July 6, 2008 by Atul.

Last week, PreviMed founders were interviewed by a leading, international periodical. Details are available to those who need but, considering long publishing cycles, we will share the highlights to the rest when the publication date draws near. This is not some weekly glossy that is superficial but instead a scholarly magazine with claims of Barack Obama and John McCain among its readers and contributors.

On the subject of periodicals, Fortune magazine is second to no other. It will host a technology conference, later this month, titled “Brainstorm Tech“. 

We are hoping to hear soon and it will be both an honor and a pleaseure to present, if we are selected. The event is sponsored by McKinsey and we were nominated in by some friends.

In any case, it is good to be recognized and we are honored to have, in our business circles, good friends and caring associates, which is the subject of this post.

Posted in PreviMed-Intro, PreviMed-General, Uncategorized | No Comments »

June 17, 2008 by Atul.

If you had any doubts about AMA’s acknowledgement, acceptance for this trend, then, you owe it to yourself to read the press release issued by AMA today.

Of particular interest are the 9 guiding principles, meant -but not exclusively - for the patients considering this option.

a) Medical care outside of the U.S. must be voluntary.

(b) Financial incentives to travel outside the U.S. for medical care should not inappropriately limit the diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives that are offered to patients, or restrict treatment or referral options.

(c) Patients should only be referred for medical care to institutions that have been accredited by recognized international accrediting bodies (e.g., the Joint Commission International or the International Society for Quality in Health Care).

(d) Prior to travel, local follow-up care should be coordinated and financing should be arranged to ensure continuity of care when patients return from medical care outside the US.

(e) Coverage for travel outside the U.S. for medical care must include the costs of necessary follow-up care upon return to the U.S.

(f) Patients should be informed of their rights and legal recourse prior to agreeing to travel outside the U.S. for medical care.

(g) Access to physician licensing and outcome data, as well as facility accreditation and outcomes data, should be arranged for patients seeking medical care outside the U.S.

(h) The transfer of patient medical records to and from facilities outside the U.S. should be consistent with HIPAA guidelines.

(i) Patients choosing to travel outside the U.S. for medical care should be provided with information about the potential risks of combining surgical procedures with long flights and vacation activities.

As some of you already know, PreviMed’s products and business models endorse and embrace these guidelines. For instance, from day 1, PreviMed has preached that dealing with accredited facilities is the way to go.

We plan to present, in the near future,  specific commentary on each of the AMA’s guding principles.

Posted in trade groups, PreviMed-General | 1 Comment »

June 14, 2008 by Atul.

In today’s Crain’s New York Business, there is a good article by Gale Scott titled “Aetna plans offers cheaper surgery overseas”. 

The piece also talks about AMA and their approach and we would urge caution against categorizing AMA as a single monolith.

The overall approach validates our thrust here at PreviMed, where, as we said n the recent press release, we are “up-leveling the medical travel trend”.

More from the latest press release:

PreviMed’s products will enable insurance companies and self-insured businesses to engage in the medical tourism space to offer value-added, safety-focused treatment options - along with tremendous cost savings - to their members, employees and patients.

Posted in insurance-companies, PreviMed-General, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

May 20, 2008 by Atul.

Since PreviMed has just started looking for seed funding, it is nice that we have been picked to present at the “Launch : Silicon Valley ” event in June.

It seems that over 400 startups applied and we were among the 30 that were selected.

If you would like more specifics, please contact us  .

Posted in PreviMed-General, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

May 19, 2008 by Atul.

Ask your company colleagues about “medical tourism” and they will probably give you a predictable answer. Even businesses in the health-care space are no different.

At PreviMed, we understand this trend of overseas health travel, without any false modesty, much better than most others. We believe and know that it promises to disrupt the health-care delivery value chain like never before. And that it brings some unprecedented opportunities for health-care entities and other businesses, who are astute enough to understand and embrace the change. 

So, stay tuned as we at PreviMed explore the origins, track major players, cut through the hype and see how healthcare ecosystems can engage, while still remaining patient-centered.

Posted in PreviMed-Intro, PreviMed-General, Uncategorized | No Comments »