsey breached more than a few borders itself during its research gathering.

“We were able to go around the world, across four continents to really incorporate findings bottom up from different institutions,” Guevara says.

While McKinsey says there are fewer actual medical travelers, its research demonstrates these patients are satisfi ed, which bodes well for the maturation of the market. That maturation could translate to billions in savings.

“For employers and payers if they were to decide to capture the market going forward and there are many things that means they would need to do, but we’re talking about the fact that they could save on the order of $20 billion dollars in terms of the cost that they have today on the order of 500,000 to 700,000 cases a year,” Guevara says.

Is that enough to convince advisers and employers to tweak their plan designs and cover foreign providers? Maybe, but even if they do that McKinsey’s not sure that will unlock the market’s potential. The financial benefit may not be good enough. Care quality concerns may linger, “handoff” issues may persist, travel may be too burdensome and xenophobia may also still exist.

DESPERATE TIMES

Still, the potential savings in medical tourism make it worth employer consideration. Rudy Rupak, co-founder and CEO of PlanetHospital, which developed employee benefit SIMPOL, or Self Insured Medical Plans Overseas 4 Less, says employers can only tolerate rising health care costs for so long.

“I was talking to an employer the other day … whose costs continue to go higher than inflation and in the current economy he’s feeling very vulnerable,” says Rupak. “But he may be able to control his premium increases if his employees agree to the option of going abroad for health care.”

Armstrong says there are many procedures that can be done and the total costs can vary widely depending on where the procedure is done, what the procedure is and how long a patient has to stay and recover. Armstrong says total knee replacement is a fairly common and costly procedure among his clients’ employee populations. Normally that will cost between $33,000 and $35,000 and with a good PPO network discount Armstrong predicts the charge would drop down to $19,000.

A total knee replacement in Thailand or Singapore will run anywhere from $9,000 to $10,000 for the surgery and recuperation, he says.

“You’re talking about saving quite a bit of money and if you can structure the deal so both the employer and the employee win in this thing, financially, then I think you’ll have more employees taking a harder look at where they can go to save the most money,” Armstrong says.

He is currently setting up a plan for one of the companies who came on the trip. The challenge he is facing now is what sorts of incentives to build into the plan design to encourage employees to go.

“There are so many different ways to structure this depending on how fast the employer wants to get the employees involved,” says Armstrong.

He is also looking into incorporating medical tourism options into the client’s HRA. They might take the savings from going abroad and dump them into an HRA and then allow employees to roll those funds forward from year to year. One method Rupak is looking at aggressively is partnering with mini-med plan providers.

“The payouts [from mini-meds] are very dismal and not very beneficial to the employees to begin with. However, if those payouts were used for overseas care, the mini-med becomes a major med in terms of its ability to cover major incidences,” says Rupak. “I’ve seen mini-meds where the plan pays out $10,000 for a spinal cord injury of some sort, let’s say a fusion or a slipped disk. Ten thousand dollars doesn’t get you much in this country; $10,000 can get you comprehensive care at another facility.”

Incorporating medical tourism into benefit plan designs is new and best practices have yet to emerge from the early adopters. One thing that is clear is what types of companies will have the easiest time introducing medical tourism into their benefits strategy.

“The companies that will benefit the most from SIMPOL are the self-funded companies. Because if they’re self-funded it’s a no-brainer, depending on their plan design, if they opt to go abroad for care they have a lot more funds leftover in their pool,” says Rupak. “For companies that are not self-insured, who are working with an insurance company, we would tailormake something with the insurance company.”

QUALITY QUESTIONS

While the price is right, quality questions are still a primary objection from medical tourism skeptics. Victor Lazzaro, CEO of BridgeHealth International, says a strong network helps create confidence in care abroad.

Lazzaro says their company chooses the facilities in their global network based on quality, accreditation, location, experience of the team, awareness of international needs and English proficiency.

Not only are some Americans nervous about how having a procedure done abroad would effect their health, they question their rights to sue if a procedure goes awry. Liability is also a major objection from employers. Some medical tourism companies are looking into partnering with an insurer to create a product that takes away the liability concern.

“Hospitals abroad carry liability insurance. The doctors carry liability insurance,” says Rupak. “Now, it may not be as high as the outrageous sums that we are accustomed to in this country, but for these countries it’s still high.”

Rupak says the typical Mexican doctor carries a $100,000 liability policy and the hospitals may carry a million dollars per incident.

He also notes another hidden guardian of care abroad — if there was an incident at a facility abroad it could absolutely destroy medical tourism if it was not settled very quickly, says Rupak. The invisible hands of public opinion and the media would also help protect those seeking care abroad.

Employers are interested

Overall the future looks bright for medical tourism as the trend grows slowly, but steadily. Armstrong says he’s seen increased interest in the last six months and one client will have an employee treated under the plan soon. Rupak’s company has sent one person under the employee benefit model and another will travel abroad for care in November.

“The utilization rate is low at the moment, but that doesn’t concern us because we have this belief in the water cooler effect,” says Rupak. “It just takes one or two employees to go, come back and tell others how excellent it was.”

Reprinted by permission from Employee Benefit Adviser Magazine

Companion Global HealthCare assists self-insured employers and their employees find accessible international options for cost-effective healthcare. Boucher states, “A self-insured company can save tens of thousands of dollars if just one of its employees elects to have surgery at a fully credentialed Companion Global Healthcare network facility, and the employee can save thousands in out-of-pocket costs.”

Wockhardt Hospitals in Mumbai and Bangalore are the first two state of the art facilities in India to pass the strict credential checkpoints of Companion Global Healthcare. Both have been accepted and added to the list of international hospitals that are part of Companion Global HealthCare’s growing network. Each hospital on the list has passed the prestigious JCI accreditation and the Wockhardt Hospitals are affiliated with Harvard Medical International as well.

Wockhardt Hospital-Mumbai

Some of the procedures available at the Wockhardt Hospitals are: hip replacements, hysterectomies, cardiac and spinal surgeries and cervical spine procedures. Both hospitals are equipped with the finest surgeons, nursing care and state of the art technology.

Private rooms are available and contain computers with high speed Internet, televisions and DVD players. International patients can now comfortably add India to the list of options when seeking healthcare abroad

Human nature seldom deviates so the passing of time has done nothing to diminish the quest for eternal youth and healing.  Historically, journeys for this elusive beacon of hope have taken travelers around the world in search of soothing waters to heal what ails them. There has been no mountain too high or sea too wide when there is hope for the tempering of aches and pains. And if it is water you seek, Edipsos, a small town on the northwest coast of the Greek Island of Evia, offers exactly what is needed for the reclamation and renewal of mind and body.

While most travelers from other countries may not be familiar with the therapeutic properties of the spas that abound there, the small coastal town of Edipsos has held the attention of aristocratic society for centuries. So popular for it’s aesthetic and cosmopolitan atmosphere it warranted mention from Aristotle in his Meteorological and during the Roman era, Marcus Aurilius and other Roman dignitaries bathed in the healing waters of the spas.

Edipsos, Evia, Greece

The “healing waters’ refers to the more than 80 mineral springs that dot the Edipsos landscape. They can be quite hot with temperatures ranging from 28 – 86 degrees centigrade. There are few places that offer the phenomenon of hot water gushing from the seabed and it seems that nature has graced this little town with, what some would claim, is the ability to heal everything from rheumatoid arthritis to impotency. Because of this natural property to heal and the world’s obvious advancements in holistic research and therapy, the Greek National Tourism Organization has built a state of the art hydrotherapy facility.

This brand new facility offers 84 individual baths for hydromassage as well as an indoor pool for kinisiotherapy. Special baths and showers have been installed for limb therapy and the treatment of slipped disc and cervical spine syndrome. An outdoor pool offers the chance to swim in mineral as well as seawater and the staff consists of doctors, nurses and physical therapists to cater to all medical and therapeutic concerns. So if bathing in the hot waters of the sea is a little too natural for the traveler, this facility offers a comfortable diversion.

Whether the traveler is content to manage the submersion into this Greek wonderland or prefers to give the task to others, touring this historical and charming hamlet is mandatory.  There are many beach towns close by and quaint mountain villages to explore. But, the traveler may be just as content to partake in the abundant food establishments while at the same time watching the fishing boats return. The sunsets are extraordinary and lend to the overall aesthetic value of this natural healing destination.

Perhaps the greatest benefit for selecting Edipsos as a healing destination is the cost. The traveler is able to experience Natural Healing Therapy and the advances in Thermal Springs Therapy for just a fraction of what it would cost in the USA and Europe. Throw in the beaches and mountains of Greece and there is no comparison to the overall therapeutic and aesthetic benefits of this remote island town.

Place to stay: Thermae Sylla Spa and Grand Hotel

http://www.thermaesylla.gr/en/index.html

How to get there:

• 110 kilometers by car from Chalkida.
• By ferryboat from Arkitsa (150 km from the national road between Athens and Lamia).
• By ferryboat from Glyfa (for those that come from the north, or from central Greece).

Visas and inoculations are probably not necessary unless you fall on the short list of countries that require them.

When to travel: Summer months, April – September, are when the islands are most congested with tourists. Despite what may be rumored, the winter months are not as cold as imagined and most of the tourists have gone home. Airfares, hotel stays and car rentals are cheaper as well from October – March.  The best advice is to contact a travel agent familiar with Greek Island travel to make all of the necessary arrangements.