Congress Blog

Medical Tourism Magazine marks a trend that dominates growth for Industry ~ Editor Renee-Marie Stephano addresses very important controversial topics for couple of years

Around the World and Back Again ~ Medical Tourism Magazine Celebrates 3rd Year

July 7, West palm beach, Florida – Many publications have come and gone as the Medical Tourism Association approaches the 3-year anniversary of Medical Tourism Magazine, the only printed and online publication in the industry.  Speaking on behalf of contributors and members at large, President of the Medical Tourism Association and Editor-in-Chief Renee-Marie Stephano reflects on where we have been, where we are and where we are headed.  

“Over the years, we have covered far-reaching topics ranging from marketing medical tourism programs, innovative medical advancements, global health insurance to sustainability programs.  In this upcoming issue, we are addressing an extremely important topic ~ that of global events affecting medical travel, like healthcare reform,” said Renee-Marie Stephano.

In fact, on this anniversary date, the Medical Tourism Association is also pleased to announce the official release of the Medical Tourism Magazine’s Issue 16 featuring articles such as “Medical Tourism ~ A Solution for Healthcare” and “Healthcare Reform and Emerging Benefit Program Opportunities.”  Read now at, http://www.medicaltourismmag.com/.

“The Medical Tourism Magazine keeps improving with every issue,” says Kenneth Mays of Bumrungrad Hospital.  “It has become an invaluable source of insights about this growing healthcare niche. The magazine covers and collects topics of importance and significance to the medical tourism sector from diverse sources all over the world.”

According to Bill Cook, of Clinica Biblica Hospital in Costa Rica, “Like it or not the Medical Tourism Magazine has become the de facto voice for much of the Medical Tourism industry. This is due in no small measure to its relevancy at all levels of the industry spectrum be it a patient, a two-person facilitator operation, or the CEO of a multimillion dollar insurance carrier. Each will find gems and insightful golden nuggets between the pages of each issue.”  

Here at the Medical Tourism Magazine we make every effort to cover all aspects of the medical tourism industry, missing nothing of importance or relevance.  If it’s relevant, we cover it in a timely fashion.  As this industry continues to expand, we stay on top of the collaborations, innovations and transformations as they occur.  The Medical Tourism Magazine is your go-to source; the location of important information about this industry.  Also, The Medical Tourism Magazine is your voice in the industry as we welcome contributions for print.

Where does one go in the Medical Tourism industry for the most current global healthcare news?  According to Michael Bina, a Columnist from Intellectual Marketing, LLC, “The BEST place to get ‘The Good Stuff’ on Global Healthcare? Never mind its many contributors and collaborators across the planet.  On the basis of content alone, Medical Tourism Magazine outperforms whoever is considered second best.”

“The Medical Tourism Magazine is a valued and trusted source of quality professional content which gathers and distributes highly needed intelligence to the medical tourism industry. I think it’s truly a trendsetter in the marketplace,” says Andrei Radomir, CEO Qdays, Quality Medical Holidays.
The Medical Tourism Magazine offers both printed and online advertising as well.  It also boasts a Social Media package that encompasses all aspects of Social Media marketing into a competitively priced package, aimed at attracting your target audience.  In the form of a blast to your target audience with press releases, insider blogs and various postings on all social media networks; MTA has access to a comprehensive social network for medical tourism enthusiasts in the Medical Tourism City.  http://www.medicaltourismcity.com/.  MTA welcomes inquiries about our prestigious Guest Blogs, which are offered directly on http://blogs.medicaltourismmag.com/. 

MTA also offers the unique option of videos, including patient videos, which spotlight your international hospital as a leader in a particular medical procedure through the eyes of a patient’s experience!  For more information, visit: http://medicaltourismassociation.com/en/documentary-patient-videos.html.

Dr. Alejandro Badia, of US Based Badia Hand to Shoulder Center comments, “MTM is an invaluable resource that links providers, facilitators and patients who have an interest in healthcare delivery on a more global scale. The ability to connect these key players in order to achieve clinical success in a cost effective manner is unparalleled.”

In addition to producing the Medical Tourism Magazine, MTA also offers beautifully created Country Branding packages, called “Destination Guides,” designed to brand your country as the top destination, among all others, for medical tourists.  You can check this out at http://medicaltourismassociation.com/en/destination-healthcare-guide.html.

The Medical Tourism Magazine’s printed version on average is distributed to over 90 countries around the world in all 5 regions inclusive of thousands of International Hospitals, International Health Insurance Carriers in the Middle East, US, UK and Canada, healthcare providers throughout the world, the travel industry, potential medical tourism patients considering going overseas for surgery, and anyone with an interest in the industry. The magazine is also distributed to a majority of the health plans which administer Self Funded Employer health plans in the U.S. Medical Tourism Magazine can be read at http://www.medicaltourismmag.com/.
The Medical Tourism Association (Medical Travel Association), also known as the Global Healthcare Association, at http://www.MedicalTourismAssociation.com is the first international non-profit association comprised of the top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality of healthcare to patients in a global environment. Our Association promotes the interests of its healthcare provider and medical tourism facilitators members. The Medical Tourism Association has three mission-driven tenets: Education, Communication and Transparency.  http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com/en/index.html

Contact

Sarah Martin

Global Communications

Medical Tourism Association

Sarah@medicaltourismassociation.com

www.medicaltourismmag.com

www.medicaltourismassociation.com

US  001.561.791.2000

This year we have allocated a budget to bring in up to 200 “Buyers” of healthcare, including insurance companies, employers, and governments to the congress. Among this year’s presenters is Shady Fawzy Nawar, Assistant Vice President, Provider Management of the Medical Department at Qatar Insurance Company. “In line with my earlier participation in the 1st MTA congress in 2008, and the great opportunity to participate again in the 3rd congress of 2010, I’d like to express the potential experience of such pioneer event from the health care services point of view , as representing a leader insurance company in the Arab Gulf region guarantee the health care services and the medical assistance for our insured members around the globe , therefore we are in a need to have an international window for exposed health care service providers internationally , moreover to learn about the new quality standards the provider implementing in order to raise the quality performance for all their operational aspects,” says Nawar. “The MTA congress expresses a great opportunity for effective interactions between the buyers and the providers, which create a real business relationship opportunities between the both parties. As well as the MTA congress provides a space for active communication between the insurance companies and each other that have a very positive feedback to discuss the challenges and the new inputs in the health insurance industry.” Our primary goal for this year’s conference agenda is to move the industry forward in a positive direction by covering new topics with leading expert speakers, making our theme this year, “Progress in Motion”. Attend our workshops that will focus on creative strategies and techniques that will improve your business. Through the general session, hear testimonials and case studies that have demonstrated success through topics such as cost savings, paperless solutions, and the ability to communicate efficiently. Industry leaders from around the world will be coming to participate in select round table discussions, such as the Minister’s roundtable which will feature Minister’s from around the world exchanging ideas and gaining knowledge to improve medical tourism in their country.

Upgrade your sponsorship today with a  Media/PR Sponsorship for $2,500!

This upgrade includes:

• 3 PR releases before the conference 
• A podcast with someone from your company
• Social media marketing on linkedin, Congress blog and MTC
• Higher placement on the congress website of yourlogo on sponsor page and on banners on stage at conference 
• Your brochures placed in the “press/media room”
• Exclusive Video Interview to be put on the website after the conference.

You can contact myself today to inquire about this upgrade

Melissa DeJong, email is Melissa@MedicalTourismCongress.com

Have a great Thursday,

Melissa

There is only 26 more days to save $1,000 off 2010 Registration Prices for the 3rd Annual World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress! You can register today at www.medicaltourismcongress.com This year we have allocated a budget to bring in up to 200 “Buyers” of healthcare, including insurance companies, employers, and governments to the congress. We invite you to attend the 3rd Annual World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress which will take place on September 22-24th, 2010 in Los Angeles, California which will feature up to 10,000 networking meetings, hundreds of international healthcare buyers from around the world and up to 140 exhibitors and sponsors.  There’s only one opportunity this year to network with up to 2,000 healthcare leaders of the medical tourism and international health insurance industries.  

Are you interested in meeting the top hospitals and healthcare providers from around the world?  Are you interested in meeting with insurance companies, governments, health insurance agents and medical tourism facilitators that send patients for medical care from every region of the world.  Sit in on advanced educational workshops and general sessions by the experts in the healthcare and health insurance industry.    

Our primary goal for this year’s conference agenda is to move the industry forward in a positive direction by covering new topics with leading expert speakers, making our theme this year, “Progress in Motion”.  Attend our workshops that will focus on creative strategies and techniques that will improve your business. Through the general session, hear testimonials and case studies that have demonstrated success through topics such as cost savings, paperless solutions, and the ability to communicate efficiently. Industry leaders from around the world will be coming to participate in select round table discussions, such as the Minister’s roundtable which will feature Minister’s from around the world exchanging ideas and gaining knowledge to improve medical tourism in their country.We will provide you with the opportunity to have personal, prescheduled one on one networking meetings with companies by utilizing our innovative networking software. 

Expect to expand your network globally with other delegates that will feature: employers, governments, insurance companies, medical tourism facilitators, and hospitals include access to meet with over 120 exhibitors from over 60 different countries!Accomplish in three days what would otherwise take you years to do.  Come to the only medical tourism and international health insurance conference in the world that truly brings together the buyers and sellers of healthcare from all six continents.   

Whether you are a company looking to send patients overseas or be treated for medical care overseas, or a hospital or healthcare provider looking to attract patients this is the conference for you.
Bring a lot of Business Cards! You’ll Need Them! 

See you in LA,

Melissa

Hi Everyone ~

A lot of people have been asking about Healthcare Reform lately! The CEO of the Medical Tourism Association Jonathan Edelheit recently wrote an article about this issue in the latest issue of the Medical Tourism Magazine. You can check out the full article below or simply click here: http://medicaltourismmag.com/issue-detail.php?item=326&issue=16

Thanks,
Melissa

Healthcare Reform was dead in the United States and now it’s back and it looks like it’s going to pass. What is amazing about healthcare reform in the US is that it is actually not going to lower healthcare or health insurance costs as initially promised, but will effectively significantly increase the costs. By some research it is estimated that the cost of health insurance for young people could be raised by almost 70% each year. Even more amazing is that healthcare reform legislation in the US will do nothing to actually deal with the real reasons why healthcare costs are so high and definitely is not going to have the major effect that has been promised to the American people. Healthcare reform is mainly going to try to force every American to buy healthcare, waive pre-existing conditions and create healthcare purchasing entities and strongly go after and regulate health insurance carriers.

The Medical Tourism Association Board agreed with Deloitte that Healthcare reform in the US would increase healthcare costs tremendously and therefore grow medical tourism faster. Everyone in the US would like to see healthcare reform, but in a meaningful way, that actually addresses the fundamental reasons why healthcare costs are so high, which current healthcare reform doesn’t.

What does it mean?

What does healthcare reform passing in the US mean for medical tourism? It is extremely positive. Healthcare reform will increase the cost of health insurance for younger Americans because healthcare reform artificially lowers the cost of health insurance for elderly Americans and makes younger Americans bear that burden. Healthcare reform does nothing to really address actual healthcare costs, such as hospital stays, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and medical malpractice reform.

One of the most important aspects of healthcare reform is that it waives pre-existing conditions for Americans and that all Americans must be treated fairly in regards to costs, which means that under healthcare reform sick Americans should be paying the same amount for health insurance as healthy Americans. This means millions of sick Americans who previously were denied insurance or couldn’t afford it now will have access to it and that in order for the prices for sick and healthy Americans to be the same, health insurance prices have to rise. This means healthy Americans will be subsidizing sick Americans health insurance costs. We have seen in several states in the US, this type of group healthcare reform and how it increases the cost of health insurance for everyone.

Many US health insurance companies and employers had put off their plans to implement medical tourism because they were waiting to see if healthcare reform passed and if it did pass what it actually meant. Health Insurance Companies have been in a huge defensive position cutting all new initiatives and projects, and fighting healthcare reform because healthcare reform was going to cripple the insurance carriers and for some threaten their very existence by putting them out of business.

Also, employers didn’t want to implement anything new, because they didn’t know if the government was taking over health insurance or certain things under healthcare reform would be allowed or not allowed. Now that it looks like healthcare reform is going to pass, we will see a new and excited interest in medical tourism as employers and insurers look for creative ways to stop what will be a very rapid increase in the costs of health insurance in the US under healthcare reform. It will be very exciting to see the renewed interest in medical tourism from insurance companies and employers in the US and to see this industry start to grow!

Ethnic Employers, the New Emerging Market

Another huge sector of medical tourism is “ethnic employers.” Ethnic employers are employers who have operations in multiple countries. We are in a global world and business has no borders. Many companies are conglomerates that operate all over the world. I predicted several years ago that these ethnic employers would start leading the charge in medical tourism and I have been encouraging governments ever since to support it. A perfect example is Daewoo and Woori Bank of Korea who this past year implemented medical tourism for their US based employees to travel back to Korea for surgeries under medical tourism. The Korean government used its influence to open the doors for this to happen and this will be an example to countries around the world to work with local companies who have international offices to adopt medical tourism programs. This could open the door to millions more patients traveling in the future as international companies allow medical tourism to their company’s headquarters in their home country. Korea has a huge initiative in this area and in 2010 we will see more Korean conglomerates offering medical tourism to their employees in different parts of the world.
This type of initiative should be taken up by other countries and governments.

Projections for 2010

My projection for 2010 is that we will not only see more growth in the medical tourism industry, but we will see a solid foundation being built for massive growth of medical tourism in the future. In 2010 we will see more US insurance companies and employers will implement medical tourism. Also, we will see more international insurance companies developing more “global healthcare” policies allowing patients to travel anywhere in the world for their healthcare needs. Also, we will see some international health insurance companies wake up while some continue living in the dark.

Some international insurers companies simply don’t put two and two together. They are involved in medical tourism on a constant basis but simply don’t realize that what they are doing is medical tourism and don’t embrace it. Other international health insurance companies simply put their head in the sand like an ostrich and don’t want to be involved in medical tourism or global healthcare. But times have changed and you either change with the times or you fade away. Just like companies said they would not outsource administrative and customer service to overseas countries some o f these insurers are saying they won’t outsource healthcare.

But, we are in a global world. If an employer wants to do it and that international insurer won’t do it, they will find another insurance carrier. This is actually happening right now. Sometimes insurance companies get stuck in a rut of the way they have always done things, and they need to get slapped around a little to wake up and realize times have changed. This is going to happen in the next few years and I firmly believe that we will see “global health insurance policies” versus “domestic health insurance policies becoming one of the fastest growing policies throughout the developing world and even in the developing world.

Most major Airports in Europe recently cancelled all flights because of the recent eruption of a major Volcano in Iceland which has caused a cloud to cross into Europe and cancel all flights because of the danger of it affecting airplane engines.   This is the second time in a month that the volcano has erupted and that the volcanic activity is increasing and it can possibly last for several weeks especially if the volcano re-erupts.  This will not only affect medical tourists traveling for care but also any medical tourism conferences in the region.  Modern Europe has not experienced something like this that severely affects travel.

Find a link for the actual video, just want the video…

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100417/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_iceland_volcano

Next week I’ll be on my way to Seoul to participate in the 1^st Asia Global Healthcare & Medical Tourism Conference! We are all really excited about the conference. Below is a recent press release that announces a partial attendee list! If you’re coming to Korea then please stop by our booth and I look forward to seeing you at the conference!!

Thanks,

Melissa

The Medical Tourism Association announces a partial  attendee list on behalf of the 1^st Asia Global Healthcare & Medical Tourism Conference taking place in Seoul Korea, April 13-15^th, 2010.

The Medical Tourism Association announces the partial  attendee list on behalf of the 1^st Asia Global Healthcare & Medical Tourism Conference Korea (http://www.asiamedicaltourismcongress.com/ ). The Asia medical tourism conference will include VIP sponsored attendees from large employers, governments, insurance companies, benefits consulting firms, medical tourism facilitators and many more at the COEX Intercontinental,  April 13-15^th 2010 Seoul, Korea.

Some of the International Companies who will be in attendance include:

To learn more about the agenda and expert speakers please go to: http://www.AsiaMedicalTourismCongress.com/

Hey Everyone ~

We hope you have noticed the new look for our 3rd World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress. The newly designed website includes a more user friendly system that includes new features such as:

• A news tab that will allow users to subscribe to the newsletter informing them of any updated information and upcoming events.
• Direct links to all social networking sites such as: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
• A registration button that allows the user to register by just a click of their mouse.
• A quick link for the online application for the Buyers VIP Incentive Program.
• Links to view past exhibitors and sponsors.
• Downloads such as the sponsorship brochure, exhibit hall layout, and Call for Speakers Form.
• Access to a video gallery which include interviews and footage of past conferences as well as the patient experience video documenting a patient’s experience of medical tourism abroad.
• An updated photo gallery highlighting events during past conferences.

We hope you’re able to find the information you need easier and faster! We look forward to seeing you soon in September!!!!

Until next time,

Melissa

In the wake of one of the most influential bill passings in healthcare history some of the statistics coming out today are astonishing.

 Here are just a few:

•  19 Million ~ The number of people predicted to lose their employer plan (Lewin Group)
• 8.5 Million ~ The number of seniors and disabled people at risk of losing their Medicare Advantage Plan (Medicare Chief Actuary)
• 100 Million ~ The cost of ObamaCare mandates for Caterpillar, Inc in the first year alone (Caterpillar, Inc)
• 20% ~ Fraction of hospitals that would become unprofitable after Medicare spending cuts. (Medicare Chief Actuary)

In the eyes of the Medical Tourism Industry this can only mean one thing … it’s time to implement it! I mean really … what’s holding you back now? Not sure how to implement or how to present this to your company, then register today for the 3^rd Annual World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress that will take place September 22-24^th 2010. You don’t want to miss out on the exciting sessions and educational workshops. You will learn everything you need to know and make some great contacts to get your medical tourism initiative rolling.

See you in LA,

Melissa