U.S. Healthcare Executive Visits China to Investigate Covering Overseas Treatments
The executive, affiliated with Companion Global Healthcare and BlueCross Blue Shield of South Carolina, is touring four Chinese hospitals in what is believed to be the first visit by an American insurance executive to explore covering treatments in China.
chinaconnection.cc - September 16, 2008
(PRNewsChannel) / Beijing, China / In what may be the most poignant sign yet that healthcare coverage may be getting too expense in the United States even for insurance companies, a U.S. health care executive will tour several hospitals in China this week to explore paying for treatments its U.S.-based customers wish to receive here in an effort to lower costs.
David Boucher, president and COO of Companion Global Healthcare, is visiting China as a guest of China Connection, a U.S. and Beijing-based company that arranges treatments for U.S. patients who want to travel to China for treatments.
“What's driving this visit is the sheer expense of treatments in the U.S.,” says Ruth Lycke, CEO of China Connection. “Chinese hospitals offer comparable, and in some cases dare I say, superior treatments for stroke, cardiac bypass and hip replacement.”
Lycke says she will take Boucher to First Teaching Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital of Tianjin, TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital, TEDA General Hospital and Aimin Weight Reduction Hospital.
The procedures offered at those hospitals include cardiac screening and bypass, orthopedic, general surgery, cosmetic surgery, cancer screening, cancer treatment, dental procedures, weight loss and stem cell therapy.
Treatments in China are on average 50-75% less expensive in China. That means even with the cost of travel, hospital stay and the procedure itself, the patient saves money when paying for a procedure out-of-pocket.
Should some of these procedures be covered by Companion Global, the overall bill would be lower for the patient because of co-pays that are almost always involved.
For businesses that use captives or third party administrators to pay employee insurance benefits, Boucher says treatment in China would save the company money.
“With the rising costs of healthcare, treatments overseas like in China are most certainly the wave of the future,” says Boucher.
Editor’s Note: Both Ruth Lycke, CEO of China Connection, and David Boucher, president and COO, Companion Global Healthcare, are available for interviews. Photo ops, video opportunities.
About China Connection: China Connection is about providing compassion, care and concern. It developed from the personal experience of its CEO, Ruth Lycke, who survived a stroke and went to China to complete her treatment. Now she seeks to educate Americans about the top medical treatments available in China-usually at a fraction of what the cost would be in the U.S.
About Companion Global Healthcare: Companion Global Healthcare, Inc., based in Columbia, South Carolina, is dedicated to offering additional health care choices to patients at accredited international medical facilities. We work with agents, employers, individuals and third party administrators.
With skyrocketing medical costs, many are discovering the advantages of traveling for certain health care procedures. Patients can enjoy significant savings, and we make the process as easy and comfortable as possible. We'll help with all travel plans, to take the worry out of traveling. And patients can rest assured our network hospitals have all met strict guidelines to earn accreditation from the Joint Commission International. Our network of professionally accredited hospitals all go through our extensive credentialing process.
Companion Global Healthcare is your gateway to affordable international medical care.
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Phone: (813) 948-7767 or cell: (813) 300-5454
Web site: www.chinaconnection.cc
Justin Herndon, ThePublicityAgency.com
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cell: (813) 528-6815
Web site: www.chinaconnection.cc
Source Web Site: chinaconnection.cc
