“With President Obama’s crusade for lower health costs in full swing, many Americans are left wondering where they’ll find quality treatment.

The answer is likely south – as in, yes, Mexico – but trends indicate the border-crossing phenomenon may also be growing at home.

There was a time when traveling across the border for prescription drugs or dental treatment –  much less a surgical procedure – meant returning with a botched boob job or worse, but many U.S. tourism companies are taking the plunge, sending their clients to Mexico, Costa Rica and beyond for medical treatments that rival those at American hospitals at half or even one-third of the cost.

A San Diego-based medical tourism company, Satori World Medical, offers a procedure list that includes everything from plastic surgery to spinal fusion at 40 to 80 percent of the cost of the same procedure done in the U.S…”

Click to read the full article on San Diego News Network

“(CNN) — When Godfrey Davies learned he needed surgery to remove polyps blocking his nasal airways, the self-described bargain shopper set out on a mission to find an affordable surgeon. He quickly learned a good deal is hard to find.”

CNN shares a story of Godfrey Davies, a man who saved nearly $30,000 on a simple procedure that would have cost him $33,127 or more here in the U.S. After jumping through hoops to try and find an affordable price in Indianapolis, Indiana, he turned to family members across the Atlantic to help him broaden his search for affordable surgery… What they found left Davies “speechless”, and resulted in him embarking on a medical journey to the U.K.

Click here to read the full story  on www.cnn.com

By Steven Lash, President & CEO of Satori World Medical

Last week in South Lake Tahoe, California, Satori World Medical was proud to sponsor The California Association of Joint Powers Authorities (CAJPA) 27th Annual Fall Conference and Training Seminar.  CAJPA, founded in 1981, is the premier organization setting standards for cooperative and fiscally responsible governance enabling California local agencies to work together in the area of risk management.  CAJPA represents public entity Joint Powers Authority’s (JPA) that provide risk management services and insurance programs to cities, counties, school  districts and special districts.  A JPA, is a government-regulated public entity formed by two or more public agencies.  CAJPA members employ over 800,000 people and provide local government services to nearly all California residents.  Despite the current economic climate CAJPA’s annual conference continues to be the largest educational meeting for the risk management pooling industry in the nation.

Today’s skyrocketing costs of healthcare in the U.S. continue to place a tremendous financial burden on California’s public sector entities and their workforce.  At Satori World Medical, we believe in providing innovative solutions to lowering the cost of healthcare for both private and public entities.  Based in San Diego, California, our company was excited to present our global healthcare program to the key decision makers for California school districts, fire agencies, housing authorities and other entities.

Medical travel benefit options are becoming increasingly appealing to more employers, especially within the public sector space.  With the rising cost of healthcare, especially for early retiree populations and the need to lower GASB 45 liability coupled with the current budget crisis in California, there is now more than ever a greater need to find ways to lower healthcare expenses without eliminating choice, quality or benefits.  Through our program, public entities can offer their workforce a 100% new medical benefit at no cost to the organization.  The employer saves real dollars on their claims expense and the employee gets an additional choice as to where to obtain their healthcare and receive an economic benefit.

Through Satori’s Health & Shared Wealth Program™, the individual who selects to go internationally for a covered non-emergent surgical procedure has no out-of-pocket expenses, all co-pays and deductibles are waived.  Additionally, their employer will fund between $5,000-$10,000 into a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) which the employee can then use to offset future medical expenses.  What’s unique about a HRA is the funds deposited are tax-free to the employee and tax-deductible to the employer.  HRA funds roll over annually and can be used toward future out-of-pocket expenses such as co-pays, deductibles, premiums, prescriptions, and more.  Our program is so novel, that we have filed a patent around the business model and method.

The response from the public sector community has been extremely positive.  Employers love our quality programs, our patient centric philosophy and being empowered to give their workforce an additional healthcare option with a direct financial reward to the consumer that ultimately makes the decision.  Our membership with CAJPA and our sponsorship of their annual conference, demonstrates our commitment to providing high quality, innovative healthcare solutions to the public sector space.  We are very excited to be a part of this organization.

By Keith Mendoza, Director of Sales, Satori World Medical

An article published by The Associated Press earlier this week, entitled “Insurers aim to save from overseas medical tourism,” by Tom Murphy, discusses why more U.S. insurers are starting to offer medical travel programs as part of their existing health plans.

According to the article, the four largest commercial U.S. health insurers — with enrollments totaling nearly 100 million people — have either launched pilot programs offering overseas travel or explored it. Several smaller insurers and brokers also have introduced travel options for hundreds of employers around the country.

However, in his article, Murphy also points out that growth of medical tourism within the insured market has been slow in part because patients and employers have concerns about care quality and legal responsibility if something goes wrong. Also, patients who have traditional plans with low deductibles may have little incentive to take a trip.

I completely agree that these are valid and important issues that anyone should address and consider before participating in a global healthcare program. Leading global healthcare companies, such as Satori World Medical, are addressing these common reservations by developing global healthcare networks to provide patients access to high-quality care, as well as provide more incentives for employees/individuals when they choose to travel for medical care.

First I’d like to comment on the issues of medical quality and patient safety and how medical quality is being addressed by today’s global healthcare companies. Our company has established a high-performing global healthcare network of Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited hospitals. JCI is the international accreditation arm of the U.S. hospital accrediting body, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), which works to ensure that all international hospitals meet the same quality and safety standards as leading U.S. hospitals.

Other key features of Satori World Medical’s Quality Assurance Program™ include a highly qualified Medical Quality Advisory Board, full-time Chief Medical Officer (CMO) on staff that is a Board Certified surgeon, and onsite due diligence visits made by our CMO to each of our network hospitals. As part of our program, Satori World Medical arranges follow-up care for every patient before he or she even leaves the country.

But that then begs the question, even if the quality of care is high why would somebody choose to undergo a surgical procedure outside the U.S. unless he or she had a meaningful incentive to do so? This is one of the biggest challenges to integrating medical tourism programs into the insured marketplace.  Satori World Medical has created a unique financial shared savings model that offers employees a direct financial incentive for choosing to undergo surgery at any of the hospitals within the Satori Global Network™. We feel that providing not only the employer and payor with a meaningful economic benefit to participate in our medical travel program, but the employee as well, is critical to ensuring our program’s widespread adoption within the insured marketplace.

Through Satori’s Health & Shared Wealth Program™, U.S. employees actually share directly in the economic benefits of medical travel. Through the Satori program employees are eligible to receive thousands of dollars funded in a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) by selecting the Satori Global Network™. Qualifying procedures include cardiac, orthopedic and spinal surgeries that are typically expensive within the U.S hospital system.

Additionally, there is no recurring monthly or fixed cost to employers or payors to integrate the Satori Global Network™ into their existing health plan design. On average, the cost savings per procedure, range anywhere from 40-80 percent, including the costs of travel and hotel accommodations for the patient and a companion.

We applaud the Associated Press for focusing on this important topic and as the industry continues to mature, look forward to seeing more U.S. employers, payors and patients benefit from global healthcare programs.

By Steven Lash, President & CEO of Satori World Medical

At next week’s American Health Insurance Plans Institute Conference (AHIP Institute 2009, June 3-5, 2009) in San Diego, thousands of health care executives and companies from around the nation, including Satori World Medical, will convene to discuss U.S. Health Care Reform, among other pressing global issues surrounding health care.

I am particularly excited to see that the globalization of health care will be among the topics at the forefront of this year’s conference agenda. As governments, employers and individuals around the world continue to face skyrocketing health care costs, rapidly aging populations and increasing consumer demands, more nations such as the U.S., are turning to the private sector for new ways to provide access to high quality health care procedures.

During AHIP, Satori World Medical’s Strategic Advisory Board Member, Stuart Altman, Ph. D., will lead a panel discussion on issues surrounding the globalization of health care. Specific topics that will be discussed include:

• Growing choice among U.S. consumers to travel internationally in order to obtain high quality, accessible and affordable health care.
• Emergence of leading-edge technology combined with performance-based initiatives critical to improving the delivery of health care around the world.
• Global expansion of health care and things that need to be considered in order to make global health care a real and viable choice for all Americans.
• Challenges and opportunities for reducing health care costs while simultaneously increasing the quality of health care delivery.

Due to the conference’s important focus on global health care this year, Satori World Medical is also thrilled to be the only global health care network/medical travel company exhibiting at AHIP 2009.

Specific topics related directly to global health care, which I hope will engender further discussion include:

• How and why more U.S. payors and employers are adopting medical tourism and integrating global health care programs into their overall employee benefit plan design;
• International health care quality and how hospitals outside the U.S. are able to deliver equivalent, or superior, quality health care services at a fraction of the cost domestically; and
• Where medical tourism specifically fits into the future of U.S. Healthcare Reform.

While medical travel is still in its early stages, the increased focus on global health care among top leaders in the industry, is a testament to the growing and significant role that global health care is continuing to play in U.S. Health Care Reform. The fact that Satori World Medical is leading this important industry transformation is very exciting for us.

Satori World Medical will be exhibiting at Booth #921. Join our executives for an insightful conversation about medical tourism and how global health care programs are helping to bring high quality, cost effective health care solutions to U.S. plan sponsors/employers and their employees.

We’ll see you next week in San Diego!

Notes from my presentation at last week’s World Health Care Congress in DC

By Steven Lash, President & CEO of Satori World Medical

Last week, I attended the 6^th Annual 2009 World Health Care Congress (WHCC), Apr. 14-16, in Washington, DC, one of the year’s most important industry events for America’s health care executives. About 2,000 health care professionals attended this year, including CEOs, senior executives and government officials from the nation’s largest employers, hospitals, health systems, health plans, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and leading government agencies.

To no surprise, the biggest theme of the event was the U.S. health care crisis and strategies around health care reform. It was evident throughout the conference that fundamental changes to our health care system are needed and innovations in health care delivery will be the driving force. Among the innovations presented at the conference was the concept of global health care, also known as medical tourism.

I actually had the opportunity to moderate a panel discussion on global health care at this year’s conference. The presentation specifically delved into the growing phenomenon of medical tourism, how and why more U.S. employers and payors are embracing global health care programs, and how to develop a successful international health care partnership.

Speakers on the panel also included former Aetna Medical Director, Charles Cutler, M.D., M.S., who is a member of Satori World Medical’s Medical Quality Advisory Board, and George McGregor, President & CEO of McGregor & Associates.

So for those of you who were unable to attend the conference, I wanted to share with you some of the most key points of our discussion:

·       Why the U.S. health care system is the most expensive in the world:  

Among the biggest problems responsible for America’s escalating health care costs are the rising costs of medical technology and prescription drugs, high administrative costs resulting from multiple complex payor systems, and the growing shift from non-profit to for-profit health care providers.

·       Why more and more U.S. employers, health plans and government agencies are embracing global health care:

With America’s health care system being the most expensive in the world, Americans are taking a serious look at cost-effective alternatives like medical tourism.

According to a 2008 Deloitte consumer survey on medical tourism, it is forecasted that six million Americans will travel outside the U.S. for quality and affordable medical care, and by 2011 medical tourism will become a $13.9 billion industry. Among the biggest reasons for the growing popularity of medical travel include the high quality of care now available in many hospitals around the world, the tremendous potential for cost savings, and a shift in consumers’ responsibility for their own health care expense.

·       How to choose the right global health care partner:

Not all global health care companies are the same, which is why it’s important that when embracing a medical tourism program, the employer or payor selects the right global health care partner.

Among the important qualities to look for in a global health care company include a high level of experience in international contracting, an incentive model that actually shares the financial savings with the employee, a program that does not require any startup, administrative or other participation costs to the employer or payor, and a superior quality assurance program (which also includes follow-up care) to ensure the highest level of patient care and overall experience.

·       Understanding some of the potential issues or challenges of adoption:

A medical tourism benefit program will only succeed if employees are willing to participate. Therefore, it’s essential for employers to be able to overcome concerns or issues that might prevent someone from receiving medical care outside the U.S. Among the most common issues are the lack of awareness or understanding about medical travel and its benefits, the patient’s concern of overall health care quality and safety, their understanding of what to expect when undergoing a surgical procedure abroad, and the ability to have a close friend or loved one as a travel companion to support them throughout their entire experience.

·       Why U.S. payors, as well, are embracing partnerships with global health care facilitators:

Many U.S. payors are also partnering with global health care companies to offer medical tourism as a benefit option to its members. But why don’t payors and health plans just create their own global health care network?

Well, for one reason, developing a high-quality global health care network is extremely costly and time-consuming. Additionally, as part of the quality assurance process, the payor or insurance company would have to actually travel to each of the international hospitals in its network to undergo due diligence site visits. Furthermore, contract negotiations are extremely time consuming and involve complicated legal concerns. On the other hand, vendors that can provide these services are a more efficient and cost effective solution for health plans.

In conclusion, while the medical tourism industry is just in its early stages, I’m thrilled to see that so many U.S. employers and payors are beginning to embrace the concept. That is the key to the industry’s growth and adoption. Education is also important which is why discussions like these are so critical.

By Jessica Yarbrough, Marketing & Communications Manager of Satori World Medical

Caught up in one of the largest economic fallouts in history, the big three U.S. automakers, General Motors (GM), Ford and Chrysler, are now faced with the quandary of how to continue health care benefits for well over one million employees and their families, including the tens of thousands of workers being forced into early retirement as a result of their massive layoffs.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of GM retirees age 65 and over who were once promised medical benefits for life are now finding themselves without any health care coverage at all. On January 1, 2009, GM announced that it would cease providing health care insurance to employees and their families age 65 and over, once they become eligible for Medicare benefits.

The crushing burdens of medical costs have no doubt played a significant role in the decline of America’s top three automakers, currently placing them in an insolvent position. Case in point, GM’s retiree health care expenses alone add up to $50 billion a year, which is far more than what its government bailout can cover.

So what’s the solution, or does one even exist? We need to find a way to provide more Americans with access to quality health care that is also affordable. But how can we accomplish that when currently the U.S. health care system is the most expensive health care system in the world? One option for reducing the burden of healthcare cost the auto industry may want to consider is medical tourism, whereby American patients travel to international hospitals to receive quality and affordable medical care outside the U.S. In fact, according to Deloitte’s 2008 consumer study on medical tourism, it’s predicted that an estimated six million American patients will travel outside the U.S. for medical care by 2010.

Why? Well for starters, quality health care that rivals U.S. standards, is available in many nations around the world, including Singapore, Thailand, India, Turkey, Costa Rica, and Mexico. A U.S. patient can travel to an international hospital in India for a hip replacement and receive the same, if not better, quality of care, for a tenth of what it would cost to undergo that same procedure in the U.S.

Secondly, companies are now offering more incentives for employees to participate in global health care programs. Satori World Medical offers an innovative global health care program that shares the financial benefits of medical travel with all participants, including both employers and their employees.

By electing to receive surgery at any of Satori’s International Centers of Excellence an individual can obtain high quality medical care with no out-of-pocket expenses because the patients’ share of deductible, co-pay and co-insurance are waived. Additionally, they have the opportunity to share in the significant savings and receive thousands of dollars funded by their employer in a tax-advantaged Health (HRA). These funds can then be used to cover future medical expenses.

Furthermore, for large employers, such as the Big three automakers, by dramatically reducing their employees’ and retirees’ health care expenses, they are able to compete better globally, and at the same time offer a more competitive benefit package to their workforce.

Solving the auto industry’s health care crisis clearly will require fundamental changes and further innovations in healthcare delivery systems. A global medical benefit option is just one cost effective solution that can lower companies healthcare expenses, provide employees with an additional choice as to where to receive their health care and put real and meaningful dollars into consumers’ pockets.

Note: If you found this blog post interesting, you might also enjoy reading the following recent news articles.

“A Risky Bankruptcy Looms for GM,” BusinessWeek – 4/8/09

“Potential PBGC Problem: $13.5 Billion GM Liability,” Pensions & Investments – 4/6/09

“Retired GM workers concerned about health, pension benefits,” Fort-Star Telegram – 4/1/09

“Autoworkers Union Reaches Deal on Health Benefits with Ford,” Washington Post – 2/23/09

“Union Talks Seen as Key as G.M. makes Case for Funds,” New York Times – 2/16/09

One of the biggest driving factors fueling global healthcare and medical tourism in America, whereby patients seek medical care outside of the U.S., is the high quality of care now available in international hospitals. But what are the crucial attributes to look for in a high quality global health care program? If you are considering a medical tourism program, here are some important tips to help you ensure the medical care is of the highest quality and safety.

Make sure all hospitals in the network are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI): More than 220 public and private health care organizations in 33 countries around the world are now accredited by JCI, the international arm of the U.S. accreditor of hospitals.

1. Look for a global health network comprised of U.S./U.K. or equivalently trained and Board Certified physicians
2. Check to see if the hospitals in the global network have affiliations with prestigious medical universities and hospitals: There are several top-tier international hospitals that are directly affiliated with Harvard Medical, Johns Hopkins, The Cleveland Clinic, The Mayo Clinic, and other leading medical universities and hospitals.
3. Partner with organizations that follow AMA guidelines on medical travel: The American Medical Association (AMA) has set specific and important guidelines pertaining to medical travel. Global healthcare organizations should follow these established guidelines.
4. Determine if the program has a full-time Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and quality assurance team in place: The best global healthcare companies have a full-time CMO and Medical Quality Advisory Board to ensure ongoing quality improvements in patient care.
5. Work with an organization that offers dedicated support for the patient throughout the entire experience: Choose a medical travel program that offers a team of experts, comprised of Nurse Patient Advocates and Travel Care Coordinators, to ensure optimal delivery of healthcare services and a rewarding experience for the patient and his or her travel companion. Ideally, the Nurse Patient Advocates should be Registered Nurses with surgical training.
6. Find out if the program covers all costs for not only the patient, but a companion as well: Another important part of ensuring patients’ safety and comfort when undergoing surgery in another country is that they have a trusting companion to accompany them and be on hand to help them through the entire experience. That’s why a key distinguishing factor to look for in a global health care program is whether or not the costs of travel and accommodations for a companion are included.
7. Visit some JCI-accredited international hospitals online: To view the amenities and features international hospitals offer, take a virtual tour of them online. For instance, Clinica Biblica, a top, JCI-accredited hospital located in Costa Rica offers a virtual tour of their facilities, as well as National University Hospital in Singapore.

Last week, Steven Lash, President and CEO of Satori World Medical, spoke with HealthBlawg, an industry blog focusing on issues related to law and healthcare, last week about Satori’s take on medical tourism, including its method of sharing cost savings with consumers who use Satori’s services through employer-sponsored health plans.

David Harlow writes:

Sharing cost savings with employees through Health Reimbursement Accounts — funded through tax-deductible contributions by the employer if an employee uses an overseas medical service, and are used to pay for an employee’s health insurance premiums, deductibles and copayments in future years — is one of the Satori innovations.  Lash distinguishes his offering from that of the Hannaford’s-Aetna medical tourism plan which was announced with great fanfare, led to no employee taking advantage of an overseas procedure, and brought out a domestic provider that offered to match the overseas pricing Hannaford’s had obtained.  He also presents a number of other aspects of his company’s program in our conversation, including patient intake, patient choice, and quality assurance through selective contracting with JCI-accredited overseas providers for a limited set of services.

There are wildly varying estimates of the numbers of medical tourists originating in the U.S. — 50,000 to 750,000 a year, depending on who you ask and how you count — but that number seems likely to go up before it goes down.

You can read the blog and hear HealthBlawg’s audio Podcast interview with Lash here.

Download the audio here

Stay tuned for next week’s Satori World Medical blog post on international medical quality.

By Steven Lash, President & Chief Executive Officer of Satori World Medical

Satori World Medical has been quite busy over the past several months in our mission and vision to provide individuals, employers, financial sponsors and insurers with world-class healthcare, excellent client services and significant financial benefit.  We are very pleased to announce that we have executed an agreement with McGregor & Associates, an employee benefits consulting firm specializing in servicing public sector employers, to offer Satori World Medical’s innovative global healthcare network to thousands of McGregor & Associates’ contracted employers and their employees, as well as its own staff.

The costs of healthcare in the U.S. are higher than in any other country in the world, placing an enormous burden on today’s U.S. companies that fund their employees’ healthcare, in addition to the employees themselves who have become responsible for more and more of their own medical expenses.

McGregor & Associates is an organization committed to its customers and their employees.  Ensuring that the quality of care their constituents receive at our international hospitals is equal to or better than the care they would receive in the U.S. was the number one decision criteria for selecting Satori World Medical.  According to George McGregor, President of McGregor & Associates, our company has the most sophisticated quality assurance programs and processes compared to all the competitors that operate in medical travel space. George holds numerous other positions including General Manager of the Southern California Schools Voluntary Employees’ Benefits Association (VEBA), administrator of the California Public Employers Employees Health Care Coalition, and administrator of the SDCS-SDEA, a Joint Retiree Medical Benefits Trust.

Through our global network of Board Certified doctors and Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited, state-of-the-art hospitals, Satori World Medical provides a comprehensive, high quality integrated medical benefit program that reduces the costs of selected surgical procedures by 44-84 percent.  The savings generated are shared with all stakeholders, while a portion of the savings, is funded in the employees tax-advantaged Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) when they select a Satori Global Network™ provider for their medical procedure. With Satori World Medical’s innovative Health & Shared Wealth Program™, everyone wins.

Other key benefits to U.S. employers are as follows:

·       Ability to compete better globally: Global healthcare models result in major economic benefits for U.S. companies because the costs of their employees’ healthcare are greatly reduced.  U.S. companies have access to same quality healthcare at much lower expense and as a result, companies can be more profitable and competitive globally.

·       Improved employee retention and satisfaction: An organization’s financial strength is built and reinforced by reducing costs and investing in the financial security and well-being of its workforce.  Therefore, companies that offer a global healthcare benefit option to their employees can greatly strengthen the overall morale and productivity of their workforce.  This is a new medical benefit at no cost to the employer or employee.

·       Seamless integration with any existing medical plan: A global healthcare benefit program can be seamlessly added to an employer’s existing employee benefit program and without any startup or ongoing expenses for the employer.  This medical benefit is in addition to the medical plan that is currently in place.

·       Single bill for employee claims: When considering the implementation of a global healthcare benefit program, one common concern among employers is whether or not significant internal resources and staff to administer patient claims and billing are involved.  Satori World Medical meets this challenge by handling the entire billing process for the employer, in which a single bill in U.S. dollars is provided for all services rendered, thus reducing company claims processing costs and with no foreign currency exchange fluctuations.

We are extremely excited about our partnership with McGregor & Associates because we believe our program will allow them to significantly improve the quality of their participating employers’ benefit administration processes, as well as their own, resulting in improved value and reduced costs across the board.  McGregor & Associates understands the importance of providing quality improvement solutions that increase employee and customer satisfaction, competitiveness, and financial performance.