Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Turismo medico

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1611953.cms
Neelam Raaj
[ Saturday, June 03, 2006 11:49:23 pmTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
NEW DELHI: Get a new knee or hip at a discount, take a companion along for
free plus pocket some of the money saved on the operation. That's the kind
of incentive some US companies are offering employees who travel to India
for healthcare.
While individual foreign patients have been coming to India for quite some
time now, this pioneering initiative by some small and mid-sized companies
who are swamped by rising healthcare costs in the US may just open the
floodgates for a new wave of medical tourism.
For companies, however, it's sheer economics at work. Blue Ridge Paper
Products, a North Carolina-based manufacturing company which is considering
the outsourcing option for its 2,000 employees, is looking to make a
substantial saving since cost of treatment in India is 80-90% less than in
the US.
But what will make employees travel thousands of miles to a strange land for
treatment? "We plan to pay all the travel, lodging, meals, etc for the
patient and one family member, plus give them up to 25% of the savings.
The savings will be based on the average cost of the procedure here in the
US compared to what it costs in India," says Darrell Douglas, vice-president
of human resources.
But before signing on the dotted line, a Blue Ridge team plans to visit
hospitals in India later this month to assess their quality of care.
And it won't be the only one. IndUShealth, a medical tourism start-up which
has tie-ups with Apollo, Wockhardt and Escorts, has many more visits lined
up. "By year-end, several dozen companies will be on board.
Though India's growth story is well-known, many Americans don't know what it
translates into in the healthcare space. Inspection of the excellent
hospital facilities here will take care of all doubts," says Rajesh Rao, CEO
and founder of IndUShealth.
Besides coordinating care between US and Indian doctors, IndUShealth takes
care of the logistics and legalities. "We have case managers who ensure
seamless care," says Rao, whose firm started off with individual patients
before expanding to employer groups.
"Costs of healthcare are rising in the US with the result that providers
want to shift part of the burden to consumers. The concept of co-pay where
the patient has to foot around 20 to 25% of the surgery bill is becoming
common.
In this context, the India option makes financial sense," he points out. For
Indian hospitals, meanwhile, health is indeed wealth.

 for healthcare.
Il bello del capitalismo e del libero mercato.
Mirco

 wrote:

Infatti conosco qualcuno che ha rifiutato di farlo, squallido.
Am.

amalric ha scritto:

Meglio aspettare un anno, un anno e mezzo per avere un by-pass al
paesello, oppure averlo subito in India, con gli stessi standard di
assistenza, ovviamente.
Decida il malato, non lo stato.
Mirco

 wrote:

Di togliere un'organo a uno per darlo all'altro. In che ASL lavori?
Am.

 Di togliere un'organo a uno per darlo all'altro.
Dove, con un by-pass si tolgono e mettono degli organi?
Mirco

 Mirco
Dicci intanto a che ASL appartieni. Siamo in piu' a chiedertelo. Una 
ragione ci sara' pure.
Am.

 ragione ci sara' pure.
Dilla, allora, se la sai.
Mirco

 Mirco
Che nessuno metterebbe i suoi organi nelle tue mani, sapendo che morale 
hai. 
La gente mica e' fessa: sa che oltre ai dottor morte ci sono gli 
infermieri-morte. Soggetti che cercano di prendere scorciatoie: come te, 
se non mi sbaglio.
Ma tua prova a dirci la ASL: magari finisce tutto a tarallucci e vino. 
Che temi?
Am.

 Che temi?
Gli idioti.
Perché non dovrei?
Mirco