Archive for the ‘medical evacuation’ Category
October 6th, 2010 | 
Author: The typical domestic travel insurance plans are not designed to function well with hospitals and doctors overseas, which can add to your frustration if you have problems while traveling. Your greatest financial risk while traveling outside of your home country is the possibility of having any health or medical problems. And international travel for business or pleasure keeps growing at a fast pace and is not going to change in the near future.
To reiterate, the most serious problem that international travelers face when on the move is the possibility of having a medical problem in a foreign country. The right international travel medical insurance goes a long way in taking care of the problem. International travel health insurance offers temporary medical or health insurance for US citizens and foreign nationals when traveling anywhere outside their home country.
When you get ready to choose a plan, first assess the requirements, the risks involved, the costs and various options that are available, and then make a compromise wherever necessary. When you do eventually travel, in case any emergency medical treatment is needed, have all the expenses listed in itemized bills to make a claim in the US. There are a few group insurance plans that are fairly cheap, and if you’re with a tour group or a visiting business delegation you could save quite a bit of money with group travel health insurance.
The time frame on your insurance policy needs to be restricted to the actual time that you’re out of the country; the shorter duration will certainly reduce the cost. Make sure that the insurance covers hospitalization, doctor bills and medications. When you go with a reputable insurance company, it will take the financial worry of horrendous medical expenses out of your travel.
Many of the international insurance companies have a multi-lingual staff and on-site medical staff that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for their policyholders for consultation and medical emergencies. There are international travel medical insurance plans readily available with a wide range of costs and benefits, and with different conditions available through several insurance companies.
Evaluating and treating someone who has met with an accident or become ill in an isolated place can be expensive. Choosing the right plan obviously involves taking some risks, but people who do so are rewarded because the cost of their travel insurance also becomes cheaper. Make sure that the coverage is in place before you go abroad.
Medical costs all around the world are skyrocketing, due mostly to the advances in specialized equipment and the cost of advanced medicines and also training specialists in a number of fields. Make sure to keep handy the addresses and phone numbers of the persons who are to be notified in the event you have to make a claim. Some international travel medical insurance plans don’t accept hazardous trips that include mountain climbing or skating.
If you already have travel insurance, check to make sure that it covers any major medical expenses, most do not. Whether you need coverage for a vacation or your relatives are visiting you from the old country, you want to make sure you have the proper coverage for any unforeseen major medical expenses.
Today you can easily get low cost or cheap international travel medical insurance quotes online. Make sure that evacuation coverage is included in your plan, because that can be a monumental expense. You don’t want to have to get someone out of a difficult location such as a cruise ship, mountain top or African safari without insurance because it can be costly. International travel health insurance is an important travel necessity for individuals and families when they live or travel outside their home country.
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The medical tourism industry is observing momentous growth, making a noticeable impact on globalization across many sectors including insurance, healthcare, tourism and the economy. With the emergence of this growth there is a need for guidance and comprehensive information to various stakeholders under one cover and in between meaningful pages.
“Medical Tourism is definitely on the leading edge. This book is an eye-opener for employers,” said Missy Jarott, Director of Human Resources, Chatham Steel Corporation.
The books will be available at the MTA website http://medicaltourismassociation.com/en/mta-books.html
“The book is a step by step guide explaining how the medical tourism industry has evolved, why medical tourism is a viable option for insurance companies and employers, and how other insurance companies and employers have implemented medical tourism. The book also explains why some medical tourism programs have failed while others have been successful. The book also explains why patients are traveling for healthcare, what medical and dental procedures they are traveling for, and to what countries,” said Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the Medical Tourism Association, and Editor of several insurance magazines.
Jason B. Krouse, Executive Vice President, Univers Workplace Benefits, a leading US consulting firm to employers stated , “As our clients healthcare costs continue their dramatic increases, Jonathan and Renee-Marie offer our clients a blue print towards true cost savings by removing the fears and unknowns of Medical Tourism. This book is a must read for any employee benefit professional who is dedicated to the changing and growing needs of his/her clients and who is partnering with these clients to implement true cost savings measures!”
How and why insurance companies, employers and governments have implemented medical tourism and cross border healthcare
Considering the need, a leading medical tourism expert and pioneer, announces the release of the first of its kind Medical Tourism Book dedicated to educating international employers, insurance companies and governments on the benefits of medical tourism and international patients who travel for medical care. The Book is titled, Medical Tourism – An International Healthcare Guide For Insurers, Employers and Governments, authored by Jonathan Edelheit, a world renowned expert in insurance, global healthcare & the medical tourism industry.
Trish Freeman, President of the Louisiana Association of Health Underwriters, said the book is, “An informative, instructional and inspiring book for anyone who wants to break into Medical Tourism. This book holds practical insights that will help you build and expand your piece of this growing market. The industry experts, Jonathan Edelheit and Renee-Marie Stephano, have done the research for you. Their knowledge is the key to your success.”
The medical tourism book is the first step in helping to provide an introduction and a resource to employers and insurers of healthcare around the world. With so many employers, insurance companies and governments implementing or involved in medical tourism, the book is scripted as a critical resource guide for them. The medical tourism book plays a role of coach for newcomers and the role of mentor for organizations intending to contribute meaningfully in the industry.
Learn the quality of care available around the world
This book is one book in a series of books, which are being launched by the MTA in its mission goal to educate global employers, insurers, governments and patients on the available options of global healthcare. The other two books are: The Medical Tourism Facilitator – A Best Practices Guide to Healthcare Facilitation for International Patients and Developing and International Patient Center – A Guide to Creating the Best Patient Experience.
Overview of what countries are at the forefront of international healthcare.
The book is available at http://medicaltourismassociation.com/en/mta-books.html
The book has already received remarkable pre-launch reviews from industry leaders.
The Medical Tourism Book teaches:
This medical tourism book along with two others will be officially launched at the upcoming 3rd Annual World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress, September 22-24th, 2010 in Los Angeles. http://www.medicaltourismcongress.com “We are excited to release these guides at our upcoming MTA conference,” said Renee-Marie Stephano, Co-Author of the book and President of the MTA. “We have a lot of insurance companies, employers, insurance agents and governments attending our global healthcare conference and we felt it was extremely important to have this book as a guide available to them to perhaps advance the integration between portable insurance products and traveling patients and the business to business relationships between providers and insurers moving forward,” she added.
The Medical Tourism Association (Global Healthcare Association) is the international non-profit trade association for the medical tourism and global healthcare industry made up of the top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality of healthcare to patients in a global environment. http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com .
The correct expert witness can make the difference between a winning outcome and the loss of a car accident claim. In realistic terms, though, it is not always economically feasible to retain an expert witness. The economics of a case involving minor injuries where the recovery is probably going to be for a modest amount make it prohibitively expensive to retain an expert. When the claim involves serious injuries and a recovery would likely be significant things change. At this time whether or not the victim has an expert may not only make the difference on whether the victim is successful in the lawsuit but may also be the deciding issue in whether to move forward with the claim at all.
The law firm forwarded slides of heart tissue taken from the autopsy to a medical expert for fuller study. The medical expert was able to conclusively demonstrate that the heart attack did not occur until after the defendant suffered trauma to his chest from striking hitting the telephone pole.
As a result of the accident the plaintiff sustained a head injury and went into a coma. He recovered from the coma only to be diagnosed with brain damage. After coming out of the coma it became clear that he would never be able to go back to his own home. He will likely never be able to return to his job either. It is anticipated that he will require permanent life care and that he will have to live in a long-term facility or institution. As of the time the case was reported the expense of his medical care had already amounted to more than half a million dollars
The defense took the position that they were not to blame for the accident. The autopsy of the driver disclosed that he had experienced a heart attack. The defense argued that the defendant had had a sudden heart attack which is what caused him to lose control of his vehicle and slam into the victim. The idea is that if the accident was the result not of the driver’s negligence, but by a medical emergency, then the driver was not at fault and the plaintiff would not be able to win his case. The end result would be that the insurance company would not need to pay any money to the plaintiff. Under the circumstances many law firms would have declined the lawsuit at this point. The plaintiff was lucky to have retained a law firm that was prepared to investigate deeper. In order to figure out what actually happened the law firm retained a medical expert.
To illustrate, in one documented claim an older gentleman was driving his vehicle when he lost control and caused a motor vehicle accident in which he struck a bicyclist. The bicyclist was riding along a bike path next to the road. He was forty years old. After hitting the bicyclist the automobile kept going and hit a telephone pole. The driver was found to have sustained heavy trauma to the chest in the accident. He died at the scene of the accident before the arrival of first responders.
The law firm documented that, once it had this critical information, it was able to achieve a settlement for the case for $3,500,000. Of this amount, $1,000,000 was for the bicyclist’s wife who had a claim for loss of consortium. This case demonstrates that facts which at first seem adverse to a case could in reality be exactly what causes the case to settle when it is explained in the proper framework. The case shows that in certain circumstances retaining someone with just the right type of expertise might make all the difference in the outcome of the case. Lastly, the lawsuit shows the importance of not letting the defense position the case.
The medical tourism industry is observing momentous growth, making a noticeable impact on globalization across many sectors including insurance, healthcare, tourism and the economy. With the emergence of this growth there is a need for guidance and comprehensive information to various stakeholders under one cover and in between meaningful pages.
This book is one book in a series of books, which are being launched by the MTA in its mission goal to educate global employers, insurers, governments and patients on the available options of global healthcare. The other two books are: The Medical Tourism Facilitator – A Best Practices Guide to Healthcare Facilitation for International Patients and Developing and International Patient Center – A Guide to Creating the Best Patient Experience.
Considering the need, a leading medical tourism expert and pioneer, announces the release of the first of its kind Medical Tourism Book dedicated to educating international employers, insurance companies and governments on the benefits of medical tourism and international patients who travel for medical care. The Book is titled, Medical Tourism – An International Healthcare Guide For Insurers, Employers and Governments, authored by Jonathan Edelheit, a world renowned expert in insurance, global healthcare & the medical tourism industry.
Trish Freeman, President of the Louisiana Association of Health Underwriters, said the book is, “An informative, instructional and inspiring book for anyone who wants to break into Medical Tourism. This book holds practical insights that will help you build and expand your piece of this growing market. The industry experts, Jonathan Edelheit and Renee-Marie Stephano, have done the research for you. Their knowledge is the key to your success.”
“The book is a step by step guide explaining how the medical tourism industry has evolved, why medical tourism is a viable option for insurance companies and employers, and how other insurance companies and employers have implemented medical tourism. The book also explains why some medical tourism programs have failed while others have been successful. The book also explains why patients are traveling for healthcare, what medical and dental procedures they are traveling for, and to what countries,” said Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the Medical Tourism Association, and Editor of several insurance magazines.
“Medical Tourism is definitely on the leading edge. This book is an eye-opener for employers,” said Missy Jarott, Director of Human Resources, Chatham Steel Corporation.
This medical tourism book along with two others will be officially launched at the upcoming 3rd Annual World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress, September 22-24th, 2010 in Los Angeles. http://www.medicaltourismcongress.com “We are excited to release these guides at our upcoming MTA conference,” said Renee-Marie Stephano, Co-Author of the book and President of the MTA. “We have a lot of insurance companies, employers, insurance agents and governments attending our global healthcare conference and we felt it was extremely important to have this book as a guide available to them to perhaps advance the integration between portable insurance products and traveling patients and the business to business relationships between providers and insurers moving forward,” she added.
The Medical Tourism Book teaches:
The book is available at http://medicaltourismassociation.com/en/mta-books.html
Jason B. Krouse, Executive Vice President, Univers Workplace Benefits, a leading US consulting firm to employers stated , “As our clients healthcare costs continue their dramatic increases, Jonathan and Renee-Marie offer our clients a blue print towards true cost savings by removing the fears and unknowns of Medical Tourism. This book is a must read for any employee benefit professional who is dedicated to the changing and growing needs of his/her clients and who is partnering with these clients to implement true cost savings measures!”
The books will be available at the MTA website http://medicaltourismassociation.com/en/mta-books.html
Overview of what countries are at the forefront of international healthcare.
The medical tourism book is the first step in helping to provide an introduction and a resource to employers and insurers of healthcare around the world. With so many employers, insurance companies and governments implementing or involved in medical tourism, the book is scripted as a critical resource guide for them. The medical tourism book plays a role of coach for newcomers and the role of mentor for organizations intending to contribute meaningfully in the industry.
The book has already received remarkable pre-launch reviews from industry leaders.
Learn the quality of care available around the world
How and why insurance companies, employers and governments have implemented medical tourism and cross border healthcare
The Medical Tourism Association (Global Healthcare Association) is the international non-profit trade association for the medical tourism and global healthcare industry made up of the top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality of healthcare to patients in a global environment. http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com .
Tags: In recent years, I’ve frequently heard people claim that individuals who hold PhDs are not “real” doctors. These people assert that only physicians can rightfully claim this title, and that it’s inappropriate for PhD-holders to use this term.
Some people say, “Well, most people only think of physicians as doctors. According to the rules of common usage then, PhD-holders shouldn’t use this title.” I understand the appeal of this argument, but frankly, I think it’s fallacious. There are many individuals that are known to the public as “Doctor”–Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr. Joyce Brothers and Dr. Laura Schlessinger. None of these individuals has a medical degree, and yet they are commonly accorded this title.
Some say, “If you refer to a PhD-holder as ‘Doctor Smith,’ then people will assume that he’s a physician. So what happens if there’s a medical emergency? Do you want people running to Smith for medical help?” Frankly, I think that this argument betrays a low opinion of the public’s intelligence; it assumes that people are too dim-witted to learn, and that we may as well accept the inevitable. Personally,I would rather fight ignorance gently than assume such a lowly opinion of the common man’s intellience. Would some people continue to think that only physicians merit this title? Probably so–but I suspect that the vast majority of individuals are intelligent enough to learn otherwise.
Moreover, I think that this argument panders to ignorance, rather than fighting it. If a large portion of the population thinks that (or acts as though) only MD-holders truly merit the title of “doctor,” should we bend over backwards and let their misperceptions rule? Would it not be better to educate people on the historical, established usage of this term–usage that persists to this day?
Frankly, I’m surprised. I thought it was common knowledge that there are both medical and non-medical doctors, and that this is a legitimate term to use in both situations. Apparently though, common knowledge isn’t always as common as one would hope. For this reason, I’d like to take a moment to dispel some of the myths behind this title. (For the sake of brevity, I shall henceforth focus on the PhD degree; however, the same arguments hold for comparable degrees such as the ScD and the ThD).
Can PhDs legitimately claim to be doctors? Absolutely! The term “doctor” is derived from the Latin verb docere, which means “to teach.” Historically, it refers to a teacher or, by extension, a scholar. It did not specifically refer to a physician. This title was later co-opted by the medical community though, due to the respect and prestige that it imputes. In one of life’s great ironies, many uninformed laypeople now percieve the medical degree to be more prestigious than the lowly PhD, declaring that people who have earned the latter are “not real doctors.”
For some reason, many also think that the MD is much more difficult to attain than a PhD. I can understand why; after all, we’ve all heard horror stories about medical students working long hours and stayin up all through the night. However, people simply don’t realize how laborious a PhD program can be. PhD students often have to engage in long hours of grueling studies and research if they wish to complete their studies in a timely fashion. I’d say that when it comes to years of study, PhD programs are more demanding as well; when starting from a bachelor’s degree, a PhD typically takes from six to eight years to complete, as opposed to four years for the medical degree.
When someone declares that physicians are the only real doctors, he is simply mistaken. I’d say that PhDs have every right to this title–and I say that based on the title’s etymology, the demands of their programs and the accepted, contemporary usage of this term, even outside of academic circles.