More and More Americans Turn to Medical Treatments Abroad.

“Desperate for new health care options American patients turn to Kari Group”

After months and months of bad news from Wall Street, some industries not only see a light in the tunnel,but are thriving in the current recession. American consumers economize on many things,however there are purchases that they still need to make. Medical care is one such need.

Kari Group, a leading American medical tourism company, initially specialized in providing US patients with an access to affordable, world-class cosmetic surgery in Europe, but quickly added new procedures responding to popular demand. “We became recognized and praised as a leader in the plastic surgery field but noticed great interest from our clients in having other types of treatments in Poland, such as cardiology or orthopedic surgeries, especially since no other company offered them”says Monika M. Dunlap, president of Kari Group. “We work with many patients who need a hip replacement or a bypass surgery but can’t afford it here and do not want to go to a third-world country. Europe is an excellent choice”.

Adding a whole new department and a complete restructuring of an organization is not an easy task. It took months to screen and select the best clinics in Poland for every offered procedure and to start cooperation with Europe’s best surgeons who would be performing them. The growth, however, was welcomed by many patients desiring to have their surgeries done in Poland. Jane B. Graff is one of Kari Group’s patients. “I needed a knee surgery that I couldn’t afford in New Jersey. My husband and I have no medical insurance or savings that would cover the cost of the procedure and hospital care. So Warsaw is an easy choice when you consider savings of around $15,000. Plus it’s Europe, I had total confidence.”

Kari Group plans to add several new procedures by the end of 2009. “We are happy we can offer American patients access to the best European medical care with substantial savings.” Mrs. Dunlap says. “We predict substantial growth of the industry and a word of caution to patients is necessary. Please check the reputation of the medical travel provider you are considering, and their doctors’ – as well, as we see many medical tourism companies that do not have the necessary credentials and can actually harm American consumers.”

For more information about Kari Group visit http://www.karigroupllc.com.

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Medical Tourism on the Run- Kari adding new procedures soon

As of today Jonathan Edelheit is CEO of the Medical Tourism Association is so sure that medical tourism is still growing and no recession will hurt it progress.

He wrote: “It is amazing how fast the medical tourism industry has been growing in the past few years. Over five years ago it was rarely mentioned in the media and press, and my recollection was that it was mentioned in the international press in an article in the International Herald Tribune. My name and former employer was mentioned with Bumrungrad Hospital.

Today, medical tourism is constantly in the media and press and there is not one day that multiple newspapers and other forms of media write articles about it.

Today medical tourism is featured in thousands of TV, newspaper and magazine articles around the world and over 40 countries are racing to position themselves as one of the leading destinations for patients and their companions for travel. Many of these countries are looking to tap into the billions of dollars these patients and their companions spend each year through medical tourism. Despite this amazing growth in the industry, what is more amazing is the number of mistakes many key players in the medical tourism industry are making.

Cheapest is not Necessarily the Best Choice

With gadgets or widgets, you know exactly what you want – the specifications, quality and pricing – and you can order it. With gadgets and widgets, you are looking for the best quality at the cheapest price, and it really doesn’t matter who you buy it from. Today most people buy their gadgets and widgets online through an online shopping cart and never once talk to any live person or ever meet them. There is simply no need.

Dealing with patients and medical care, is different then selling gadgets or widgets. When you are trying to develop relationships with insurance companies, employers and medical tourism facilitators “face time” is an absolute requirement. The business world, especially in the area of medical care is built on personal relationships, and networking. So why are the majority of hospitals, clinics, doctors, medical tourism facilitators, and insurance companies treating medical and dental care and patients and their companions as if they are a widget or gadget?

What’s more, some hospitals treat medical tourism as a widget or gadget, and do it so impersonally, simply sending emails to people about how beautiful their hospital or clinic is and that they should send patients, and then these same hospitals or clinics wonder why they are not receiving any patients or why they are not growing their business? In person networking is an absolute requirement. Many people in the industry just don’t understand this business model and don’t understand how to grow their business. They think they are just selling a commodity and the lowest price may win out.”

full article can be found here

It’s really easy to believe that big insurance companies will be turning their attention to a medical tourism industries more often. it is just a business to them and saving money= is making money.
Hopefully during transformation they wont forget about the one most important part of it – us American patients.

Another excuse to travel abroad for cosmetic surgery

Americans have found another excuse to travel abroad for cosmetic surgery: taking an affordable extended holiday.

Recently, more and more Americans are taking a liking to traveling to Poland for their nips and tucks.

For years, Central and South American countries like Costa Rica and Brazil have been marketing tummy tucks and breast augmentations as deluxe getaway packages that often include five-star accommodations, sightseeing tours, casinos and spa treatments.

But recently, more and more Americans are taking a liking to traveling to Europe for their nips and tucks. Poland is the most popular destinations for cosmetic surgery in the last few years, according to a survey of 7,000 Americans who’d traveled abroad for their procedures, while Spain and Italy were the most frequently visited European countries by U.S. travelers.

Americans can seemingly find better deals wherever they travel. Another study found that patients save more than 80 percent on cosmetic procedures by going abroad. In Poland, facelifts run 84 percent cheaper than in the U.S., and a liposuction can save U.S. travelers about 85 percent.

Besides costs and elaborate holidays, Americans cite quality of treatment, surgical expertise, reputation, patient safety and communication as factors in choosing where and which medical centers to have cosmetic procedures done. Concerns about the high cost of private healthcare in the U.S. are also sending patients overseas.

Yet international medical watchdog associations advise patients to do their homework on the certification and qualifications of physicians linked to these too-good-too-be-true deals. Many American physicians also warn that if surgery-related problems were to arise once a patient returns to States, U.S. insurance companies most likely won’t cover the costs for treatment. I hope you will find it very useful.

Could a Facelift Cure Migraines?-form cosmetic surgery bible

Very interesting discovery I have heard about for some time and than I found this amazing article.

“A mini facelift is being hailed as a cure for migraines. The facelift is combined with Botox and is said to help cure some patient’s migraines.

Current migraine drugs do not work for everyone. Botox is one option for migraines but is not a permanent solution and also does not work in all cases. However one cosmetic surgeon has discovered that by combining a forehead lift with Botox can help relieve the pain of migraines in around 90 percent of patients, with few side effects.

The procedure involves having Botox injected into the supercilli muscle, freezing it and releasing some of the pressure on the surrounding nerves. A small cut is then made into the muscle and a small part is removed. The gap in the muscle is filled in with fat, normally taken from the upper eyelid. This cosmetic procedure not only tends to ease migraine headache pain but also smooths out frown lines giving the patient a more youthful look.
Initial results show that 57 percent of patients who had the full operation have been fully cured after a year compared with just 4 percent on the dummy operation. 83 percent on patients who had the full operation said that after a year, their migraines had fully stopped or the pain was significantly less.

Other doctors have been working on similar procedures and have reported similar results.”

Thanks to this amazing discovery you can not only look younger and feel better, but also get rid of terrible migraines that were killing you for years. All can be done durning your beauty trip to Poland.

Read entire article by Cosmetic Surgery Bible here.

Medical tourism in denial …

Dr Constantine Constantinides looks at supply and demand in the medical tourism industry and draws some lessons from the automotive industry. With the supply of medical tourism services exceeding patient demand, healthcare providers need to consider market segmentation, stratification and diversification strategies if they want to succeed.

Freud described “Denial” as a state of: knowing but not knowing.Often, the difference between how things are and how you want them to be is so great – that you do nothing – or continue to do the same thing.

This message is aimed at both medical tourism service providers and destinations (note that I make a distinction between Medical Tourism and Health Tourism).

healthCare cybernetics is best known for “thinking and doing” – but we do a considerable amount of “watching”, as well.

And one issue we have been watching (with some bemusement) is the continuing growth of the medical tourism industry (the “supply” side), which we believe is out of step with the rate of growth – and expectations – of the market (the “demand” side).

New players continue to make forays into the industry, with the same (and now “tired and irrelevant”) slogan: “Top Quality – Bottom Price”.

We have been pointing out (at least for the past two years) that quality can go no higher and prices can go no lower.

A lesson from the automotive industry

…a story goes with it

Today, every product or service has two components:

*

The “Core” Component (basic purpose or function)
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The “Augmented” Component (additional functions and features)

In every industry, over time, the balance between the core and the augmented, shifts (sometimes, back and forth).

Until now, medical tourism was about selling a “core service”. i.e., the Top Quality – Bottom Price Service, and admittedly, a lot of sales and profits have been made on this basis.

But let us look at the “Core Product” analogy in the Automotive Industry (and its history).

The Ford Model T was introduced in 1908. Over a period of twenty years, more than 15 million Model T cars had been sold.

But by 1927, demand started falling. Henry (and this is where the word “denial” comes in) dismissed this (and the advisor who brought him the news), insisting it was just a market “blip”.

Of course, Ford up to then, had been right in insisting that all that people wanted was a “core product” (“Model T gets you there and back”).

“Core Medical Tourism Services”, likewise, get you there and back (think Tourism” – which means a there and back journey).

But by the 1920’s, the world was changing. People were no longer hungry, they were getting enough of staple food. And they now also had more ”disposable” money and time. It was inevitable that they would start wanting their car to be something more that a utilitarian machine. They wanted a car to be a differentiating status symbol, as well.

By the time Henry Ford came out of denial, and shut down production (for several months) to retool his factories, he had suffered a loss of $250 million.

GM, his competitor, had already predicted the imminent demand for an “Augmented Product”, and provided it, in a variety of colors with regular model changes.

A timely and humourous article appeared in Fortune Magazine entitled, “Consumer Segmentation and Stratification”: *

Chevrolet for the hoi polloi (from the Greek meaning the many – or the masses)
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Pontiac for the poor but proud
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Oldsmobile for the comfortable but discreet
*

Buick for the striving
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Cadillac for the rich

By 1927, demand had swung decidedly in favor of the “Augmented Product” (both in style and size).

But even here, history teaches us that there is no “last word”.

Stagflation and the “oil shocks” in the 70’s created a demand for more “modest” cars – but ones which would still provide “distinctiveness” (read Japanese).
A healthy (rational) balance between Core and Augmented Product came into being – but even so, a viable demand for extremes persisted, and persists to this day (see the talk about fuel economy and the do, where people buy an eco-friendly car, but do not, at the same time, voluntarily, get rid of their Hummers) .
And note that not all five US car brands have survived (we have something to say about the inevitable “shake out” in Medical Tourism as well).

written by Dr Constantine Constantinides

Full article can be found here

Mommy Makeover- Combination of Procedures Become a New Trend Among New Moms Community

Mommy makeover is a combination of procedures abroad to return a woman’s body back to her pre-pregnancy state. It most commonly involves a tummy tuck and breast lift. It can also include breast augmentation and liposuction. It is becoming a new trend for a new moms to return to pre-pregnancy state,which they claiming got everything to do with they stamina and self confidence.
All can be combine in one beauty trip overseas. Gotta love being a woman! Get to know more about all of included procedures at Kari Group website

Revision Rhinoplasty Overseas

Rhinoplasty revision surgeryindicates the need to improve or correct a deformity which either existed following the previous surgery, was not corrected at the initial surgery, or resulted from trauma after the initial rhinoplasty. The surgery is commonly performed to correct an aesthetic deformity and/or to improve a patient’s nasal airway. Rhinoplasty revision is one of the most challenging operations in plastic surgery as the surgeon is often required to replace or reconstruct tissue which was removed at the initial operation. This might include adding cartilage which was removed in excess from the nasal tip and nasal bridge. It might be necessary to harvest cartilage from elsewhere in the body including the ear or rib in rhinoplasty revision surgery. Furthermore, scarring may require the use of flaps or grafts within the nose to open up the nasal airway. Despite the challenges rhinoplasty revision surgery is rewarding and can often correct the deformities the patient and plastic surgeon notice. To find out more about this and other procedures available overseas visit Kari Group website, leave us some feedback, or ask for a free quote.

Terrible News for American Patients -”Plastic Surgery Tax Eyed As Revenue Raiser”

Face-lifts, tummy tucks and hair transplants could be hit with a new tax to help finance the trillion-dollar healthcare overhaul plan, according to sources familiar with the Senate talks.

The Senate Finance Committee has discussed imposing a 10 percent excise tax on cosmetic surgery deemed unnecessary for medical purposes. The idea was broached in a meeting with OMB Director Orszag in mid-July, after which Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus told reporters he had heard some “interesting,” “creative,” and “kind of fun” ideas.

The tax, which has not been officially scored, would plug some of the revenue gap senators are seeking to fill to keep on schedule for a markup the week of Aug. 3. It would target procedures prohibited under Section 213 of the tax code, which deals with itemized deductions for medical expenses not covered by health insurance.

The 1990 deficit-reduction law prohibited taxpayers from taking deductions for cosmetic surgery “unless the surgery or procedure is necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or a disfiguring disease.”

The law defines cosmetic surgery as “any procedure which is directed at improving the patient’s appearance and does not meaningfully promote the proper function of the body or prevent or treat illness or disease.”

According to the IRS, deductions for procedures such as reconstructive surgery due to cancer or laser eye surgery would be allowed. But nose jobs, liposuction, teeth-whitening procedures and Botox injections to smooth wrinkles would be prohibited under Sec. 213 and subject to the new tax.

A number of states have tried to impose excise taxes on cosmetic surgery, with little success. The only state with such a law on the books is New Jersey. Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine vetoed a bill to repeal the state’s 6 percent tax on cosmetic surgery gross receipts in 2007, even after the repeal passed unanimously in both the state Assembly and Senate.

Malcolm Roth, vice president for health policy and advocacy at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said the New Jersey tax has only brought in about 25 percent of anticipated revenue since it was enacted in 2004 and imposes “another bureaucratic layer,” including questions of how to determine what procedures are eligible. Roth said lawmakers at the federal level could expect the same administrative headaches and lack of anticipated revenues if they went down the New Jersey route.

The itemized deduction, for example, has been the subject of litigation in federal tax court. In a 2001 case, a nurse was awarded the deduction for surgery to remove an overhanging skin mass after the IRS initially denied her claim. The court agreed that the mass, which formed after the woman lost 100 pounds, was prone to infection and interfering with her hospital work.

Roth, a plastic surgeon at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., said it “would be a discriminatory tax against women,” noting that 86 percent of patients are female and 91 percent are of working age between 19 and 64.

He also disputed the notion it would be a “tax on the wealthy,” noting most patients earn less than $100,000 a year. “People put money aside for years, sometimes weekly under-the-mattress deductions” to get the surgery they want, he said.

by Peter Cohn

This article is so terrifying that I found necessary to post it in full in my blog. I sympathize with all woman due to fact that they are over 75% of  customers for plastic surgeries. I personally believe that is a form of discrimination.

Tthat is why we are here to help!
Contact us for a free quote on your plastic/cosmetic surgery abroad. Going overseas for your procedures is the best choice. With Kari Group all seems to be so simple and possible. We offer not only reasonable prices but most of all the same quality standards you are use to at home.

The Truth About Plastic Surgery Abroad

“Experts alarm that Americans are not making informed decisions when it comes to medical travel.”

 

As far as the current economic situation is concerned it seems we have heard it all. Americans are losing jobs, their houses, their life savings, and even their health insurance. As a result, thousands of US patients turn towards medical travel as a way to cut cost and afford health treatments they need or desire. Sociologists see this trend as one of the actual benefits of the recession; Americans are quickly becoming much more resourceful, open-minded, and globally-oriented than ever before. This, unfortunately, is also a great opportunity for foreign companies to take advantage of US patients.

There are hundreds of medical tourism companies currently advertising on the Internet offering dozens of medical treatment destinations. How does one know if the company is reputable and trustworthy? How does one decide what destination to choose? Shockingly, experts say over half of US patients decide on having a plastic surgery or another kind of a procedure abroad without sufficient information, without asking necessary questions, and without full consideration of all their options! As a result they are not only risking their money, they are risking their health.

Doctors at the American Medical Association have recently changed their view on the medical tourism recognizing it to be safe and beneficial when a number of conditions are met. Earlier this year they issued specific recommendations encouraging US patients to educate themselves about the subject and encouraging US top hospitals such as John Hopkins Medical Center and Columbia University Medical Center to form partnerships with international clinics. Still, hundreds of medical travel providers continuously benefit form their prospective client’s lack of knowledge introducing morally questionable techniques and luring them by very low prices combined with exotic vacations. Some companies offering cosmetic surgeries in Costa Rica and Thailand go as far as to make their patients sign a disclaimer saying, in a very fine print, that the quality of care in those countries will be “most likely” lower than what they would experience in the United States and they cannot guarantee safety. One company recently posted plastic surgery in Mexico as an auction on eBay willing to sell it to the highest bidder. Fortunately the listing was removed within hours.

Monika M. Dunlap, president of Kari Group, a leading American medical tourism company, says: ” Patients should do their homework and ask many questions. They should demand seeing surgeons credentials, they should do research about the provider they will be choosing, investigate their reputation, and the caliber of surgeons who cooperate with them.”

Reputation and trustworthiness of a medical tourism provider is a key. Does the company offer dozens of destinations and many unknown clinics or concentrate on one country such as Poland and only its finest surgeons? Does the company make complete doctor’s CV’s available upon request and provide actual verifiable testimonials from former patients? Does the company employ medically trained staff or is it merely a travel agency? Does the company enjoy public recognition?

Kari Group has been recognized and endorsed by several media sources including Inside Business and National Medical Report with Hugh Dawns and will be exclusively featured in a program describing Poland as currently the safest and cost effective place for cosmetic surgery abroad. Mrs. Dunlap adds “It is our mission to raise awareness among US patients and help them make informed decisions. Medical travel can be a very affordable and satisfying experience if provided by a reputable company and excellent, qualified surgeons.”

For more details please visit www.karigroupllc.com or call toll free at; 877.610.6771 or 866.261.2927