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expat health

Expatriate Medical Insurance Policy in Latin America

Before you step outside your current country of citizenship and go abroad, there are several important issues other than packing you swimsuit and lotion, International Medical INSURANCE. What? Yes, those of you who go on short vacations and return can easily acquire an online inexpensive temporary travel policy for the exact time you will be gone, however; for those real Robinson Crusoe types, permanent private expatriate medical insurance coverage is a must. So how do you start and how do you know what policy is best for you? This article will educate you enough to get onto the right track, so you are positioned to make an educated buying decision.

First, What quality companies are available to choose from? Being an International Insurance Specialist since 1992 has taught me to only offer Quality companies to my clients, so I will introduce you to the major individual private expatriate medical insurance players in the western hemisphere:

Goodhealth/Aetna – www.goodhealthamericas.com
Multinational Underwriters/Lloyds of London – www.mnui.com
BUPA Latin America – www.bupalatinamerica.com
International Medical Group – www.imglobal.com
SRI – Seven Corners – www.sevencorners.com — which always seems to have the best rates

Second, You need to shop and compare or find a competent insurance specialist that represents many different companies and knows the underwriting ropes within each one. A professional who can customize a proposal and suggest the best policy that would fits you and your family’s needs.

Let me show you what I mean. I have a family of four, the father is age 44, spouse age 42 and 2 children ages 8 & 9…all are healthy. Let’s compare:

Company:  Multinational/Lloyds Goodhealth/Aetna BUPA
Annual Deductible: $ 1,000 $ 2,500  $ 1,000 $ 2,500  $ 1,000 $ 2,000
Annual Premiums: $ 2.860 $ 2.429  $ 3.588 $ 3.066  $ 9.720 $ 7.706

Note: All Plans include USA/Canada coverage & Air Evacuation. BUPA Advantage Plan presented. Goodhealth/Aetna MHP Plan presented. MNUI Citizen Secure plan presented with a maternity & wellness benefit – automatically included. MNUI plan offers free coverage for up to 2 children under age of 9yrs-old.

MYTH: Many people believe that going directly to an online company and purchasing a policy will save them money? FALSE, the premium is the same, but the benefit of a qualified professional can be the difference between life and death!

Now let’s take a look at a different scenario: Female age 37 that has a pre-existing condition of non-chronic Endometriosis and occasionally suffers from cysts or fibroids.

Company:  Multinational/Lloyds Goodhealth/Aetna BUPA
Annual Deductible: $ 1,000 $ 2,500  $ 1,000 $ 2,500  $ 1,000 $ 2,000
Annual Premiums: $ 1.994 $ 1.763  $ 1.266 $ 1.015  $ 3.728 $ 3.038

Note: The same plans are presented as in the first example. Notice that the rate for Goodhealth/Aetna is lower, reason being Goodhealth/Aetna prices based upon unisex age only, not between male and female like most carriers. ALSO, MNUI wanted to put minimum 24 month exclusion on the clients’ condition, while BUPA would accept with a 20% increase of premium, while Goodhealth/Aetna would have accepted with no exclusions and no increase in premium.

MORAL: Find a qualified professional to work with. If you did not have a broker who could approach several companies at once with the same information in hand, you would have applied and been rejected or exclusions attached before a company would have accepted you. The major problem is time…it could take up to 30 days to get the answer back from an insurance company that they are willing to insure you with exclusions or outright reject you. You could be shopping for months and in the mean time open yourself and family up to a possible catastrophic issue that could possibly break the bank!

Third, Try to choose a company that allows, “Freedom to Choose” any doctor or hospital in the world. Many companies are beginning to develop International Networks, which is fine by me, however; when I’m forced to ONLY use those facilities…I begin to question that plan. BUPA Latin America and worldwide have successfully established this type of structure for their middle & lower tier plans …which I’m not really sold on…especially when premiums are quite expensive for the limitations that one must endure.

Forth, Cheaper does not always mean the least expensive. I always apply a Cost to Benefit ratio, even that sometimes is trumped by another factor, what is the percentage of annual increase? This factor alone can add another cost dimension over the long run; the cheapest policy initially ends up costing more five years down the road, because one carrier increases may average 12-15% annually, while the more expensive one, initially, may only have an average annual premium increase of 7-10%.

Fifth, Air Evacuation is another major benefit that must be included, especially if your policy includes USA/Canada coverage. Some companies have lifetime limits of $ 50,000 USD while others have maximums that are equal to the lifetime or annual benefit levels.

Sixth, Some carriers offer Lifetime Maximum benefits while others offer maximums per year. Multinational/Lloyds, IMG (Gold), Seven Corners offers $ 5,000,000 USD. Lifetime coverage while Goodhealth/Aetna, (Mobile Health Plan), offers $ 2,000,000 USD. Per year and BUPA Advantage Care offers $ 2,500,000 annually.

Seventh, Lifetime Coverage is offered with most plans as long as you initially join prior to a certain age. Most carriers want the initial application prior to age 65 to allow lifetime continuation and many may also lower your “lifetime maximum” benefits after age 74.

To wrap it up, there are many variables in attaining the correct expatriate medical policy…I hope I have given you some insight and education of what to look for when deciding the type of policy and company you would like to put your trust, money & most importantly your life with.

If you are interested in alternatives and a Free Customized Quote, please feel free to contact us.

June 17, 2017

Overseas Retirement

Global Health Insurance: Are you Covered for Emergency Medical Evacuation Abroad?

written by Escape From America

In remote parts of the world, that hospital may be hundreds of miles away.

Global travelers and expats living abroad must be prepared for the worst. A broken leg while hiking a remote area or falling ill while visiting a rural village may require emergency medical evacuation via air ambulance. Often referred to as “life flight” in the U.S., air ambulances are medically-equipped helicopters or airplanes that transport patients to the nearest hospital with adequate medical care. In remote parts of the world, that hospital may be hundreds of miles away.

In many cases, local jurisdictions do not charge for medical evacuation, particularly for emergency calls. This is not, however, universally true. The cost of providing air ambulance service is considerable, and many such services, including government-run ones, charge for it. An air ambulance ride can cost upwards of $50,000. That is enough to ruin anyone’s vacation.

Most domestic health insurance plans don’t cover the cost of medical evacuation. That’s why it is important to purchase an international medical evacuation benefit, particularly when traveling or living in remote areas or places with poor medical care. Even in large, modern cities, quality health care can be difficult to access. Medical evacuation coverage can help.

Medical evacuation service plans offer one option for travelers. Such plans give members round-the-clock access to a service that arranges medical evacuation and coordinates appropriate treatment along the way. Another option is to purchase a travel insurance policy with a medical evacuation benefit. A travel health insurance policy covers routine and urgent care as well as medical evacuation.

Of course, none of us anticipate the need to be airlifted to a hospital. But ponder this real-life example: On a business trip in Moscow, “Mike” suffered a life-threatening stroke. Even though Moscow is a large, modern city, Mike received substandard treatment there. Paramedics mistakenly thought he was drunk and pumped his stomach, and he suffered a seizure on the way to the emergency room.

Luckily, Mike was a member of an international medical evacuation service. When his wife, Myra, didn’t hear from him, she called the service. She was put in touch with an English-speaking doctor, who located Mike and communicated with the hospital in Moscow to assess his condition. The service then conducted a medically supervised evacuation, flying Mike to a London and transporting him to a renowned hospital there for treatment. The service also flew Myra from Toronto to London to be with her husband. Mike eventually recovered and was transported home.

These services often respond to more that medical emergencies. A leading international medical evacuation service recently flew more than 800 people out of Egypt during the political upheaval there. Via seven flights, the passengers were escorted to Frankfurt, Paris and Dubai to escape the growing danger in Cairo.

An air ambulance ride can cost upwards of $50,000. Wouldn’t you wish that you got insurance before your trip?

Depending on the plan you choose, membership services and health insurance policies offer varying degrees of medical evacuation coverage. Most plans are surprisingly affordable, and they can be purchased for a single trip, multiple journeys or on an annual basis. Whether you’re taking a one-week vacation or plan to live abroad long-term, an international medical evacuation plan should be the first thing you pack.

If you are interested in alternatives and a Free Customized Quote, please feel free to contact us.

May 1, 2017

Living Overseas

3 Common Misconceptions About Health Insurance That Every Expat Needs to Know

written by Escape From America

Health Insurance – don’t get caught without it.

Are you a global citizen, an international traveler or an expatriate?

Do you like to travel, see more of the world and explore different horizons?

If so, you need health insurance. If you are not convinced, or think you already have adequate health insurance cover – think again! We have identified the 3 most common misconceptions that people have about health insurance policies. Check to see if any apply to you – don’t wait until it is too late!

1. My health insurance travels with me

Maybe, but probably not!

Many people assume that one health insurance provider’s policies are much like another’s, that all policies are basically the same, and that once they have done their cost based research and found insurance that will pay out in the event of a broken leg, a broken tooth or even a major illness, they can just sit back and forget about the intricacies of their policy schedule and meet the annual renewal costs…

However, such an assumption can be particularly costly to those who like to travel and explore, visit new nations or even participate in new experiences abroad – from snowboarding to paragliding, from jet skiing to rock climbing. You see, most health insurance companies do not specialize in providing cover to those of us who like to make the very most of our lives.

For those of us who move abroad permanently or on an extended contract or sabbatical, it can be a real shock to discover that the plan we’ve been paying into for all these years does not want to travel overseas with us. It is at this point that many people really learn how inflexible most health insurance policies are.

Fortunately, such an awakening can be a good thing…it means that going forward the affected individual will be far more likely to look much more closely at any insurance policy’s terms and conditions before signing on the dotted line.

If you travel extensively for work or pleasure, if you live overseas, if you want to try new life experiences or even explore more of the nation you’re living in, you need to ensure that your back is covered. Your basic health insurance plan may literally stop being effective the minute you step across a country’s border, or push the limiting boundaries of your insurance policy’s schedule.

For example – if you’re living overseas in France in mainland Europe, your basic plan may not ensure that your health is protected if you decide to explore countries such as Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain or Luxembourg which back up and border your new nation of residence.

Alternatively, if you’re working in the UK and you want to travel back to the States to visit your family, your healthcare cover may end the second you step on the plane. Then again, imagine you’re travelling through Asia and you believe your insurance policy will protect you in each of the countries you visit, and you decide to take the inimitable opportunity available to you to learn to dive in Thailand – are you still covered?

If you’re an adaptable, audacious, outgoing person who likes to travel, explore and enjoy new experiences, you need to make sure that your health insurance policy is as flexible as you are adventurous, and that it will cover you no matter where you are in the world, and no matter what you’re doing.

2. Health insurance is too expensive – I am fit and healthy and I don’t need it

One thing most of us complain about, apart from the amount of tax we have to pay, is that the amount of money it costs annually to insure our health just keeps on rising…

Complaining about the cost of health insurance can be put sharply into perspective when you discover just how much it costs to travel uninsured. The following are all true stories that you should read if you’re thinking about going to live abroad or to travel the world, and you’re thinking of risking your life by traveling without getting the right insurance in place before you go.

i) An American woman, living in the UK and planning to travel elsewhere abroad for a holiday, was forced to cancel her travel plans earlier this year when an accident one week before travel landed her in hospital with concussion. Whilst her health care needs were covered because she was tax resident in the UK and therefore eligible for National Health Service medical care, the cancellation of her holiday was not. She was forced to pay $2,300 for the cancelled flights, car hire and villa rental. The woman in question ‘assumed’ she didn’t need any form of insurance because she believed all her needs were covered by the state system in England.

ii) An English woman residing on a Greek island recently suffered an horrific accident that left her with extensive and serious spinal injuries. She required repatriation to the UK to a spinal unit, but the cost of travel on a specialist air ambulance was $24,700. Her family was forced to raise the money between them because the woman in question was uninsured.

iii) A Canadian living in Thailand suffered acute appendicitis last year, required surgery twice and then repatriation to Canada for recuperation, and the total cost for treatment and travel came to $21,600 which he had to fund from savings because he was living abroad uninsured.

As you can clearly see, medical bills can be high for even straightforward illnesses like appendicitis – that in reality can affect any one of us at any time. Therefore to take the risk of living or travelling overseas without having the right insurance in place is an expensive risk that your life could one day depend upon.

Don’t take a risk with your health, don’t travel uninsured – if you do the monetary cost can be high, but the cost for your well being can be even higher.

3. Medical evacuation benefits are included as standard in expat health insurance policies

Wrong! This is the one critical requirement that many international health insurance policies fail to cover

When was the last time you got up close and personal with your international health insurance policy’s small print and policy schedule?

The reason for asking this question is that, despite what many people believe, not all insurance policies are the same…not all offer you the same breadth of service and quality of care. What’s more, there is one very common way for some international health insurers to cut costs and corners when offering a policy up for your consideration.

The majority of health insurance plans that expatriates purchase do not include so-called ‘medical evacuation benefits’ as standard, and this fact can place a massive potential financial and physical burden on you in the event that you’re stranded overseas and you need to get to a centre of care.

Now, you may well have heard of ‘repatriation cover’ – this is cover you can purchase that will ensure you are returned to your nation of origin in the event that you are seriously injured when abroad for example. However, medical evacuation is very different, far more effective, much more likely to be required and yet seldom included in your policy as standard.

Many expatriates live overseas in nations where the healthcare facilities are basic at best, rudimentary or even non-existent at worst. Furthermore, even in a country with a relatively sophisticated level of health care service, it is often the case that there is great distance between hospitals specialising in different types of illness or disease for example.

An expat who falls ill a long way from a decent medical care facility will need transportation to get to the treatment they need. Someone admitted to a basic hospital in one part of a country may benefit from specialist care from a hospital in another part of the country…what’s more, someone who has emergency treatment on the ground may need to be transported to a care facility for recuperation reasons. All such expats would need ‘medical evacuation benefits’ as part of their health insurance policy.

This part of a policy is effective if you need to be moved from your place of injury or illness to a place of specialist care. It also comes into effect if you need to be moved from one hospital to another; what’s more, it is essential if you need specialist transportation and the right medical support staff to enable your transportation. This part of your insurance cover could pay for emergency evacuation by air ambulance, it could pay for ‘routine’ transfer to a different hospital by road ambulance, and it could pay for the doctor, nurse or paramedic to support your transportation for example.

Without medical evacuation benefit you may not be able to afford transportation and you may not be able to source support staff to care for you during your transfer. You may also find it very difficult to be discharged from one hospital and readmitted to another – this is because many insurers will not make interim payments for your care, and because you are moving hospital or facility but continuing care, to your insurer it will be seen as an ongoing claim. However, a hospital you are asking or required to leave may want to be paid in full before they discharge you – and even if you can reclaim anything you have to pay at this point back at the end of the claim when your insurer finally settles up, not everyone will have the cash in the bank or the flexibility in their credit card to cover this interim bill.

As you can see, medical evacuation benefits are critical, very useful, often used and therefore required. Does your health insurance policy include them?

If you want peace of mind, complete coverage and access to any doctor, medical care provider, specialist unit or hospital no matter where you’re going to be living, working or traveling abroad, you need to trust your health insurance needs to a specialist provider. And Seven Corners is that provider.

If you are interested in alternatives and a Free Customized Quote, please feel free to contact us.

October 13, 2016

Living Overseas

Giving Birth Abroad to Give Your Child Two Citizenships

written by Escape From America

Warren Buffett has said that anything good that happened to him could be traced back to the fact that he was born in the right country, the United States, at the right time (1930). More and more new parents are consciously choosing to give birth abroad to set their child up with a second citizenship from birth, to give them more options than what they see them having in the US in the early 21^st century. There are a number of countries which offer birthright citizenship, jus soli, which means that any baby born on that country’s soil automatically has a right to citizenship. In response to this trend, many agencies are even starting to offer ‘birth tourism’ packages, and can help expectant parents navigate both the travel details, legal issues, and the medical system abroad.

Depending on the country, a second citizenship and passport can possibly give your child greater freedom to travel, different tax liability, access to more affordable or free health care or college, and more employment and investment opportunities. A second citizenship will increase your child’s options, and although his or her adult future may seem a long way off, it can be well worth planning ahead. Before you jump right into this idea, there are a few main factors which need to be considered.

1. Dual Citizenship Laws

It may seem obvious, but don’t assume that just because you give birth in a country that your child will automatically be granted citizenship. Do your homework. Not all countries allow dual citizenship, and there are a number of countries that only allow dual citizenship with a limited number of other countries. Find out about the dual citizenship regulations of your home country and the country you plan to have your baby in…well before your baby is born.

2. Military Service Requirements

Some countries have an obligatory military service requirement for all citizens. Find out about these requirements as well as policies regarding involuntary drafting in times of war. By having your baby abroad, you are trying to offer them more freedom and options, not less.

3. Tax Liability

Many countries do not tax income that is gained beyond its borders. The US is one country that loves to tax global income, making it possibly more expensive in the long run to be a US citizen living outside the US than to be a non-resident citizen of another country, depending on how you have things set up. Consult a tax consultant to figure out the best way to handle this for any present or future situation.

4. Cost of College Education

With costs of higher education reaching astronomical levels, and only looking to continuw to rise, this is a huge reason in itself to consider giving birth abroad. Many foreign public institutions offer inexpensive quality education, or even free university education, for citizens of their country.

5. Prenatal Care &Birthing Options

No matter where you choose to give birth, it’s crucial to understand well your prenatal care and delivery options. A country’s citizenship may seem ideal, but if the medical system there where you will be giving birth seems too sketchy for your liking, or if you cannot afford the care there, then you should look for a different option. Also, at a time where a VBAC is almost unheard of in the US for liability reasons, many moms like being offered the option of a natural birth abroad, when they may not be able to have one easily in the US. Overall, there is a much greater acceptance and availability of midwives and homebirths abroad.

Currently, the following are the countries that offer birthright citizenship. This information can change at any time, so please do your due diligence and double check before you plan any birth abroad.

North America: Canada, United States, Mexico

Caribbean: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Christopher & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago

Central & South America: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Asia: Azerbaijan, Pakistan

Africa: Lesotho

Pacific: Fiji

The Economist recently published the “Where to Be Born in 2013” index which predicts countries that offer the greatest possibility of having “a healthy, safe and prosperous life,” and, surprise, surprise!, the United States isn’t the place of choice. The last time the study was published was 1988, and the US had the top spot. Today, it sadly did not even make the top 10, largely due to the huge debts that young people are inheriting from the boomer generation. It fell in at 16^th place.

Although European countries score well in the index, interestingly, only one nation in the top 10 is part of the Eurozone. France came in 26th place, and Britain at 27th place. Greece ranked 34th on the list of 80 countries.

The study is based on the results of a series of life-satisfaction surveys and takes into account indicators such as geography, demography, policies and economy. Its quality-of-life index links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys—how happy people say they are—to objective determinants of the quality of life in that country. Being rich helps, but it is not all that counts; crime, trust in public institutions and the health of family life matter also. Some factors are fixed, such as geography; others change only very slowly over time (demography, many social and cultural characteristics); and some factors depend on policies and the state of the world economy. EIU’s economic forecasts were used through 2030, roughly when children born in 2013 will reach adulthood.

What are your thoughts? Does birth country matter as much as some people think? Would you ever consider intentionally having your child abroad to give them a presumed advantage? Do you have two citizenships? Leave your comments, or connect with Cathy at @LatinAmerExpats, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LatinAmericaExpats, or by email at cathy@escapeartist.com.

December 28, 2012

Overseas Retirement

Hollywood Director Chooses to Live Abroad in New Zealand

written by Escape From America

: James Cameron Chooses to Live Abroad in New Zealand. Photo credit to screenrant.com

It’s all about having a choice to live wherever you want to live. And many people of means are making that choice, because they can.

Hollywood director, James Cameron, is buying a working farm in New Zealand where he and his family plan to live indefinitely, according to an application filed with the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office. Source: 2/1/12 AP Newswire

Cameron, who currently lives in Canada, is well known for directing two of Hollywood’s most successful films “Titanic” and “Avatar.”

Apparently the property he is buying is about a 90-minute drive from Wellington, the location of Weta Digital, winner of an Oscar for the visual affects in Avatar.

It’s rumored that the sequel to Avatar will be filmed in New Zealand.

So, perhaps Cameron is just moving closer to where he’ll be directing the sequel, or perhaps it was in the filming of Avatar that he became so attracted to the country that he decided to make a permanent move.

There could be financial considerations, as well.

Truth is, those who travel have the life experience to make better decisions for their own lives. Some people are making the move for financial reasons; they can live a better lifestyle, pay less in taxes and live a more meaningful lifestyle elsewhere.

For example, in the first half of last year, over 1,000 Americans decided they would rather renounce their citizenship than deal with the absurdities of the U.S. tax code. Source: Tax Code Driving Americans to Renounce Citizenship.

I can’t see myself renouncing my citizenship, but I can see living abroad – as long as I have a choice, and don’t get “stuck” living somewhere I decide I don’t like.

It truly is about choice – and about knowing enough about other places to keep your options open.

Although many people day-dream of living in some exotic location, the litmus test is an extended stay. That gives talented people like Cameron, entrepreneurs, corporate expats, military personnel, and students a leg-up when it comes to tasting what other countries have to offer.

Too many of us don’t travel enough and stay long enough when we do travel to make any kind of meaningful attachment either to a country or to people of another culture.

The truth is, people are traveling less not only when it comes to crossing national borders, but even out of their own neighborhoods . . . or out of their own circle of friends.

Some of you may remember how families used to take Sunday drives just to explore further away from home. I know with my grandparents, I traveled for weeks on end. Vacations at least meant exploring thousands of miles from home.

Too much of what people think they know about other cities and towns comes from the news. And, as a result, individuals interact less and tend to inflexible in their attitudes about others. Nothing like traveling to break down myths and shake a person loose from mistaken loyalty to dogma.

So, good for Cameron. Canada is a magnificent country but so, I’m sure, is New Zealand. Let Cameron be an example for us to get beyond our provincial habits and go exploring.

The question you want to ask yourself is,do you have a choice? When it comes right down to it, could you move, and do you know where you would be comfortable living, if you made a decision to do so? Without options, you’re living a decidedly limited lifestyle.

Find options, meet people like yourself on the Traveling 4 Health & Retirement Community.

About the author: Ilene Little is CEO of Traveling for Health and Retirement. She writes all of the content for the EscapeArtist Medical Tourism Blog

February 6, 2012

Living Overseas

Medical Tourism Fraud Exposed

written by Escape From America

Medical Tourism Exposé. Beware of bogey promoters

Medical Tourism. It’s about matching your medical and dental needs with the most qualified providers, right? Or is the patient outcome secondary to making the sale? Expose

Travel agents masquerading as medical tourism facilitators

Travel agents have no business trying to do the match-making. Match-making by means of searching for “best deals” price-wise does not serve the patient well. Agents don’t have the expertise medical and health care professionals bring to the table to control the delivery of the service.

What a travel agent can do is wrap a vacation tour around your medical travel, and even then they need to be subject experts in the specific needs of medical travelers.

Convention Bureaus promoting city destinations

Convention bureaus and their marketing partners are promoting city medical services to tourists on the basis of inexpensive procedures and accommodations wrapped in a vacation package.

Some may say that’s all right; certainly promoters and marketers with something to gain by the sale think that’s all right.

I understand it’s the job of convention bureaus to drive business to their cities. Nevertheless, that practice puts the burden of selecting a doctor or dentist on the patient who does not have the expertise to make an informed decision when it comes to choosing a doctor, dentist, or medical facility and often will choose on the price of a medical vacation package on the assumption that all doctors or hospitals are equal in terms of patient outcome.

A doctor is a doctor, right? No. Not all doctors practicing the same medical discipline are alike. Their differences in practice and expertise as well as credentials and honors received within their medical specialty are highly indicative of the patient experience and satisfaction.

A hospital is a hospital, they’re all the same, right? No. Hospitals, like doctors, are rated and ranked within their professions by persons qualified to have an opinion. Just as not all doctors finished first in their class, not all hospitals rate equally when compared to others.

And this is part of the research a patient must do; or they have to rely on a qualified medical tourism facilitator who has done that work for them. This is not something that can or will be done by a travel agent or a convention bureau.

For example, in a recent press release it was announced that a medical tourism association partnered with the Las Vegas Convention Bureau to write a guide attracting medical tourists to Las Vegas.

The problem is the low ranking of the medical services in Las Vegas as of 2010. And since we’re talking about your health, I suggest you read the following articles describing the problems with that location. This is not intended to ding Las Vegas, but to illustrate the point that not all hospitals are equal and that a patient is wise to get help from a medical professional when choosing a destination and a medical provider.

A breakthrough in Medical Transparency / Do No Harm: State of Hospitals in Las Vegas.

“There’s a running joke about hospitals here:

“Where do you go for great health care in Las Vegas?”

“The airport.”

Las Vegas Valley hospitals politely shamed into improving

“A coalition of 24 self-funded insurance plans is urging Las Vegas hospitals to improve their quality of care — which is ranked as some of the worst in the nation — to earn the business of its 260,000 patients.”

Click here to read more on Las Vegas for Medical Tourism.

Traveling 4 Health & Retirement member, Kristin Eckland, contributed to this medical tourism report. Eckland is a certified nurse practitioner and author of three books on medical tourism. Click to read Ecklands blog on the same issue.

Whether you want to live abroad or travel overseas for medical treatments, Traveling 4 Health Retirement can help you find the global medical resources catering to Americans and Canadians. Our “Find a Doctor” section displays lists of medical tourism facilitators recommenced by the membership.

About the author: Ilene Little is CEO of Traveling for Health and Retirement. She writes all of the content for the EscapeArtist Medical Tourism Blog

November 8, 2011

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