MAHWAH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medical Travel & Digital Health News (MTDHN), the leading bi-monthly online newsletter covering the business of medical travel and digital solutions worldwide, today announces its sponsorship of the first “Medical Travel Month” for January 2022, to be included in the Society for Health Care Strategy & Market Development, American Hospital Association’s “ 2022 Calendar of Health Observances & Recognition Days.”
“Medical Travel Month raises awareness for quality medical care options beyond what is available locally,” says Laura Carabello, executive editor and publisher, MTDHN. “Traveling for care, both domestically and internationally, allows Americans to access high-quality, affordable medical care for many treatments and procedures. By raising awareness for medical tourism, we can demonstrate to employers and individuals the value of accessing care from Centers of Excellence or other settings throughout the country.”
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have lost insurance coverage as a result of unemployment, encountered higher medical expenses and faced high out-of-pocket expenses under high-deductible plans. These factors fueled an upsurge in domestic and international medical travel as employers have struggled to provide high quality care at lower cost.
Heather Ridenoure, senior director of Product, Contigo Health, which leads partnerships between large national employers and hospital systems, says, “We've learned a lot from the coronavirus and saw a decrease in the number of medical travelers during the height of the pandemic. That has changed drastically in the last six months with a significant increase, and we are looking at items, such as virtual evaluations and assessments, with providers prior to traveling. Virtual therapy services are also on the rise to meet the needs of individuals when they return home. We are working hard to make appropriate medical and surgical care accessible for everyone.”
According to Dr. Maan Fares, chairman, Global Patient Services, Cleveland Clinic, “During the beginning of the pandemic, there had been an enormous impact on the ability of patients to travel for healthcare for various reasons. A remarkable exception was the pediatric population which continued to travel despite all difficulties. After the severe decline of patient travel at the height of the pandemic, we have seen a significant demand for international patients seeking care in the United States.”
Patients started to seek care at various stages of the pandemic, with an overall steady increase overtime.
Fares adds, “As a global healthcare organization, we are lucky to have been able to provide healthcare for our patients closer to where they live because of our global footprint of locations, including Toronto, Abu Dhabi, Ohio, Florida and Nevada. This has helped during the pandemic. Also, our distance/digital health teams have been able to connect with our patients to provide care and advice within the comfort of their homes during this time.”
Fare notes that as the vaccine became more available across different markets, they saw a steady increase in patients, concluding, “We are optimistic that with increasing global levels of vaccination, patients will be able to travel for their healthcare needs and won’t have to delay receiving care.”
Hospitals and medical travel facilities are invited to submit a 500-word descriptor with photos to be featured in MTDHN at no charge editor@medicaltraveltoday.com.
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MTDHN, a leading international B2B online newsletter, reaches self-insured employers, benefits consultants, TPAs, brokers, stop loss companies and other intermediaries. www.medicaltraveltoday.com
