From the December 2011 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


PlanetHospital—which was recently acquired by Global Health Voyager—has observed that an increasing amount of their clientele consists of people who are struggling financially.

“In many cases, we are their health insurance because they can’t afford to pay medical premiums while unemployed, or they can’t even pay their COBRA premiums while unemployed,” says Rupak. “The other trend, of course, is that we are getting a lot of doctors who are coming to us and are saying, ‘Help us with patient acquisitions,’ and we’re starting to look at that very seriously.” He adds that PlanetHospital is also being approached by more employers who are interested in learning about the benefits of medical tourism.


Popular procedures and destinations
Three of the most popular procedures performed on medical tourists are those involving orthopedics, spine and heart, says Hoeberechts. Less common procedures include transplants, general surgery and cancer care, among others. “Any [procedure] where people can save a couple thousand of dollars is a good candidate to be done abroad,” he says, explaining that the obvious exception would be any type of emergency situation.

Hoeberechts says that the most popular destinations Americans travel to for medical tourism are Mexico, Costa Rica, Western Europe and Asia. When foreigners come to the United States for medical care, it is usually not for financial reasons. “The logic of foreigners coming to the U.S. is different,” he says. “They’re not about cost-savings; they’re about very high quality. Typically, it’s the wealthier patients that come from abroad to the U.S.”

How insurance companies are involved
Medical tourism is not just an option for those without health insurance. Some insurance companies have begun implementing plans that include medical travel as a way for both employers and employees to save money.

Aetna, for example, offers a domestic medical travel program that allows members to use a regional center designated by the insurance company. “Aetna chooses these facilities based on quality and cost measures, at rates that provide savings both to the member and the plan sponsor,” Richard Feifer, Aetna’s national medical director for national accounts tells DOTmed News in an email. “A number of members have taken advantage of this program.”

Feifer explains that Aetna’s domestic medical tourism plan includes travel and lodging for members and a companion. Popular medical procedures covered by the program include back surgery, joint replacement and coronary artery bypass. “These are fairly common procedures where patient needs are fairly consistent, and there are straightforward ways of providing care and ensuring high quality outcomes,” he says. Currently, Aetna is not actively involved in international medical tourism.

December 2011 Magazine

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