Following unsuccessful renegotiation efforts, the Private Hospitals Association (PHA) in Jordan has opted to withdraw from an agreement with the country's Health Ministry as of October 1 that required association hospitals to provide discounted medical services to national health insurance beneficiaries. According to PHA leaders, hospitals are consistently reporting losses as a result of increasing operational costs and higher demand for medial services.
A Titusville woman's month-long vacation in India ultimately served two purposes when she took a break from sightseeing to visit Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, which is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The woman was able to get a wellness checkup that included diagnostic tests for her heart, cancer tests, and blood tests, all for what she estimates is a fraction of the cost she would have been charged in the United States.
A Markham, Ontario, Canada-based anesthetist plans to offer more quality healthcare choices to international patients, namely Americans, at much lower prices than in the United States. Details on what procedures will be offered by the Canadian Healthcare International Corp. starting November 1 are not yet available. This initiative comes on the heels of a growing international medical tourism industry.
A judge has issued a tentative ruling calling for the Los Angeles City Council to reconsider its decision allowing a San Fernando Valley hospital to expand. Superior Court Judge Thomas McKnew said the 15-member council used the wrong voting process when it approved a $180-million expansion at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. The decision hands a victory to the union activists and neighborhood groups that had criticized the project for not addressing the effect of the project on traffic and parking.
Until recently, most Americans who traveled abroad for medical care were uninsured, or were seeking procedures not covered by insurance. Now, a handful of plans are beginning to cover treatment overseas for major surgical procedures. Most traditional employer health plans offer little incentive for workers to endure long flights overseas for treatment: The plans usually cover 100% of the cost of medical treatment once workers reach an out-of-pocket limit for co-insurance and co-payments. So to make travel abroad more attractive, plans that offer medical-tourism programs often throw in a bonus for employees if they agree to undergo elective surgeries abroad, or they offer to split the cost savings between the employer and worker. Travel and accommodation costs also are sometimes reimbursed.
Jack O. Bovender Jr., who returned to help lead hospital chain HCA Inc. amid a federal fraud investigation in 1997 and most recently oversaw a leveraged buyout that took HCA private, plans to retire as chief executive at the end of the year. Nashville-based HCA Inc. said that Richard M. Bracken, HCA's president and chief operating officer, will become CEO on Jan. 1 while retaining the role of president. The leadership change was announced as HCA and other hospital operators continue to face challenges such as lower inpatient admissions and an increase in patients without insurance coverage.