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.

In the January issue of California Broker Magazine, Steven Lash, President & CEO of Satori World Medical provides insight on why implementing a global medical travel program can be an attractive option for the growing number of minorities in the United States.  Below is part of the article “Medical Travel: A Proven Resource to Market an Ethnically Diverse Population”.

Read the entire article in the January issue of California Broker Magazine or online here.

Minorities make up more than one-third of the United States population, according to the Census Bureau. By 2050, ethnic Americans are expected to represent close to half of the U.S. population. Among the fastest-growing ethnic populations are Hispanics and Asian Americans (including Asian Indians). In the next 25 years, more than half of the U.S. workforce will be of second and third generation descent. A large share of the labor force 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 and being responsive to these cultural ties.

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 online issue of Agent’s Sales Journal, Steven Lash, President & CEO of Satori World Medical provides insight on what is in store for the medical travel industry in 2011.  Below is part of the feature “7 Markets in 2011: Industry Experts Predict the Future”.

Read the entire article in the online December issue of Agent’s Sales Journal here.

As we prepare to enter the New Year, there is one word that comes to mind when taking a look at projections in global health care: growth.

Health care as we know it is changing and those changes will be implemented during 2011. While many of the changes impacting global health care stem from U.S. health care reform, there are also paradigm shifts in the acceptance of medical travel as a realistic option for receiving high-quality medical care, and at the same time being responsive to lowering health care expense.

According to a report published in the August 2010 Journal of Health Affairs, physicians trained in other countries provide care that is just as good as U.S. doctors. The article reported that patients of foreign-born, internationally trained medical school graduates had the lowest death rates. Patients of U.S. citizens who attended medical school in other countries had the highest death rates; U.S.-born and trained doctors fell in the middle. Moreover, 25 percent of all doctors practicing in the United States are educated abroad.

Due to these findings and the ethnic diversity in the United States, more consumers are accepting medical travel as a viable ay to receive high-quality health care. Medical tourism, also called medical travel and global health care, has seen steady growth in the past three years. Industry experts anticipate the growth to continue at a 35 percent year-over-year growth rate.

Don’t forget to check your email for the December issue of Medical Travel Market Watch, or if you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, please visit the home page of www.satoriworldmedical.com and enter an e-mail address in the newsletter sign-up field.

Below is part of the President’s Perspective segment from the current issue. To read the entire newsletter click here.

As 2010 comes to a close and reflecting on the events and activities this past year, I am reminded that innovation can be more evolutionary then revolutionary. This past year has seen health care reform become the law of the land and our economy (and the global economy) suffering the worst recession in several generations.  It has been quite a year.  Despite these incredible landscape-altering events, I see a continual and steady growth in the global health care sector and am bullish about the adoption curve for our program.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that was signed into law in March of this year changes the way health care is delivered and financed in the U.S. will play a significant role in the growth of medical travel.  Although the PPACA is phased in over several years with many key provisions not fully effective until 2014, we are already beginning to see the changes it will bring to businesses, insurance companies and consumers.  With the addition of 40 million Americans having access to health insurance, there will be increased demand for health care services. This coupled with an already existing shortage of nurses and doctors and an aging baby boomer population, queuing for medical care will be a natural by-product, making medical travel an attractive option.

Satori is always looking for suggestions, feedback and guest columnists for Medical Travel Market Watch. People with comments regarding the newsletter can send them to newsletter@satoriworldmedical.com.

By Angie Robert, Director of Marketing & Communications at Satori World Medical

Last Thursday we launched the first issue of Medical Travel Market Watch, an electronic newsletter aimed at providing information on the medical travel industry. The latest issue covered the hot topic of health care reform, in addition to information on hospitals and physicians, health and travel tips and news specific to Satori World Medical. Medical Travel Market Watch will be distributed electronically on the first Thursday of every other month.

Below is part of the President’s Perspective segment from the current issue. To read the entire newsletter click here or to automatically receive Medical Travel Market Watch in your inbox six times a year, visit the home page of www.satoriworldmedical.com and enter an e-mail address in the newsletter sign-up field.  

As we head into the fall election cycle I would like to offer my perspective on the health care reform legislation (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – PPACA) that was signed into law by President Obama in March 2010 and how the reform measure affects Satori World Medical.

The changes in legislation will offer both positive and negative impacts to U.S. businesses. One of the benefits of the legislation is that we now know how the future of health care is going to be shaped. There are a specific set of deliverables and timetables that have been set.

With the completion of PPACA, businesses are focused again at looking for measures to save on rising health care costs. Because of this, businesses are starting to see a place in their employee benefit plans for medical travel.

With the addition of 40 million Americans, having access to health insurance there will be increased demand for health care services. You couple that with an existing shortage of nurses and doctors, queuing for medical care will be a natural by-product.

As the time to see a specialist increases, more individuals will seek to get immediate help through medical travel. Employers and employees will come to understand the high-quality health care that is available to them internationally as they look to end pain and ill health.

Click here to read the full article.

By Angie Robert, Director of Marketing & Communications at Satori World Medical

Publication Gives Voice to Industry, Provides Company News

By Angie Robert, Director of Marketing & Communications at Satori World Medical

Montez to Monitor International Regulatory Environment, Uphold Company Commitment to Quality

Further lending itself to the company’s growth, Satori World Medical hires Kristen Montez, Esq., as director of legal and regulatory services.    

Montez, who brings nearly a decade of experience in the legal, human resources and health care industries, will fill the function of managing all legal exposures, risks and contracts, safeguarding corporate assets, ensuring regulatory compliance, and maintaining current knowledge on all relevant federal, state and regulatory issues.  Further, Montez will ensure all international provider services are performed on contractual terms. 

“Due to the significant growth in the company’s global network, client contracts and the current health care environment, it is important that we be responsive and bring legal counsel in house,” said Steven Lash, president and CEO, Satori World Medical. 

Read the full press release here: http://www.satoriworldmed.com/content.php?id=114