3 Easy Steps to Working with Health Vantis

Have you ever been subject to a lengthy delay in medical services that left you looking for alternative options?  If so, you probably know how frustrating and time consuming it is trying to find a private facility to have it done sooner.  Many people do not even know where to start so their first jab at it usually involves making countless phone calls to places found on the internet, most of which lead you to dead ends.  If you do get a call back and need a price for a surgery, they will have you going in circles to get an all-inclusive price.  The whole process can be daunting and even more frustrating when you compound the emotions of already having to wait.  

By the time we get the phone call, the customer is already exhausted from all of the work they’ve spent trying to locate someone on their own. Many are incredibly frustrated and appalled by the fact they can’t be seen in a timely manner and are left to feel like no one cares about their health or situation.  It makes them feel helpless.   We understand these feelings because we’ve been in their shoes before.  

Health Vantis was created to help those left in these kinds of situations to provide them with immediate pricing and pre-vetted, leading health care professionals and facilities to meet their needs.  The countless hours you would spend doing this yourself can be achieved quickly with Health Vantis.  Our process is designed to make things seamless so all you need to do is focus on your health and recovery.  It can be broken down into 3 easy steps.

Initial Contact: Evaluation and Medical Overview

Our initial contact involves us getting details to your needs, concerns and expectations.  Most of the time we can offer an initial ballpark price.  (*Challenging or uncommon cases may require one of the doctors to review your records prior to getting a price).  If you would like to get an exact price, we would need to collect your medical records to be sent off to a couple of facilities for a medical review. To start the process, we require a $100 CAD non-refundable administrative fee to do this.  Our Consent and Release form need to be signed at this time to allow us to safely receive and transfer your medical records and facilitate obtaining information you need to make an informed decision.  You are under no obligation to proceed with a surgery or treatment.  

Decision Making:  You Are In Control

After the medical review is completed, we provide you with the accurate pricing, facility and surgeon credentials, any requirements such as blood work or EKG that might be needed prior to surgery, time frame the surgery can be done, how long you will be required to stay and any other information you may need so you can make an informed decision.  If you need to speak directly with the surgeon prior to making your decision, we can make the arrangements for that to happen.  Once you’ve made the decision to proceed, we start planning the remaining details to your surgery.  This includes your transportation, hotels, and any post-op treatment you might need.  We charge 10% of the cost of the surgery (in CAD dollars) to do this and it is collected at this time.  

Logistics:  Scheduling, Traveling and Follow Up

A personalized medical travel guide will be provided to you.  This includes every detail necessary for your surgery such as pre-op instructions, what to expect post operatively, appointment times, facility location, hotel and transportation details and any other information pertinent to your trip.  Once your surgery is complete, we continue to check in with the surgeon, you and your companion until you are fully recovered.  

It is important to note that we do not contract out any of our services.  We care a great deal about our customers and like to be involved from start to finish to ensure a successful outcome.  We are always available and spend a great deal of time walking you through the process.  

If you are considering private options, contact Health Vantis prior to investing hours of searching and making phone calls.  Your time is valuable and your health is important.  Our level of dedication and due diligence in finding the right facility for you will provide the stress free process you need to ensure a smooth and safe surgery!

The Hidden Costs Of Medical Tourism

Considering traveling abroad to get a medical treatment, diagnostics, and/or second opinion and wondering how much it costs? We addressed cost issues in several of our blogs in the past.  Today we wanted to bring to our reader’s attention the hidden costs of medical tourism.

It could be broken down into two categories – financial and non-financial. Monetary hidden costs are a bit more manageable if one prepares and asks the right questions before going.

Potential Unexpected Financial Costs

• Unexpected medical complications.  All surgeries carry a risk of complications. Talk to your medical tourism professional about them. Arrange an interview with prospective doctors to better understand the rate of complications. We highly recommend looking into purchasing a medical complications insurance for traveling abroad to receive medical treatment such as Global Protective Solutions.
• Hidden hospital charges. Ask how much it costs if you need a longer hospital stay.
• Is the price you were given an all-inclusive price?  Questions you need to ask are: Does this price include the surgeon fee, facility charge, anesthesia, pre and post op medications, and pre-op testing such as blood work or EKG.  In some situations such as a GYN surgery, there might also be a biopsy required.  Would this be included?  In the case of an orthopedic surgery such as a joint replacement, is the implant included?  No one likes an unexpected bill so be sure to ask all of these questions upfront!
• Additional testing for diagnosis such as a CT Scan or MRI.

Non-Financial Costs

• The cost of not talking to your primary care provider in your home country can be very high and it is potentially harmful to your overall health. Your family physician has the most knowledge about your situation and if you inform her of your intended travel you will place yourself in a much better position to mitigate the risks. She will be able to talk to you about different health scenarios for your particular condition. It will be easier to consult her when you are back home. No one likes surprises and it’s not worth the risk. Sometimes it can be difficult to bring up this conversation but is well worth the efforts. All Canadian doctors are aware that medical tourism exists and for the most part are supportive of it.
• Access to the doctor who performed your surgery or treatment can be limited. This one should be closely discussed and reviewed as you are going through your quotes and selection of medical specialists and facilities.
• Arranging follow-up care can be challenging and costly. Find out the recovery time and what you need to do. Your medical tourism facilitator can provide you with a quote and connect you to a physiotherapist so that you can continue the recovery process when you are back home. If you have supplemental health insurance your physiotherapy may be covered.  If not, the cost of a therapist traveling to your home is about $90 per session.

All these considerations are a lot to think about and are easy to forget. Ensure you either have a good medical facilitator to keep track of these or print this list and keep it as you go through your research.

World Cancer Day

February 4th was World Cancer Day.  There are currently over 100 types of cancer people battle with every day.  Not all cancers present noticeable symptoms, however,  knowing what some of them are may provide you with the knowledge of when to have something checked out.  See the infographic above for some of the more common symptoms. *Infographic courtesy of World Cancer Day.Org