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It’s that time of year again, when employers and insurance companies are announcing their re-evaluation of options for employee insurance.
In recent years, changes have included: limiting coverage to a specific network of doctors and hospitals; excluding some procedures and medications; adding prior approval requirements for certain tests and procedures; increasing employee out of pocket payments; increasing deductibles; increasing co-pay costs; increasing employee premiums; reducing coverage; and more recently insurance companies and employers have added a smokers’ surcharge. None of these changes are unprejudiced or fair. Especially if you haven’t seen a compensatory raise in wages since Methuselah was a baby.
Most policies will pay more of the bill if you go to a doctor and facility in their network, and less or sometimes none if you go to a doctor or medical facility outside of their network.
But this year, there is an entirely new option in one of my relative’s employer’s insurance package. The plan offers a 100 percent medical benefit on many procedures.
Included in the list of procedures are: cervical discectomy and fusion, lumbar laminectomy, lumbar laminectomy and fusion, prostatectomy, hysterectomy, coronary bypass surgery, valve replacement, pacemaker, defibrillator, total hip replacement, hip resurfacing, total knee replacement, partial knee replacement, shoulder replacement, and “others as requested.”
In addition the plan covers 100 percent for the cost of hotel and travel accomodations for one companion to accompany the employee, in addition to concierge service during the entire stay. No deductibles, co-pays or co-insurances. “You won’t even receive any bills for the procedure.”
The stipulation to receive this 100 percent medical benefit is to travel – to India, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Phillipines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Thailand or Turkey – for the procedure. It’s part of the Satori World Medical global health network. The “Global Medical Benefit.”
Now, I realize outsourcing seems to have become “the American way,” but this seems totally unAmerican to me.
Do we honestly want to start sending knee surgery patients – or any patients – to other countries? Who is the mastermind behind this atrosity? Who is the author of this appalling plan? What does this say to the doctor who has diagnosed your condition and nursed you along until deciding surgery is inevitable? If you experience complications after returning home, who do you call? What physician in the U.S. will want to treat you if you require additional surgery or medical care when you return from your destination surgery? My list of questions is much too long for this page.
Satori World Medical states: “You now have access to International Centers of Excellence where high quality surgical procedures are performed in hospitals designed to cater to U.S. patients. All physicians are U.S./U.K. or equivalently trained and Board Certified and speak English. Your global network is comprised of hospitals that are Joint Commission International accredited, the same accreditor as hospitals in the U.S. Many have affiliations with familiar names such as Johns Hopkins, Harvard Medical and the Cleveland Clinic.
“Satori’s Nurse Patient Advocate answers questions and guides you through every step coordinating your care, transferring medical records, setting up a conference call with your international physician, scheduling your procedure, making hotel and airfare reservations and scheduling your follow-up appointment with your U.S. physician upon your return.
“Satori’s Concierge Service will meet you and your companion at the destination airport, guide you through customs, provide transportation to and from your hotel as well as the hospital during your entire stay.”
We all seek the best medical care we can afford. We are surrounded by exceptional doctors and hospitals. They are members and establishments – and major employers – of our communities. We don’t need to travel internationally for high quality surgical procedures, no matter how enticing the insurance company and corporate office describe the “Satori Experience™.”
This plan is insulting! With this plan, the insurance company seems to be shouting: Saving money is more important to us than America and its people.
Although this plan could save the insurance company a substantial amount of money, this method is very, very wrong.
It makes me sick.
http://www.satoriworldmedical.com/

anyone ever heard of this?

what the hell does this have to do with sports? lol

health is not part of this thread?