Josef Woodman, author of the first comprehensive guide to medical tourism “Patients Beyond Borders”, recognized expert in the medical tourism industry, and member of Satori World Medical’s Strategic Advisory Board shares his thoughts on how the landmark healthcare reform bill will affect the medical tourism industry.

First Thoughts on the Dawnings of Healthcare Reform: How the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Is Likely to Affect Medical Tourism

Author: Josef Woodman, Patients Beyond Borders; CEO, Healthy Travel Media, LLC

Over the course of the past several months, and particularly since the recent signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (otherwise informally known as the Healthcare Reform Bill), I’ve been asked by media and industry people how this new and landmark legislation will affect cross-border medical travel.

The short answer is: who knows?  Most components of the Act take effect gradually, and implementation is likely to be glacial.  At this point it’s not clear the Act will stand, as more than 14 states have now filed lawsuits challenging its constitutionality.  Additional challenges are sure to arise, further muddying the already roiled waters.

Should the Act remain in place, we will undoubtedly see increased burdens on our already groaning healthcare infrastructure.  In accommodating 30+ million new healthcare consumers, all but the wealthiest Americans will likely experience an increased and acute shortage of primary care physicians, nurses, and administrative staff, resulting in longer waits for treatment.  Thus, while the number of uninsured American patients will decrease, the ranks of the underinsured will rise dramatically, as limited resources are triaged by insurers and providers across the healthcare reform landscape. 

In short, the US healthcare system under healthcare reform will likely morph into more of a public-private system found in the UK, and emerging in Canada.  Not unlike the US education system, we’ll see lower cost—albeit less accessible— public care for those who cannot otherwise afford more expensive private care, financed by luxury insurance plans, concierge services or out-of-pocket payments.

To avoid the scenarios experienced by overburdened government-regulated healthcare systems in the UK, Canada and Germany, US insurers and providers would be prudent to take proactive measures.  Thinking globally wouldn’t hurt.  For example, to help mitigate the pressures of our over-burdened healthcare system, US insurers might aggressively accelerate efforts to include cross-border treatment plans for American-accredited facilities overseas. Cost savings can be substantial, even at the wholesale rates.  In like manner, leading US providers should be aggressively planning the build-out of more cost-efficient international facilities and/or creating sustainable affiliations with JCI-accredited hospitals abroad.

With or without healthcare reform, most Americans will in the coming months and years experience compacted access to the relative luxury of quality care their mothers and fathers enjoyed.  However, greater transparencies in quality assurance, cost-comparison and patient satisfaction data will lead consumers to an impressive array of informed, cost-effective choices for medical care, often international in scope.

By Kevin Poling, Director of Travel at Satori World Medical

The growing realization that high-quality healthcare is available in many parts of the world for a fraction of the cost than within the U.S., has prompted more American patients to become medical travelers. But where are the best medical tourism destinations and why? Below are some of the most recommended medical travel destinations according to Satori World Medical, as well as the most trusted consumer guide to healthcare abroad, Patients Beyond Borders – 2nd Edition, by Josef Woodman.

1. Costa Rica: According to Patients Beyond Borders, some 15 percent of Costa Rica’s international tourists visit this small country for medical services, which are predominantly cosmetic surgery and dental care. Costa Rica is one of the top five countries most visited by Americans for medical treatment. Costa Rica has hundreds of board-certified physicians, surgeons, and dentists, mostly practicing in or near San José. Costa Rica is also becoming increasingly popular for eye surgery and other elective procedures, such as bariatric surgery (for weight loss) and orthopedics. For medical travelers heading to Costa Rica for surgery, CIMA/San José, Hospital La Católica, and Clínica Bíblica are among the medical tourism industry’s top picks.

2. India: India’s medical travel industry, also according to Patients Beyond Borders 2nd Edition, is growing at an annual growth rate of 30 percent per year. Largely responsible for that growth is the increasing number of Americans, Canadians, and Europeans seeking treatment there. Particularly, India has become a hub for patients seeking cardiac and orthopedic surgeries, which are on average 80 percent less expensive when compared to the cost of treatment at home, based on estimates from Satori World Medical. In particular, India offers among the best cardiac care in the world with Centers of Excellence, such as Wockhardt Hospital (Mumbai), Apollo (New Delhi and Chennai), and the Asian Heart Institute (Mumbai) at the top of the list.

3. Turkey: For surgical procedures, ranging from orthopedic and cardiac, to cosmetic surgery, Turkey is an excellent choice. In fact, Turkey now has more than 30 Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited hospitals and healthcare facilities. JCI is the international arm of the U.S. hospital accrediting body, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), ensuring the highest standards in quality and patient care. Prices in Turkey are very competitive, and the quality of healthcare is consistently outstanding. Two of the top-rated hospitals in Turkey that are highly recommended are Acibadem Healthcare Group and Anadolu Medical Center.

4. Mexico: More and more American patients are opting to travel to Mexico for plastic and cosmetic surgery, dentistry, weight loss, and orthopedic surgery. Mexico is popular for medical tourists because it offers high-quality healthcare services within close proximity to U.S. and Canada. For U.S. patients who appreciate shorter flights and travel time, Mexico is an ideal choice. According to JCI, there are now eight JCI-accredited hospitals and medical facilities in Mexico. For patients seeking surgery in Mexico, two hospitals that Satori World Medical recommends are Christus Muguerza and Hospital San José Tec de Monterrey.

5. Singapore: According to Patients Beyond Borders, Singapore has been an international healthcare destination since the 1980s. In 2006, more than 400,000 international patients visited Singapore. The country offers 13 JCI-accredited hospitals and centers, specializing in a variety of practice areas, from orthopedic and spine surgery, to cardiac care and women’s procedures. Medical travelers considering Singapore as a destination will receive high quality care at any of the JCI-accredited hospitals throughout the country. Among them include National University Hospital and Parkway Group Healthcare, Asia’s second largest hospital network.

Regardless of where medical travelers choose to go for their surgical procedures, they should always first contact a professional global healthcare company, such as Satori World Medical, to coordinate every step of their trip and ensure that all important details are taken care of.

By Steven Lash, President & CEO of Satori World Medical

This week, Satori World Medical had the privilege of announcing that esteemed medical travel industry expert and author, Josef D. Woodman, has joined the company’s Strategic Advisory Board (SAB). The counsel provided by Woodman and other key members of Satori World Medical’s SAB and Medical Quality Advisory Board, will ensure that our company continuously achieves the highest industry-wide standards in medical quality and sophisticated business strategy.

Recognized for authoring the first comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide to medical tourism, “Patients Beyond Borders,” Woodman has spent more than three years touring 100 medical facilities in 14 countries and researching contemporary medical tourism. As co-founder of MyDailyHealth and Ventana Communications, Woodman’s pioneering background in health, wellness, and Web technology, has allowed him to compile a wealth of information about global health travel, telemedicine, and new developments in consumer and institutional medical care.

A noted consumer advocate for the globalization of health care, Woodman has also lectured at the Harvard Medical School and the UCLA School of Public Health and has hosted more than a dozen seminars and workshops around the world on the topics of medical tourism and health travel.

According to Woodman, “Satori World Medical is one of the best global health care programs that I have seen. I am particularly impressed with Satori’s Quality Assurance Program™ and its unique financial sharing model, which provides a measurable shared economic incentive for all program participants. Satori’s business model is well poised for growth over the next several years and for forging new strategies in addressing globalized health care. I look forward to being a part of its success.”

Through its global network of Board Certified doctors practicing at state-of-the-art Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited hospitals, Satori World Medical offers a comprehensive, high–quality, integrated medical benefit program that reduces the costs of surgical procedures by an average of 40-80 percent when compared to the same procedures performed in a U.S. hospital.

Having Josef Woodman join our SAB is such a tremendous honor for our company and a testament to the strength and viability of our program. His extensive hands-on experience with the consumer side of health care will help strengthen key relationships among patients, international providers and insurers. His added expertise is invaluable in enabling our company to deliver high quality, affordable, and practical global health care solutions to payors, employers and their employees, nationwide.