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

 In 2008 and 2009 the American Medical Association (AMA) and American College of Surgeons (ACS) issued guidelines on medical tourism, the rapidly growing trend of traveling outside the US for medical care.  These guidelines were in favor of patient choice and focused on quality of care and patient safety.  Now the American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) is advising patients who are seeking surgical care internationally to help them make informed decisions.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational, research and scientific association of physicians organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient.

Below are a few of the questions the ASA suggests asking before traveling abroad for surgical care and how Satori World Medical meets or exceeds these criteria.  For the complete list of questions, click here.

Are the physicians who will be performing the procedure licensed specifically for the procedure, and is the facility accredited by a reputable organization such as the Joint Commission International (JCI)?

Find out what professional memberships, training and qualifications the physicians hold (e.g., surgeon, anesthesiologist, etc.).  Choosing an accredited facility ensures that the hospital proved it met certain standards of care intended to keep patients safe.  While most hospitals feature this information on their Web sites, you can find those accredited by JCI at www.jointcommissioninternational.org.  You should also make sure to research mortality rates, infection rates and other performance measurements.

As a quality baseline or “gating” issue, Satori World Medical only contracts with international hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), the international arm of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) that accredits all US hospitals and healthcare organizations.  JCI sets over 350 standards of excellence for international hospitals to meet that ensure the quality and safety of patient care.  Moreover, our network of International Centers of Excellence have leading-edge technology, departments designed to cater specifically to international patients, and teams of US/UK or equivalently trained and board certified physicians that are English speaking.

Have I considered working with a medical tourism company?

Medical tourism service providers can guide you through the process by doing everything from transferring your medical records, to coordinating your travel logistics.  It is critical that you research them carefully because, as is the case with hospitals, they can vary in quality of service.  As a first step, you should check with the hospital where you are having the procedure, as it likely has a dedicated medical tourism group.

While high-quality care is available at many hospitals around the world, not all medical travel programs offer the same level of quality.  Satori World Medical has a robust quality assurance program and a strong patient advocacy and support program in place.  Satori’s primary focus is providing access to the highest quality patient care.  Our company has developed a proprietary quality management system which includes ongoing quality audits as well as a Nurse Patient Advocacy Program.

Who will be traveling with me for this procedure?

A support group can play a significant role in the overall outcome and experience associated with having a medical procedure abroad. If possible, patients should identify a family member or friend who can accompany them.  In addition to ensuring patients are receiving the best care possible, they can also play a motivational role, which can make the experience more comfortable and decrease recovery times.

Fundamental to Satori’s Business & Care Model is the belief that a companion should accompany the patient while traveling internationally for medical care, enhancing the ease of their trip, comfort, and quality of life while abroad.  Satori’s innovative model includes the cost of hotel and travel accommodations for the patient’s companion.

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

Recently, the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions released the 2009 Medical Tourism Report, “Update and Implications” exploring the state of the medical tourism market since last year’s study. According to Deloitte, there are several emerging U.S. healthcare trends that will fuel the demand for medical tourism. Below, highlighted are a few of the key drivers:

• Increased demand for outpatient surgery – The number of outpatient surgical procedures performed in the U.S. tripled from 1996 to 2006. Approximately 35 million patients had outpatient surgery in 2006 alone. Growth is attributed to enhanced technology which allows patients to return home post-op, decreasing lengthy stays in hospital. Patient demand for surgeries has also increased the number of outpatient surgical centers. Outpatient surgeries represent 75% of medical tourism procedures and typically require high out-of-pocket expenses for the patient. As more consumers are faced with paying thousands of their own dollars for surgical care, medical tourism will become a more attractive alternative.

• Increased sophistication of medical tourism operations – The medical tourism industry is adapting to meet the quality needs of the U.S. payor market. Facilitators, who emphasize quality in their patient care model, including coordination of post-op care, safety, outcome data and transparency, will be most attractive to health insurers and employers which are considering adding a medical travel benefit.

• Increased globalization of the U.S. workforce – In the next 25 years, more than half of the U.S. workforce will be of second-third generation descent. As more employees express a desire to return to their ancestral home for care, more insurance plans and employers will incorporate medical travel programs to meet the needs of their culturally diverse workforce.

Other growth drivers outlined in Deloitte’s report include increased coverage and demand for dental and cosmetic surgery, increased access to low-cost global transportation, and increased acceptance by employers and health plans. As the industry continues to mature, it is evident that medical tourism will become a widely accepted option for individuals to receive high quality, cost effective care.

By Conni Nelson, Satori World Medical

Faced with the unrelenting rising costs of healthcare in the U.S., affordable medical insurance remains a critical issue for millions of early retirees (ages 55 to 64) who are not yet eligible for Medicare benefits. Currently there are about 80 million baby boomers heading towards retirement, and an estimated 3.8 million early retirees and dependents that rely on their employer for some sort of health insurance.

But with medical costs increasing at staggering rates and more companies significantly scaling back on retiree health benefits, the status of employer-sponsored retiree medical coverage has become an issue of considerable concern.

In fact, according to Reuters, a recent study conducted by Fidelity Investments, the world’s largest mutual fund company since 2002, the amount retirees need to cover healthcare costs has risen 6 percent a year on average in the U.S. — about double the average U.S. inflation rate in that period.

In response to the rising costs of healthcare and loss of medical benefits into retirement, global healthcare benefit programs are becoming an intriguing option for more U.S. companies due to the enormous cost savings available on high-quality medical care in other countries around the world.

For instance, heart surgery in Singapore, Thailand, or Turkey costs anywhere from 40 to 80 percent less than in a U.S. hospital (including the costs of travel, hospital fees, etc. for the patient and a travel companion). Meanwhile, the quality of care delivered rivals many leading U.S. hospitals.

These hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), the global arm of the organization that accredits U.S. hospitals. They have U.S./U.K. trained and Board Certified surgeons, medical staff that is fluent in English, state-of-the-art amenities, and the latest innovations in medical technology and techniques. Many of these hospitals even have direct affiliations with top U.S. hospitals and medical universities, such as Johns Hopkins, Harvard Medical and Tufts University School of Medicine, to name a few.

Many common procedures that early retirees need, such as orthopedic and cardiac procedures, are eligible for reimbursement from their employer via a tax-advantaged 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.

As a result, not only does the employer and payor receive a financial benefit through dramatically reduced healthcare expenses, but the employee does as well. This offers early retirees a real and meaningful financial incentive to opt for receiving medical care outside the U.S. Meanwhile, there is no cost to the employer or plan sponsor to provide this benefit option to retirees as part of their existing employee health plan design.

As healthcare costs continue to escalate and more Americans are heading toward retirement, there is now more than ever a need for cost effective alternatives to delivering healthcare.    With high-quality healthcare available outside the U.S., thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses that consumers can save and an economic benefit of $5,000-7,000 on the table to offset future expenses, medical travel is becoming a more attractive alternative for many Americans.