THIS WEEK IN U.S. DOMESTIC MEDICAL TRAVEL™

Volume 2, Issue 16

Dear Colleagues,

We wish all of our readers a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season, with much joy and success in the coming year.

In 2015, Bright Health - a Minnesota-based individual health insurance company - was conceived as a way to better address the demands of the consumer.

Gearing up to enter the market in 2017, Bright Health will offer plan members in the State of Colorado access to affordable, high-quality health care.

Chief Medical Officer of Bright Health, Dr. Tom Valdivia hopes to reinvent the way consumers view their health plan, stating: "We encourage consumers to stop thinking about insurance as their ID card and a monthly fee, but instead as a connector to care."

Read on to learn more about what to expect from Bright Health in 2017.

We're starting to hear from many hospitals, independent surgi-centers and provider groups that want to be better positioned to serve self-funded employers offering medical/surgical travel options.  If you have a good story to tell us, please be in touch!  We want to boost opportunities for Centers of Excellence nationwide. 

Tell us:
What distinguishes your service offering in terms of cost, patient experience and satisfaction, outcomes, or other quality indicators. 

Send us your descriptor, including photos or charts, and we will evaluate for publication in this newsletter.

"Rising health insurance premiums, lack of transparency and increased awareness of how varied medical costs and quality vary dramatically between hospitals and across regions, have pushed consumers right into the arms of international and domestic medical travel. The growing industry provides the perfect solution for patients to receive the high-quality, cost-effective care that they need AND rightfully deserve!" - Laura Carabello, Executive Editor and Publisher, Medical Travel Today and U.S. Domestic Medical Travel.

Thank you for your interest in this exciting, growing market space. Please be in touch with your comments and editorial contributions, which can be sent directly to: editor@USDomesticMedicalTravel.com.

Laura Carabello
Editor and Publisher

SPOTLIGHT: Tom Valdivia, MD, MS, Chief Medical Officer, Bright Health

http://www.brighthealthplan.com/

About Tom Valdivia
Tom Valdivia, MD, MS is Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Bright Health, a new health insurance startup serving the individual marketplace. At Bright Health, Tom focuses on ensuring affordability by leveraging the strengths of each of Bright Health's Care Partner health systems, rather than just imposing typical health plan approaches. Tom began his career as an Internist and knows first-hand how much doctors and patients can achieve when they work together. As a health informatics innovator, he also knows the value of advanced analytics and information systems that empower providers and patients alike.

Tom previously served as the Chief Health Consumer Officer of Definity Health where he helped the consumer-driven benefit program grow to span all 50 states before being acquired by UnitedHealth. He was also Co-Founder and President of Carol Corp., which pioneered a direct-to-consumer provider marketplace.

Click here to read the full story

Doctors Pick 2016's Biggest, Most Frustrating News Stories
by Joanne Finnegan

Fiercehealthcare.com- From antibiotics to Zika, a survey of healthcare pros identified more than 30 news stories they say had the biggest impact on them this year.

To read the original article in its entirety click here.

U.S. Lags Behind Other Developed Countries in Healthcare Affordability
by Ron Shinkman

Fiercehealthcare.com-Americans continue to have more anxiety about accessing and paying for healthcare services than people in many other developed countries.

To read the original article in its entirety click here.

Trends to Watch in Spine & ASCs; 24 ASCs with Total Disc Replacement Spinal Surgery & More - 7 Outpatient Spine Stories 
Written by Megan Wood 
Becker's Spine Review is the original producer of the content

Here are seven key stories on outpatient spine trends and news:

The future of spine and ASCs: Trends to watch

From physician income to super groups, two industry leaders discussed emerging trends in spine and ASCs at the Becker's ASC 23rd Annual Meeting in Chicago. The panel included Sev Hrywnak, MD, CEO of the SEV Group, and Chris Bishop, CEO of Regent Surgical Health, and was moderated by Barton Walker, JD, partner at McGuirewoods. The panel touched on five key trends in the space: bundled payments; hospital acquisitions; super groups; physician incomes; and powerful patients.

To read the original article in its entirety click here.

AHA: 6 Ways Hospitals Can Improve Care Access
by Paige Minemyer

Fiercehealthcare.com-Hospitals often struggle to thrive in vulnerable communities, but industry leaders can take steps to ensure patients in those underserved regions still have access to the care they need.

To read the original article in its entirety click here.

Do Shorter Lengths of Stay Increase Readmissions after Total Joint Arthroplasty? 4 Notes 

by Eric Oliver 
Becker's Spine Review is the original producer of the content

A study in Arthroplasty Today examined whether early discharges after total joint replacement surgery were increasing hospital readmissions.

To read the original article in its entirety click here.

Regulation Planned for Medical Tourism to Israel

IMTJ.com-The Ministerial Committee on Legislation has approved a bill to regulate medical tourism to Israel. A register will be compiled of medical tourism agents with set preconditions for those wishing to register.

To read the original article in its entirety click here.

More Employers Join Push for Value-Based Healthcare
by Shelby Livingston

Modernhealthcare.com-More employers are setting up value-based reimbursement and payment arrangements with health insurers and providers to encourage better employee health outcomes and reduce costs, survey data released Tuesday show.

To read the original article in its entirety click here.