Global MD Blog

During Global MD’s recent visit to South Korea for the International Medical Travel Conference, co-founder Amanda Hayes Kibreab was asked to address the conference on two topics, the American market for health care providers in Korea and legal liability issues that all medical travel constituents should be thinking about.

The first topic, the American market for Korean health care, was better addressed by the conference itself. Representatives from a wide variety of medical travel related organizations attended the conference from the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. With each constituent contributing a diverse perspective on the future of the industry, the intellectual discussions were continuous and varied.

Korean hospitals showed themselves to be sophisticated, technologically advanced, and patient centered. With English signage and staff and an assortment of shops and restaurants in the grand entrance, one might think they have entered a high end shopping mall. But go deeper and you’ll find caring doctors and nurses, the latest technology in medical equipment, and impressive systems for advance patient care.

Many conference attendees had questions concerning potential legal liability for providers and other organizations involved in medical travel. Global MD led an enlightening discussion on this topic and answered questions centered around drafting contracts with partners that don’t expose organizations to excessive liability.

With growing interest in the development of the medical travel industry, Global MD will continue to use its expertise to contribute to the dialogue.

A recent Business Week article reported that several national health insurers, including a WellPoint subsidiary Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin will soon be launching medical travel pilot programs. These programs will start on a small scale and begin sending patients abroad for certain pre-selected non-emergency surgeries.

One of the most important long term effects of this move may be to bring domestic providers into the continuity of care circle. Health insurers may be the only domestic party that can get domestic providers to provide pre-surgery evaluations and follow-up care for medical travelers.

These medical tourism pilot programs are an important development and should be watched closely over the coming year. Most believe that medical travel is here to stay. What’s to be decided is how the industry will form as it develops.

Last Sunday, just before the big election, the Los Angeles Times featured a story on the front page of the Business Section about medical travel.  As part of that story, Global MD was listed as a place for patients to research medical tourism further.  Medical travel is a very relevant topic given the state of healthcare, rising costs and the growing uninsured population.  Americans are looking for answers.

Throughout the election, healthcare was an issue that was widely discussed by both candidates, the media and voters.  After the election many Americans are anxious to see how President-elect Obama will begin to confront the many problems faced by the healthcare industry. 

One of the most significant issues identified by President-elect Obama during the campaign and debates is that healthcare costs are rising faster than inflation, causing corporations to dip deeply into cash reserves and individuals to decrease their savings in an already difficult economic environment.  

As more hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission International (international arm of JCAHO) and more medical travel companies enter the market to cater to employers, insurers and patients, government should look closely at medical travel.  Allowing patients to seek care abroad may improve access to care for thousands if not millions, and put downward competitive pressure on domestic healthcare costs.  Eventually these supply and demand pressures on costs may become an important part of the solution to the healthcare crisis. 

I invite your thoughts.

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