Category Archives: Others

SmartCare Worldwide Launches Medical Travel Benefit Program for Employers

Posted on March 7, 2013 | Comments Off on SmartCare Worldwide Launches Medical Travel Benefit Program for Employers

smartcareCT07mar2013

Smart Care  Worldwide, a Houston-based medical travel facilitator, has launched a comprehensive medical travel benefits program that is available to all U.S. employers. The new medical travel program will cut overall healthcare costs and provide employers a meaningful give-back benefit for their employees.

Houston, TX (PRWEB)

The first to implement SmartCare’s new medical travel benefit program , offering its employees medical travel benefits through their underlying group medical plans, is a U.S. subsidiary of a South African global employer with diversified energy and chemical operations in 38 countries. The plan is administered by SmartCare Worldwide (http://www.SmartCareWorldwide.com).

SmartCare’s medical travel benefit offers employees access to a comprehensive network of medical services , dental services, hospitals and top medical professionals in Costa Rica–a country recognized for its affordable, high-quality medical and dental healthcare as well as its geographic beauty.

According to Rick Huntington , a principal with SmartCare Worldwide, “medical tourists having procedures in Costa Rica enjoy significant cost savings as great as 70 percent less than U.S. costs. These substantial savings are of central importance to employers who are under increasing pressure to contain medical insurance costs while providing health benefit options to their employees.”

For participating employers and their employees, SmartCare’s medical travel plan  provides access to high quality, affordable dental, medical and surgical services, ranging from routine to major procedures both elective and non-elective. All physicians, specialists, surgeons, dentists and related medical providers in SmartCare’s system are carefully vetted, accredited by specialty, and affiliated with Costa Rica’s leading Joint Commission International  -accredited hospitals. SmartCare Worldwide has developed a structured program to simplify the medical travel  experience that ensures individuals utilizing their medical travel benefit in Costa Rica receive attentive, full-time medical, dental and travel assistance. The program is fully administered by SmartCare staff.

SmartCare Worldwide worked closely with the Costa Rican government, medical community and the  Council for the International Promotion of Costa Rica Medicine  (PROMED) to develop the infrastructure and relationships core to SmartCare’s medical tourism program. SmartCare chose  Costa Rica  because of the country’s commitment to excellence in medical tourism , now Costa Rica’s third largest industry.

During a recent interview, Huntington said, “We have built a new and extraordinary benefit program that brings something meaningful to the insurance and benefits market. Our new medical travel benefit program will provide employers of all sizes an opportunity to give back to their employees by providing a wide range of medical services that may not have been available to them previously. Perhaps this can serve as an answer to the rising costs of healthcare in the U.S.”

“We saw a tremendous opportunity for our clients—global businesses, employers and large associations,” says Principal Shelly Coonrod , “to have the unique capability of providing their employees, retirees and members a new health benefit of exciting and real value, giving them access to world-class dental and medical treatment at great savings.”

“We worked hard while building this program to develop high-functioning relationships with Costa Rica’s finest hospitals, physicians, dentists, surgeons and specialists,” Coonrod states. “We’ve solidified those relationships and structured a total, scalable system for medical travel and medical tourists. SmartCare can deliver this system turnkey to an employer and will administer the program in its entirety with minimum impact on the employer’s HR department. I feel we’ve succeeded in bringing a complete medical tourism option to the market.”

“The icing, of course, is that Costa Rica is a beautiful destination to visit. It is ecologically one of the most refreshing places on the planet–a peaceful country with solid ties to the U.S. and only a three hour flight from Houston Intercontinental Airport .”

source: http://www.chron.com / Home> Business> Press Release / by PRWeb.com / February 26th, 2013

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Posted in Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment, Healthcare Service Providers, Others, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

New rules issued on “surrogacy tourism”

Posted on February 26, 2013 | Comments Off on New rules issued on “surrogacy tourism”

India has issued new rules barring foreign gay couples and single people from using surrogate mothers to become parents, drawing sharp criticism from gay rights advocates and fertility clinics.

Commercial surrogacy is a booming industry in India and in recent years ranks of childless foreign couples looking for a low-cost, legally simple route to parenthood have been joined by gay couples and singles.

The measures, circulated to Indian missions abroad in late 2012, which only came to light in the Indian media on Friday, mark the first step to the regulation of “surrogacy tourism” in India.

The rules say foreign couples seeking to enter into a surrogacy arrangement in India must be a “man and woman (who) are duly married and the marriage should be sustained at least two years”.

The rule changes, posted on the Indian home ministry’s website, were denounced by fertility clinics and gay rights activists as “discriminatory”.

“Parenting is everybody’s right and now we’re withdrawing that right,” said Dr Rita Bakshi, who heads the International Fertility Centre in New Delhi.

“These rules are definitely not welcome, definitely restrictive and very discriminatory,” she told AFP. “This is a huge heartbreak for homosexual couples and singles,” commented fertility doctor Anoop Gupta.

Gay rights campaigners also denounced the changes to the rules on surrogacy, which was legalised in 2002.

“It’s totally unfair — not only for gay people but for people who are not married who may have been living together for years and for singles,” Mumbai gay rights advocate Nitin Karani told AFP.

India is a popular destination for gay couples seeking children even though it remains a largely conservative country and only decriminalised consensual sex between homosexuals in 2011.

The home ministry would not comment on the changes which stipulate that would-be parents provide proof that their home country will give citizenship to any baby born of a surrogate mother.

There have been several publicised cases of babies born through cross-border surrogacy in recent years who have been trapped in citizenship limbo because their parents’ countries refused them passports.

Surrogacy is banned in some European countries and is subject to strict regulation in the United States.

The new India rules, which also state applicants must apply for a medical instead of a tourist visa, come as legislation to regulate the industry has yet to be passed by parliament.

The bill says only women aged between 21 and 35 can act as surrogates but sets no minimum payment for the mother.

Critics have said a lack of legislation governing surrogacy encourages “rent-a-womb” exploitation of young, poor Indian women.

While the government has been pushing the country as a medical tourism destination, the issue of wealthy foreigners paying poor Indians to have babies has raised ethical concerns in many Indian minds.

Clinic owners deny ill-treatment of mothers, saying it is in their interest to treat the women well in order for them to have healthy babies,

The cost of surrogacy is about $18,000 to $30,000 in India, said Bakshi, of which around $8,000 goes to the surrogate mother. The figure is roughly a third of the US price.

Hari Ramasubramanian, founding partner of Indian Surrogacy Law, said the new measures were introduced without “proper consultation” and needed to be challenged in the courts.

“A lot of people who will be affected had seen India as a wonderful option for getting into parenthood and now this option is closed. It’s quite sad,” he said.

source: http://www.KhaleejTimes.com / Home> International /AFP  / January 18th, 2013

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Posted in Fertility Tourism, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Others, Reports,Features, Statistics, Top Tips (all)

US$170m Medical Tourism Facility For St James

Posted on February 20, 2013 | Comments Off on US$170m Medical Tourism Facility For St James

Investment promotions agency , JAMPRO, has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with American Global MD (AGMD) for the country’s first ‘five-star’ medical tourism facility  valued at US$170 million.

John Marcocchio, the local project manager and director of Implementation Limited, said Thursday that the project is likely to break ground in 12 to 18 months after design is completed and construction approvals have been received.

Under the first phase of the project, a 50-75 bed facility will be constructed to offer plastic and cosmetic surgery, bariatric services and dental specialties.

Marcocchio said that the facility will be located within the elegant corridor in the parish of St James but said the site is yet to be selected.

“We have it do the design development process and submission for building permission. In Jamaica  that can take anywhere up to 18 months, the project manager said.

The deal took one year to put together, he said.

AGMD is a consortium of American-trained physicians and investors, all of whom have Jamaican links as a result of having previously studied or practiced in the country.

“Under the MOU, AGMD will build a fully ‘amenitised’ 200-bed hospital and medical facility that will target the North American and  Caribbean markets . The investment upon completion will provide employment opportunities for Jamaican doctors, nurses and other medical related personnel, delivering services ranging from elective surgeries, rehabilitation and naturopathy,” Jampro said in a release on the development on Thursday.

Jampro notes that the Government’s Health & Wellness Tourism Policy that was informed by a cross-ministerial team, seeks to lay out the framework for positioning Jamaica as the newest destination for medical and wellness tourism.

“These efforts were set in train by a comprehensive Jampro-led study of the industry’s potential that was completed in 2011, with the assistance of the Commonwealth Secretariat . Most recently, Cabinet has approved the mechanism for the development of the medical tourism industry and will be establishing a steering committee with major industry stakeholders to guide the finalization of the policy and regulatory framework,” the agency said.

Globally, the medical tourism industry was valued at over US$40 billion in 2010, with major markets in the industry generating over 1.5 million medical tourists, the investment agency said.

Implementation Limited, which specialises in project management, operates offices in Kingston and Ocho Rios.

“I met American Global when they were seeking a Caribbean location. With the assistance of JAMPRO the doctors decided to do the project in Jamaica,” said Marcocchio, who is Jamaican.

source: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com / The Gleaner / Home> Latest Business / by Avia Collinder, Business Writer / Thursday, February 14th, 2013

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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Others, Reports,Features, Statistics

Healthy outlook for Dubai’s medical tourism industry

Posted on February 4, 2013 | Comments Off on Healthy outlook for Dubai’s medical tourism industry

Sobhi Batterjee is the president and chief executive of Saudi German Hospitals Group, which has a hospital in Dubai. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Sobhi Batterjee is the president and chief executive of the Jeddah-based Saudi German Hospitals Group, which opened a hospital in Dubai last year. On the sidelines of the 38th edition of the Arab Health exhibition in Dubai last week, he talked about why it makes business sense to provide health care in Yemen and medical tourism in the UAE.

Why did you open in Dubai, where several international hospitals are present?

We were the only regional brand to be recruited by the Government of Dubai to start our project here and we welcomed the idea because we felt the future is here. Dubai will be the Hong Kong of the Middle East. We are targeting those top 2 per cent of India, Iran, east Russia and all Africa to come to Dubai for treatment.

I would not be surprised if Dubai can attract patients from Europe. The locals know the lands. So we know the values. We have been competing traditionally with much more powerful local brands such as King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Saudi military hospitals and King Fahad National Guard Hospital in Saudi Arabia.

You opened a hospital in Sanaa, Yemen, five years ago. Why does it make business sense to go there?

We reduced travel abroad in Yemen [for healthcare reasons] in five years by at least 50 per cent. And we are now making money in Yemen, after five years of hard work. We have treated more than 400,000 people there. Unless we do business with the poor, they will be poor forever. If nobody does business with [Microsoft and Apple] they would go bankrupt. That’s what is happening with the poor. If you take a Rolls-Royce to sell it to somebody in the jungle, nobody would buy it. You have to make a vehicle that will work in the jungle, and he can afford to buy it. That’s what we are doing in Yemen.
How do the prices compare?

We are doing normal deliveries for US$150 (Dh550) in Yemen. It is one tenth of the price we do in Saudi Arabia and probably one twentieth of the price in Dubai. We have to understand there is volume there, and appreciation.
How do you think Dubai can better its position in medical tourism?

Regulations [in Dubai] now allow [medical] professionals to move from the private to the government sector without any restrictions, because they get more benefits in the government sector. This will cause the vicious cycle of price escalation. And this will drive the local private sector out of competition from world medical tourism.

We can’t compete with India, Bangkok, Malaysia and Singapore [unless this stops]. But Dubai has the advantage of infrastructure. Patients need rehabilitation and Dubai is positioned for that with excellent hotels, safety, beaches, restaurants and tourist areas. Patients would love to come and stay for one to two months there. Moreover, patients have a lot of difficulty in going to Europe and the United States due to visa restrictions. So Dubai has a golden opportunity.

ssahoo@thenational.ae

source: http://www.thenational.ae / Home> The National Conversation> Industry Insights / by Sunanda Sahoo / February 04th, 2013

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Posted in Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment, Interviews, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Others, Reports,Features, Statistics, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

More foreign guests get visas in Chennai

Posted on February 1, 2013 | Comments Off on More foreign guests get visas in Chennai

Chennai :

An increasing number of foreign nationals are using the visa-on-arrival facility to visit Chennai because of the city’s bustling medical tourism market and with several international conferences being hosted here.

According to bureau of immigration officials, only Delhi and Mumbai receive more people of foreign nationality using the provision than Chennai, which welcomed 2,273 visitors using the facility in 2012, more than Bangalore and Hyderabad.

More citizens of Japan (4,604) made use of the provision to visit the country last year than people of any other country. New Zealand nationals (3,150) and those of the Philippines (2,444) accounted for the second and third highest numbers in 2012, according to data from the ministry of tourism.

Officials said most foreign nationals visited Chennai to attend conferences and for medical procedures. India offers the visa-on-arrival facility to citizens of 14 countries including Japan, Finland, Singapore and New Zealand. The ministry of external affairs last May extended the facility to French, German and Russian nationals.

Tourism companies confirm that more customers now get their visas when they arrive in the city. “Five years ago most visitors were people with ethnic links to Tamil Nadu, said Basheer Ahmed of Metro Travels. “Over the past three years, however, more foreign nationals started to use visas on arrival for business and medical reasons and even for shopping.

Indian and foreign airlines also committed more violations of passport rules last year. The bureau of immigration had from November 1 to January 29 fined various airlines a total of Rs 50 lakh for flying passengers into Chennai in violation of the Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000.

The law is intended to make ‘carriers’, which includes the owners of airlines or ships, liable for bringing passengers to the country in contravention of provisions of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920.

Carriers often bring people to the city from abroad without certifying that they hold valid travel documents or are entitled to the visa-on-arrival provision.

“There has been big rise in the number of foreign nationals visiting Chennai with the visa-on-arrival provision,” a senior immigration official said. Most of these visitors come to Chennai on invitation to conferences and other events as well as for healthcare facilities at the city’s world-class hospitals. The official said the immigration department expects the numbers to increase further this year.

source: http://www. articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Chennai / by Daniel P. George, TNN / January 30th, 2013

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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Others, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas