MMedsolution – Medical Dental Tourism Resource On-line

Domestic Medical Tourism: It seems counter intutive to pay for an employee or covered family member to travel to another locale in order to have a less expensive medical treatment.

This travel often includes the transportation and lodging costs of a companion caregiver, such as a spouse or other adult relative to accompany the member. However, many large companies often include a domestic medical tourism option within their health care plans.

While financial savings is one of the objectives, in other cases those procedures which are most likely to have the highest positive outcomes may only be available in another city or state.

Furthermore, it is often the case were both financial savings and positive outcomes come together for the benefit of the plan sponsor as well as the member.

Domestic medical travel is frequently associated with medical centers of excellence which specialize in a limited range of disease conditions, yet employ leading edge treatment modalities.

These centers are generally located in metropolitan areas throughout the nation, sometimes in conjunction with research and teaching hospitals.

Facilities such as the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and MD Anderson Cancer Center are among the several institutions touted as being recognized for their frontline treatment procedures for diagnosing and treating especially difficult medical conditions.

While expenses associated with travel, transportation, and lodging do not make financial sense for routine and uncomplicated medical conditions; treatment for unusual and rarely seen illnesses may confound local providers, even if they are a specialist.

Misdiagnoses, unnecessary care, repeated or incorrect procedures may only exasperate the medical situation, resulting in lost productivity, wasted dollars, time, as well as ageist on the part of the member and family.

Negative outcomes could result in long term or permanent disability and/or even untimely and avoidable death.

Organizational policies connected to domestic medical travel must be clearly and comprehensively documented within carrier contracts, Schedule of Benefits, Summary Plan Descriptions, as well as general and specific documents and policies addressing paid, unpaid, and FMLA leaves.

Unless the organization retains internal or external medical expertise, it is best to rely on the recommendations of the member’s specialty care provider(s) in consult with the carrier as to whether or not domestic medical travel is warranted.

Special attention should be paid as to who is permitted to travel with the member as a companion caregiver; this could include a spouse, domestic partner or an adult relative.

Non-adult children should be excluded. In the absence of a related or domestic partner companion, an organization may want to consider the use of a medical or home health aide to assist the member before, during, and after the travel period.

Again, it is best to rely on the recommendations of the member’s specialty care provider(s) when it comes to what type of companion would be required.

If the organization retains an EAP, it may be appropriate to make the member aware of and provide information about such services as requested.

The EAP is in the proper entity to provide assistance with legal and other services to address issues dealing with durable power of attorney, advanced living directives, wills, and living wills.

http://total-employee-rewards.blogspot.com/2012/01/domestic-medical-tourism.html

Medical Tourism Resource Online

March 12, 2012: San Jose, Costa Rica: The Goodness Company, a full service medical tourism marketing agency with offices in Latin America and the US, has launched a new five minute video about the company’s medical tourism marketing services.

In 2006, company CEO Patrick Goodness uncovered research indicating that 35 to 40 million Americans live without health or medical insurance and 80% of Americans manage without any or insufficient dental insurance.

With dramatically rising healthcare prices in the US and a an alarming lack of access to certain medical procedures in Canada, Goodness recognized an opportunity to market high quality, low-cost medical procedures available in foreign countries to the North American marketplace.

“When we discovered that Americans could save 50% to 80% or even more on medical and dental procedures by traveling to foreign countries, we knew that the medical tourism industry was here to stay,” said Patrick Goodness.

“What the industry needed was a visionary medical tourism marketing agency to help foreign hospitals, medical centers, doctors and dentists communicate effectively with the lucrative North American market. The Goodness Company is now the most recognized global medical tourism marketing agency in the world.”

Recognizing that the internet would become the primary media to promote medical tourism, the Goodness Company has become leaders in web development, social media, online public relations, search engine optimization and more.

Cisco has predicted that by 2015, more than 80% of all internet traffic will be video-based. In a move to lead the medical tourism industry with video marketing services, The Goodness Company has launched a professionally developed 5 minute video about the company’s medical tourism marketing and public relations services.

“Video allows us to communicate with our clients in a very effective, meaningful way,” said Alejandro Chinchilla, General Director for The Goodness Company’s Latin American operations.

“Our video on medical tourism marketing demonstrates what sets The Goodness Company apart from our competitors, and underscores the importance of investing in online video marketing to reach the global internet audience,” said Chinchilla.

“We hope this video will help medical providers around the world see the incredible value of partnering with a pioneering medical tourism marketing agency like The Goodness Company.

Our proven methods are driving incredible levels of new business for our clients,” said Goodness. “When every dollar counts, you need an agency that can deliver results.

We work hard to deliver highly effective healthcare marketing solutions to companies of all shapes sizes from start-ups to large, globally recognized hospitals, medical centers and even medical tourism clusters.”

http://www.medicaltourismcity.com/profiles/blogs/the-goodness-company-launches-medical-tourism-marketing-video

 Medical Tourism Resource Online

      It is no secret to say that “Medical Tourism” has come to the attention of many in the tourism industry – both planners and government planers involved in tourism development and marketing.

       Especially when it comes to cosmetic surgery –  as opposed to critical or life saving medical surgery and procedures – then a planned tip abroad for cosmetic surgery affords -  a vacation , along with recuperative time away from home and prying eyes while the recovery progresses.

         The cost of the trip or vacation for ether the patient and / or their family members is often subsidized by the much lower cost of surgery than in dominant first world medical centers.

          On top of that when the patient returns home with their cosmetic surgery all that will appear is the charge card statements to be paid and remitted.