By Conni Nelson, Satori World Medical

A few weeks ago, I discussed the financial burdens of America’s escalating healthcare costs on today’s early retirees and the employers funding their health plans into retirement. This has become an increasingly pressing issue for the 3.8-million early retirees in the U.S., between the ages of 55 and 64, who do not yet qualify for Medicare and are being forced to now carry a greater portion of their own medical expenses into retirement.

One promising solution to this problem, which I discussed in my previous blog post, is medical travel, whereby patients travel internationally to receive quality healthcare at a fraction of the cost than in the U.S. So, now I’d like to delve into specifically why early retirees are especially ideal candidates for medical travel.

•  Early retirees are more likely to need common surgical procedures, which fall within the specific specialty areas of many of today’s Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited, international hospitals: It is a well-known fact that as people age, they become more susceptible to health problems. According to the American Heart Association, for instance, U.S. heart disease accounts for nearly $438 billion in medical procedures, and more than 38 million American adults age 60 or higher have one, or more, types of cardiovascular disease. Cost-prohibitive surgical procedures are much less expensive in other parts of the world. A prime example is heart surgery in India. The quality of care and patient outcomes in India’s hospitals are among the best in the world. Yet, the average heart procedure in India costs a tenth of what it would for the same procedure in a top-rated U.S. hospital. An article published last year in Health Affairs offers an interesting perspective on this.

•  Growing prevalence of U.S. employers that are reimbursing their employees for participation in a global healthcare program: Many of the common procedures that early retirees need are also eligible for reimbursement by an employer to the employee through a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA). These funds can then be used to cover the patient’s future medical expenses for years to come. Specifically, under Satori World Medical’s proprietary business model employers will fund a portion of the savings to their employees through a HRA and, as an added incentive, waive all out-of-pocket costs including co-pays and deductibles when an individual selects the Satori Global Network™ for their medical procedure.

•  Early retirees have more free time than other demographics: Medical travel programs are also a good fit for people in early retirement because they generally have more time to travel. Therefore, they are more likely to participate in a medical travel program. Additionally, early retirees are typically on a fixed income and would greatly benefit from the economic incentives available through a global healthcare program which can supplement their existing incomes into retirement.

Unfortunately, the rising costs of healthcare continue to place a significant burden on many early retirees and their employers. However, the good news is that access to high-quality, affordable healthcare is available throughout the world, and for many reasons medical travel is an ideal option suited for Americans entering retirement.

By Ron Johnson, M.D., F.A.C.S. –Chief Medical Officer, Satori World Medical

February is American Heart Month, and not just because of Valentine’s Day.  Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease, stroke and other vascular problems, is one of the deadliest and costliest health problems in the U.S.  The American Heart Association works with Congress to educate Americans about this epidemic and raise awareness throughout the month of February.  Today, I want to focus on three issues, prevention, treatment, and international options.

1.     The good news is that heart disease is preventable.  Some risk factors can’t be changed, such as family history of early heart disease, or your age.  But most risk factors can be controlled.  Here are a few tips for preventing heart disease.

• Don’t smoke – smoking reduces blood flow to the heart and can lead to a heart attack.
• Eat healthy – obesity increases the risk of heart disease, as well as stroke and other diseases; and a low calorie, heart healthy diet will also help lower your cholesterol.
• Be physically active – commit to at least 30 minutes of activity most days of the week, and if you have high blood pressure or diabetes (which are also key risk factors for heart disease), work with your physician to keep them under control.

2.     If you do get heart disease - and some forms, such as congenital CVD or viral cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle), are not preventable – there are excellent treatments available, with medical therapy, angioplasty with stents and cardiac surgery offering dramatic results in many cases.  However, there is a cost.  An estimated 6.4 million cardiac procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2004, with nearly $438 BILLION spent on cardiac care in the U.S.  Needing heart surgery and not having health insurance (47 million Americans are currently uninsured) can be a disaster.  But even with health insurance, the high deductibles and co-pays may leave you facing $5,000 to $10,000, or more in out of pocket expense.

3.     Top quality healthcare for heart disease can be obtained internationally at a fraction of the cost than within the U.S.  One option Americans have which is becoming increasingly popular is medical travel, whereby Americans travel to international hospitals to receive quality medical care at a fraction of the cost than within the U.S. 

For instance, a patient in need of a heart valve replacement can travel to a hospital in Singapore, such as those within Satori’s Global Network™, to receive open heart surgery in a hospital that offers quality care and favorable clinical outcomes that are equivalent or superior to U.S. hospitals, yet for an average cost of 30 to 50 percent less. 

Satori World Medical’s international hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which is the international arm of the U.S. hospital-accrediting body, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).  These hospitals also boast leading-edge technology; have nurse-to-patient ratios exceeding U.S. standards; U.S./U.K. or equivalently trained and Board Certified physicians;  medical and nursing staff that is fluent in English; and many also have affiliations with prestigious U.S. medical universities, such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, and others.

Heart Month is a good time to look at your risk factors, keep your heart healthy, and if you do have heart disease, know your treatment options!