SAN DIEGO – August 1, 2011 – Satori World Medical has partnered with HealthFirst TPA, a leading third party administrator (TPA), to offer its global healthcare program to their clients.

Through this partnership, Satori World Medical will provide HealthFirst TPA’s clients and thousands of their employees access to a full-service, high quality medical travel program, also known as medical tourism or global healthcare. Under the program, specialized surgical procedures, such as orthopedic, cardiac, bariatric, cosmetic and major dental work can be performed at cost savings of between 40-80 percent when compared to U.S. pricing at Satori’s International Centers of Excellence

“HealthFirst TPA is excited to have Satori World Medical as our exclusive global healthcare partner. This will add tremendous value to our self-funded clients’ benefit structure, as we are committed to reducing  healthcare costs, while providing more quality healthcare options. These are the exact same values of Satori World Medical, which makes this such a unique and valuable partnership”, said Mark Hobgood, Chief Marketing Officer, HealthFirst TPA.

HealthFirst TPA, located in Tyler, Texas, has been operating in the third party administrator industry since 1983. HealthFirst TPA is considered one of the most innovative and technologically advanced TPAs in the nation.

“We are pleased to be working with an industry-leading third party administrator, HealthFirst. Satori’s global network allows HealthFirst to expand their clients’ access to quality healthcare providers”, said Steven Lash, President and CEO, Satori World Medical. “Our medical travel program creates a highly valued employee benefit, while at the same time it can reduce healthcare expense by 40-80 percent, provide more quality healthcare options, and increase employee satisfaction”.

Satori World Medical has done extensive due diligence on hospitals and physicians to find the best the world has to offer. Its network features hospitals that meet or exceed U.S. standards of care, are accredited, and monitored regularly by Satori on the quality of care delivered.

For more information on HealthFirst TPA, visit http://www.hftpa.com.

Satori World Medical provides access to its global network of board-certified doctors and worldwide centers of excellence through a high-quality integrated program, which is easily added to any health plan, reducing the costs of surgical procedures by an average of 40-80 percent when compared to the same procedures performed in a U.S. hospital. Its business model is specifically designed to deliver high-quality health care services, share the tremendous cost savings with plan sponsors and their employees and to coordinate all medical and travel services for individuals who need care. For more information about Satori World Medical, call +1 (619) 704-2000 or visit at http://www.satoriworldmedical.com.

Medical tourism, also known as medical travel or global healthcare, is the rapidly-growing practice of traveling across international borders to obtain medical care. Below are the top questions I am asked when speaking to clients regarding implementing a medical travel benefit into an employee benefit plan.

1.       What can a medical travel benefit provide my employees?

A medical travel or medical tourism benefit can provide your employees an additional option in their health plans. Typically, a procedure through Satori’s Global Network is 40-80% less than US hospital and physician fees including medical and travel costs. Your employees receive high quality healthcare with access to the top surgeons in the world and the employee can take a companion with them. There are no co-pays, co-insurance or deductibles passed onto the employee and your company can realize real significant savings.

2.       Why choose Satori World Medical?

Satori’s unique Business & Care model is unlike any other medical tourism company in the marketplace.  What sets Satori apart from other medical travel facilitators is Satori’s Global Healthcare Network. Our network is comprised of the “Best of the Best” hospitals around the world and our robust Quality Program, led by our full-time Chief Medical Officer, ensures optimal delivery of care. In addition, our proprietary Health & Shared Wealth Program shares the economic savings with all insurers, employers, and individuals, and our program includes world-class client services and a companion care program. Satori offers fixed price case rates that include air travel, luxury hotel accommodations and ground transportation for the patient and companion, all on a convenient single bill in US dollars. 

3.       Are there any costs associated with adding Satori World Medical to our medical plan?

There are absolutely no charges associated with adding Satori to a medical plan. Satori World Medical does not charge a Per Employee Per Month (PEPM), network access fee, or rental fee for our program.  There are no monthly or recurring costs for embedding Satori into a health plan. There is no downside to adding the Satori Global Healthcare Network. It truly is a new innovative benefit for employers to provide their employees.

Sherry Laboratories partners with medical travel facilitator Satori World Medical

SAN DIEGO – Jan. 5, 2011 – Sherry Laboratories, a network of analytical testing labs, now offers a medical travel program, also known as medical tourism or global health care, through Satori World Medical as an option for its employees.

Satori World Medical will provide Sherry Laboratories’ employees and their dependents with a comprehensive, high-quality medical travel benefit program, which can result in 40-80 percent cost savings per procedure.  Under the program, specialized surgical procedures such as orthopedic, cardiac, bariatric, cosmetic and major dental work can be performed.

“We are very pleased to be working with Satori World Medical. After reviewing Satori’s robust medical travel program, I knew it would give great value to our employee benefits package. Satori’s program focuses on quality health care, giving our employees access to Centers of Excellence around the world, while generating significant cost savings,” said Jim Convy, Vice President of Human Resources, Sherry Laboratories.

“Satori’s medical travel program can be easily added to any existing employer health plan with no cost to the employer,” stated Steven Lash, President & CEO, Satori World Medical. “We are excited to work with such an innovative employer and offer access to our high quality, cost-effective network to their employees.”

Satori World Medical has done extensive due diligence on hospitals and physicians to find the best the world has to offer. Its international network features hospitals that are accredited and meet or exceed U.S. standards of care, and highly trained and specialized physicians. In additional, Satori regularly monitors performance measures on the quality of care delivered.

For more information on Sherry Laboratories, visit http://www.sherrylabs.com.

 Satori World Medical provides access to its global network of board-certified doctors and worldwide centers of excellence through a high-quality integrated program, which is easily added to any health plan, reducing the costs of surgical procedures by an average of 40-80 percent when compared to the same procedures performed in a U.S. hospital. Its business model is specifically designed to deliver high-quality health care services, share the tremendous cost savings with plan sponsors and their employees and to coordinate all medical and travel services for individuals who need care. For more information about Satori World Medical, call +1 (619) 704-2000 or visit http://www.satoriworldmedical.com. 

In this month’s issue of Agent’s Sales Journal, Satori World Medical provides insight on why medical travel is a viable option for every health plan.  Below is part of the article “Innovations in Employer-Funded Health Care: Medical Tourism”.

Read the entire article in the November issue of Agent’s Sales Journal, or read it online at: http://www.asjonline.com/Exclusives/2010/11/Pages/Innovations-in-EmployerFunded-Health-Care-Medical-Tourism-.aspx

The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) addresses access, but most health care economists agree that medical expenses will continue to rise. As this happens, more employers will be forced to shift a larger portion of health care costs to their employees in order to remain profitable. Medical travel, which has received increased interest from U.S. residents and employers, is now a highly attractive and viable option to businesses and their employees that may help consumers deal with the increased load that they must bear.

Medical travel defined

The practice of travelling across international borders to obtain health care – medical travel, also known as medical tourism or global health care – has increased significantly in popularity over the past decade. Travelers seek both elective and specialized surgical procedures, such as joint replacement; cardiac, bariatric, and cosmetic procedures; and major dental work.

A number of factors are driving this trend, including:

• The high quality of international medical care and the ability to reduce a U.S. patient’s out-of-pocket expenses for typically high-cost surgical procedures
• The cultural diversity of the US workforce
• The ease of the adoption and integration of global health care benefits into a plan design

By Keith Mendoza, Director of Sales of Satori World Medical

The continual rise in employer-funded healthcare costs has prompted more U.S. companies to explore innovative alternatives to traditional health insurance plans. As such, insurance brokers and advisors are continually looking to partner with companies that can provide solutions that lower employers’ healthcare costs while offering benefit programs that their employees will value.

Employers are now integrating medical travel programs into their benefit plan designs. Through such programs, their employees have the option to travel to international Joint Commission International (JCI) hospitals to undergo select surgical procedures at an average cost of 40-80 percent less when compared to a hospital in the U.S. That 40-80 percent savings is generated even after factoring in all hotel accommodations and roundtrip airfare for the patient and a companion.

Through medical travel programs, the employee who receives medical care internationally is able to retain dollars they would have otherwise spent if they had chosen to have their procedure done domestically. Employers who have incorporated a medical travel program allow the individual to waive their copays, deductibles and coinsurances. Additionally, a feature that is unique to the Satori World Medical program is its financial sharing concept, whereby a portion of the savings of global healthcare is passed along to the employee through a tax-advantaged, employer-funded Health Reimbursement Account (HRA). Because the savings of global healthcare are so significant, many employers are establishing HRA’s and funding a portion of the savings generated to their employees.

Here’s how it works: An employee selects the employer option to go to Mexico for a major medical procedure through the Satori Global Network™. All out-of-pocket cost for the individual are waived and the employer deposits a fixed dollar amount (between $5,000-$10,000) in the employee’s HRA, representing an employee’s share of the savings. The funds deposited are tax-deductible to the employer and tax-free to the employee. The employee can then use those funds to pay for future medical expenses, such as premiums, deductibles, co-pays, prescriptions, and more. The funds roll over annually, so essentially the employee can cover their out-of-pocket medical expenses for several years by choosing to go internationally for a major medical procedure.

Why medical travel is attractive to employers and their employees:

• Significantly reduces healthcare cost. Employers have the opportunity to save dollars on their surgical claims experience. Many medical travel programs do not charge a Per Employee Per Month (PEPM) or network access fee. Savings are based on utilization, so there is no need to invest dollars in the medical travel program up front.
• Gives moderate income employees the opportunity to hold onto dollars otherwise allocated for out-of-pocket expenses. Typically, medical travel programs waive all out-of-pocket expenses for the employee and offer a cash incentive. A medical travel option empowers employees with the ability to choose where they receive their care based on quality and price. Employees have the opportunity to avoid going into medical debt for a major surgical episode. 
•  Meets the needs of a culturally diverse workforce. A large share of the workforce in the U.S. is comprised of Hispanics, Filipinos, Asian-Indians, Vietnamese, and Chinese employees. Companies with largely diverse workforces have a vested interest in meeting the health and welfare needs of their employees.

The fact is that opportunities and innovation in healthcare delivery exist all throughout the world, whether it’s in India, Mexico or Singapore. Embracing these opportunities allows organizations to be at the forefront of providing innovative alternatives to lowering healthcare costs. Medical travel essentially is a cost savings strategy that is tangible, and just makes sense.

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 Jessica Yarbrough, Marketing & Communications Manager
Satori World Medical

More and more American consumers are seeking high-quality healthcare outside the U.S. in order to dramatically reduce their medical expenses on certain high-cost surgical procedures.  This trend, most commonly referred to as medical travel or medical tourism, has also propelled a national interest among U.S. employers seeking innovative ways to reduce their employee healthcare costs.  By including a global healthcare benefit option, employers can save 40-80% on high-cost surgical procedures.  The savings are so dramatic that the employer or financial sponsor will waive any out-of-pocket expenses for the employee receiving care.  For many Americas, medical travel is an appealing and cost-effective option to receiving care.  But what items should consumers look for when considering a medical travel company?

• Quality Assurance: While high-quality care is available at many hospitals around the world, not all medical travel programs offer the same level of quality. Therefore, it is important to be familiar with all aspects of the company’s quality assurance program. For instance, as a baseline, choose a medical travel company that only contracts with international hospitals accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), an arm of the U.S. hospital-accrediting body, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).   JCI sets over 350 standards of excellence for international hospitals to meet that ensure the quality and safety of patient care.
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Not every medical travel program is all-inclusive. Therefore, it is essential to understand what is included in the cost of your care.  For example, does the cost include roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations?  What about travel costs for a companion?  Are there any out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles or co-pays that you may incur?
• Current Coverage: There are now medical travel programs available to U.S. employers, which can be easily added as a benefit option to their employees’ existing health plan.   Many programs can be added without any recurring cost or network access fee to the employer.  Ask your HR manager or benefits advisor if this is a covered benefit.  If you don’t already have a medical travel/global benefit option, ask about adding one to your company’s benefit plan design.  
• Patient Support Systems: Making the decision to receive surgery outside of the U.S. can be a challenging decision, therefore, it is important to work with a medical travel company that has a strong patient advocacy and support program in place. Specific attributes to look for include access to registered nurses who can guide you through the process in coordinating your care, facilitating your medical record transfer and scheduling your follow-up care with your U.S. physician.

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

Year after year, U.S. employers continue to face double-digit rate increases on health insurance premiums.  Since 2000, the majority of employers have seen costs increase 100 percent or more in order to offer their employees a comprehensive medical plan.  Their increases are not linked to new coverage or benefits, just renewals.

What new strategy can be implemented to help reduce plan sponsor cost without increasing employees’ out-of- pocket expenses or restricting access to quality providers of their choice?

Medical tourism or medical travel, whereby U.S. patients travel outside the U.S. to receive quality medical care at a fraction of the cost, is a benefit strategy that employers are using to achieve lower claim costs on a medical plan, provide additional choice of providers, and engage and reward consumerism within the scope of their existing medical benefit plan.

The key word is choice.  Plan sponsors now offer their employees a choice of domestic network providers and networks provide plan sponsors with discounts of 20-40 percent off providers’ “retail” prices. The benefit plan provides incentives to use lower-cost participating network medical providers over often more expensive, non-participating medical providers.

Satori World Medical, a global health care company specializing in the medical travel space, offers an all-inclusive plan that waives all the out-of-pocket expenses for the employee when choosing a Satori Global Network™ hospital and physician.  Additionally, using a proprietary model, Satori World Medical helps clients design a shared savings feature whereby the employer would share a portion of the $30,000 to $75,000 savings for their surgical procedure through a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) contribution to the employee.  The HRA is tax-free to the employee and tax-deductible to the employer.  On average, the total cost savings of participating in Satori World Medical’s global health care network are as much as 40-80 percent per procedure, which is extremely compelling.  Additionally, medical travel programs, like Satori, can be offered as an additional benefit to any existing health plan design, and does not replace any domestic provider choice.

Of course employees are only going to travel abroad for medical care if the quality of care is comparable or better than in the U.S.  The global economy has grown, and as a result, competition to provide the best possible health care services, has also grown.  Just as high-quality products and technologies are produced across the globe, and organizations purchase various goods and services from international companies based on price and quality, so too are a number of high quality hospitals and physicians and medical services now available globally.

Companies like Satori World Medical, which specialize in medical tourism, are now making it easier for employers and payors to embrace global health care programs because they have already built the infrastructure, performed the due diligence, and provided contracts that can be supported by U.S. third -party payors.

With the cost of healthcare and health insurance premiums being higher than in any other nation in the world, it is the right time to embrace innovative, cost-saving alternatives like medical tourism. As the industry emerges, we see that the interest in global health care among American companies will continue to grow significantly.