Private Knee Replacement in the US and Canada

/0 Comments/in , , /by

In 2020, an estimated 1.2 million Canadians were waiting for a medical procedure. Specialists’ physicians reported a record wait time of 22.6 weeks across the country. The wait times vary widely depending on which province you live in. Some Canadians, unsatisfied with these long wait times, choose to pay out of pocket for surgery or treatment and travel to the US or other Canadian provinces to obtain private care.

If you are seeking private surgery or diagnostics, Health Vantis can help. Our approach is simple and transparent. We have done a lot of research so that you don’t have to waste your time and can focus on your health. We visited most of the facilities we work with. We looked into the medical facilities’ accreditations, infection rates, and re-admittance rates. We checked the doctors’ credentials and patient experience feedback.

When you call us, we will try to give you more than one geographical option, although sometimes it is not possible due to limited affordable private facilities in the US and Canada.

From your first phone call our process will look like this:

  1. We have a conversation with you about the issue you are enquiring to get more details, what has been done prior to your call,
    your expectations, and the general timeline. This will help us determine if we can help.
  2. If we are able to help and you would like to go forward, we will need to collect all your medical records. In order for us to be able to view your records, a Release and Consent form needs to be signed and a small admin fee paid. We will submit the records for a medical review at one or more medical facilities. Once we get feedback from them, including estimated pricing, a phone or video consultation is set up to talk to your doctor.
  3. After the consult, it is up to you if you would like to proceed with your private surgery or treatment. If your decision is to go ahead, we will make all the arrangements for you, including a date for surgery, pre-op consult, accommodations, airfare and transportation. We will provide you with your personalized medical travel guide that will include every piece of information needed. No detail is overlooked. Once your surgery is complete, we will check in on you until you are back home and fully recovered. If there is a need for physical therapy upon return home, we will make advanced arrangements for you.

It is important to mention that we do not hide our fees in the total price. Our fees are paid directly to us, and fees for surgery are paid directly to the facility. This transparent process is honest and trustworthy. Some medical concierge services provide you a total price, but you will never know what your surgery really costs and what they withhold as their fee.

Knee replacements have longer wait times than other surgeries in Canada. Even though doctors think you can wait, sometimes the price of waiting and living in pain is not worth it. Private knee replacement is an option for all Canadians.

If you are looking to find out more details about what your private options for surgery may be, please email us at info@healthvantis.com or give us a call at toll-free 877 344 3544.

September Fitness

/0 Comments/in /by

Life is busy and moves very fast. As seasons change, so can our motivation to exercise. In spring, before summer comes, some people get more motivated to get healthy and lose weight to look good for the beach. The new year has a similar motivation – new year, new you!  However, you should not be discouraged to start any exercise and weight loss program in the fall.

Even though the weather is getting cooler, it may be easier to go for a walk or a run. There is no heat to bear and no need to hide as much from harmful sun. Beautiful fall foliage creates picturesque views around us. If you have a family with children, they are back at school. Our routines take over, which is great for setting up your workout schedule.

Exercise has many benefits for physical and mental health. Walking is great for weight loss and mental state. Many studies cite improvements in both. If you add 30 min of a brisk walk to your daily routine, you can burn about 150 calories a day! One of the studies found that walking reduces belly fat, which is associated with negative effects on your overall health.

Losing weight can relieve the stress your body has on your knee joints. A study done with overweight and obese adults with knee osteoarthritis found that losing one pound of weight resulted in four pounds of pressure being removed from the knees. Yet another study showed that losing 10–20 percent of starting body weight improved pain, function, and quality of life better than losing just five percent of body weight.

Don’t wait another day! Go out there and enjoy our beautiful Canadian autumn!

Private Clinics in Canada and the US and How to Find Them

/0 Comments/in /by

When presented with long medical wait times some Canadians choose not to wait and seek private surgery or treatments somewhere else. The US is the closest and most familiar destination. However, there are certain challenges, such as costs. Big names such as Mayo and Clevland charge so much that only a few select can afford it.

What can you do if you are seeking private healthcare in the States but are not able to afford 50K+ bills? One of the things you can try on your own is google medical specialties in the US destination closest to you and call them to find out the pricing and availability. This requires your dedicated time, persistence and energy. Not all facilities in the US see patients from Canada, but some, especially in border towns have set up out-of-pocket pricing and see many Canadians fed up with long medical wait lines. Make sure that pricing given to you includes facility, anesthesia and surgeon fees.

Hiring a medical facilitator to do all the leg work for you is another option. They usually already have established relationships with certain US medical facilities. A reputable medical facilitator would be able to talk to you about your private surgery options based on your request. They can give you the surgical facility and doctor’s background, such as the number of procedures done per year, complications and infection rates. Nurse-to-patient ratios and patient experience should be discussed.

Another advantage of hiring a medical facilitator is that they will take care of all the logistical arrangements so you can focus on your health. Traveling for medical reasons can be overwhelming.  A good facilitator will add value by taking care of all these logistical worries such as gathering your medical records and safely transferring them for a medical review, setting up a phone consultation with a doctor, making hotel, flight and transportation reservations. They should serve as your single point of contact for all your medical travel needs.

If your hope is to stay in Canada for private surgery, there is hope. Some private clinics exist, but there are few. Some of them are only accessible to out-of-province Canadians. Your medical facilitator can discuss these options with you.

If you would like to find out more about your private surgery or treatment options, give us a call, toll-free 877 344 3544 or email us at info@healthvantis.com

Private Hip Replacement in the US and Canada

/0 Comments/in , /by

It is estimated that in 2020, the total number of procedures for which Canadians were waiting for exceeded 1.2 million. Specialists’ physicians reported a record wait time of 22.6 weeks across the country and these wait times vary widely depending on which province you reside in. Some Canadians choose the private way of obtaining healthcare, which means that they are paying for it twice – once through their taxes and a second time when they go for private surgery.

If you are seeking private diagnostics or surgery, Health Vantis can help. We offer a simple and transparent approach to finding out your private healthcare options. We have done a lot of research so that you don’t have to waste your time and can focus on your health. We visited most of the facilities we work with. We looked into medical facilities’ accreditations, infection rates, and re-admission rates. We checked the doctors’ credentials and patient experience feedback.

When you call us, we will try to give you more than one geographical option, although sometimes it is not possible due to limited affordable private facilities in the US and Canada.

From your first phone call our process will look like this:

  1. We have a conversation with you about the issue you are enquiring to get more details, what has been done prior to your call, your expectations, and the general timeline. This will help us determine if we can help.
  2. If we are able to help and you would like to go forward, we will need to collect all your medical records. In order for us to be able to view your records, a Release and Consent form needs to be signed and a small admin fee paid. We will submit the records for a medical review at one or more medical facilities. Once we get feedback from them, including estimated pricing, a phone or video consultation is set up to talk to your doctor.
  3. After the consult, it is up to you if you would like to proceed with your private surgery or treatment. If your decision is to go ahead, we will make all the arrangements for you, including the date for surgery, pre-op consult, accommodations, airfare and transportation. We will provide you with your personalized medical travel guide that will include every piece of information needed. No detail is overlooked. Once your surgery is complete, we will check in on you until you are back home and fully recovered. If there is a need for physical therapy upon return home, we will make advanced arrangements for you.

It is important to mention that we do not hide our fees in the total price. Our fees are paid directly to us, and fees for surgery are paid directly to the facility. This transparent process allows you to know who gets paid. Some medical concierge services provide you a total price, but you will never know what your surgery really costs and what they withheld as their fee.

Hip replacements have longer wait times than other surgeries in Canada. Even though doctors think you can wait, sometimes the price of waiting and living in pain is not worth it. Private hip replacement is an option for all Canadians.

If you are looking to find out more details about what your private options for surgery may be, please email us at info@healthvantis.com or give us a call at toll-free 877 344 3544.

Traveling to the US for Private Surgery

/0 Comments/in /by

Post pandemic challenges obtaining timely healthcare send many Canadians in search of private facilities. They can take care of their health issues a lot faster, even if it involves paying out of pocket. Private healthcare does exist in Canada, but the facilities and surgeries they offer are limited.

Another option is to travel to the US, even though the travel between the two countries has not resumed to the same level as it was pre-pandemic. Canada opened borders to fully vaccinated US citizens and permanent residents on Aug.9th.  The US, citing rising Delta variant cases, will keep land borders with Canada and Mexico closed to nonessential travel through at least Sept. 21, 2021.

However, traveling for medical reasons is considered essential and Canadians can cross the border with supporting documentation. If you are flying and are fully vaccinated, there are even fewer issues for concern. The self-isolation requirements upon returning to Canada are gone, however, a negative COVID test is still required and should be obtained within 72h of departure from the US.

We work with a number of US facilities that follow all COVID-19 related protocols to prevent an infection. Most require a negative COVID test 3-5 days prior to surgery. If you are interested in finding out more about traveling to the US to get timely surgery or treatment, please give us a call toll-free 877 344 3544.