Worldwide Medical Partners can provide clients with significant savings on medical procedures while handling travel arrangements and providing the highest quality care
Written by Militza Richard
As the cost of healthcare in the US and Canada continues to rise, more and more people are seeking healthcare elsewhere. Commonly known as “medical tourism”, patients can save thousands of dollars, even taking travel fees into account, by having procedures done in another country.
But how do patients know which doctors and hospitals are safe to trust with a difficult procedure? And how do they navigate the complicated field of healthcare in a foreign country where they may not even speak the language?
That’s where Worldwide Medical Partners comes in. Owned and run by physicians, this medical company offers 50-70 percent savings on medical procedures without any compromise on quality or safety.
“Patient safety and quality of outcome is our focus,” says Ves Gitchev, M.D. the Executive Director of Worldwide Medical Partners.
Offering services in the areas of dentistry, general and specialized surgery, cardiology, plastic surgery, weight loss, orthopedics, ophthalmology, IVF, genetics, and stem cell treatments, the company works with partner healthcare institutions and doctors in Australia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Germany, Mexico, Panama, and Turkey, among many others. It is also the only US Company that works with any hospital in Norway, the country with the lowest MRSA rates.
EXCELLENT CARE
“We are one of the only companies that spends the time to personally evaluate each of our providers,” explains Gitchev. “We scrutinize and evaluate every hospital.”
Unlike some medical tourism companies, Worldwide Medical Partners requires potential international partners to pass a strict screening process. A company physician travels to every country in which they do business and personally visits each applicant before making a decision. “We go there and shake their hand,” says Gitchev. “We meet and evaluate each one personally. We make sure our partners and providers are really pulling their own weight.”
For example, on a recent trip to Panama, the company met with 37 medical providers but extended an offer to only five. In fact, patients can expect the same level or even better care than they would receive in the US. They receive one on one attention with a patient to nurse ratio of 2:1.
ALL OF THE AMENITIES
In addition to providing patients with the best medical care, the company also handles all of the travel arrangements. Part of the larger group of companies headed by Worldwide Managed Care Partners (WMCP), Worldwide Medical Partners is a one-stop shop.
“We don’t outsource anything,” says Gitchev. Worldwide Medical Partners handles the medical aspect of the trip while sister company Worldwide Travel Partners (WTP) handles all of the travel details.
Patients will experience a “vacation style recovery” in a 4 or 5 star hotel without breaking their budget. Worldwide Travel Partners is able to offer flight, transportation and lodging rates not available to the public. Travel costs can make up a significant portion of the cost of medical tourism, so getting the lowest travel rates can significantly reduce the overall expense.
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
WMCP has been in the business of medical travel for seven years, organizing travel for Latin American and Caribbean patients to receive care in the US. With the founding of Worldwide Medical Partners, the company utilized its Latin American connections to find the best healthcare providers and give Americans and Canadians the opportunity to receive quality healthcare through medical tourism.
“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We are reversing the existing business model. We have the experience. We’re not a novice on the market. We’re actually one of the oldest companies,” explains Gitchev.
Already partners with almost every major insurance company in Latin America, the company is now aiming to create partnerships with American insurance companies. By covering medical tourism rather than paying for expensive local procedures, insurance companies can save thousands of dollars on a single procedure.
Employers who provide insurance can also save big. Healthcare is currently the third largest expenditure for Fortune 500 companies and in 10 years is expected to be the largest. By covering medical tourism, companies could save up to 20 percent in the first year.
“It’s a win, win, win situation,” says Gitchev. “The company and the insurance agency save money while the patient receives the same or even better quality of care. Even if the company or agency covers the travel fees, it is still cheaper for everyone.”
“We are focused on raising awareness and beginning a conversation,” continues Gitchev. “In five years, we hope to have as wide of a network in the US as we currently have in Latin America.”
To learn more about Worldwide Medical Partners please visit :
www.wmpmedical.com
View Digital Corporate Profile of WorldwideMedical in Healthcare Digital December 2009