Kill Two Birds With One Stone - Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is a fairly new term used to describe an amazing amount of
people globally that travel world-wide for health care. Why these people
travel and for what differs, but basically there are two types of medical
tourists - the regular tourist that adds a visit to the doctor for some
minor treatment, as part of his or her holiday, and the tourist travelling
primarily for medical treatment.

Before there even was a term 'medical tourism', it was common practice among
the well-to-do in third-world countries to travel to the USA, Switzerland
and Germany for medical care.
However, since the year 2000, this trend has been reversed and now countries
such as Thailand, are attracting patients from the USA, Canada and the
United Kingdom.

This new market has grown as modern health care systems all over the world
are struggling to meet the medical needs of their own populations. In the
United States, the price of health care is beyond the means of most and
there are an estimated 40 million people without health insurance. While in
Britain, Canada and Holland, socialised health care ensures affordability,
demand for medical services far outstrips supply and waiting lists for
surgical procedures or specialty medicine can be as long as two-to-three
years.

Today, governments, insurers and employers are carefully looking at
outsourcing medical treatments as a way to improve access and lower health
care costs for their citizens, policy-holders and employees.

Thailand's health care services are about one-half the cost of similar
services in Singapore, one-third the cost of Hong Kong and one-tenth the
cost in the United States.

Who are the medical tourists and what are they coming for?

By and large, medical tourists are travelling for specialty surgical and
medical services. The recent upsurge in the popularity of plastic surgery,
however, has led to a new wave of medical tourists and headlines like "Sun,
sea and surgery"
or "Scalpel tourism" have helped create the buzz for this growing
phenomenon. Medical tourism destinations, such as Thailand, promote the
benefit of high-quality medical care as just one more reason to visit the
kingdom.

Elective out-patient procedures like check-ups, dental care, and LASIK eye
surgery are becoming increasingly popular and there is a growing interest on
the part of the tourism industry to include these services as part of their
travel packages.
Higher intensity medical services, like spinal and cardiac surgery, pose a
greater challenge because these medical services are not as easily packaged
and require significantly more knowledge about medicine.

Bumrungrad Hospital, located in central Bangkok, is a major player in the
medical tourism field in Thailand, attracting over 360,000 international
patients every year from over 150 countries worldwide. But Bumrungrad is not
alone. There are quite a few other hospitals in Thailand and also in
out-lying regions that are aggressively marketing their hospitals to capture
a slice of this fast growing market. Both Bumrungrad Hospital and the
India-based Apollo Hospital were recently featured on the CBS award winning
news program "60 Minutes" as medical tourism destinations for a growing
number of Americans.

Reliable figures on the size and growth of medical tourism are hard to come
by, as government and immigration statistics do not yet categorize inbound
travellers coming for medical care.
That said, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is actively promoting medical
tourism as medical tourists on average spend more and stay longer than
leisure travellers.

So, whether you are the casual visitor that will take advantage of some
minor medical work while in Thailand, or you are planning your vacation
around your surgery, Thailand is the place to go and get it done
professionally and at an extremely good price.

About The Author: Larry Westfall is the owner of
http://www.pattaya-crazy.com

Life Insurance Basics

It's just another one of those financial things that you figure you don't
really want the added cost to your monthly budget.
Heck when will you ever need Life insurance right? Well that's just the
point, you never know when you'll need it/ Each month there are always other
places for money to go that could cover the premium for a life insurance
policy. You need to stop looking at it like a cost, and more as a
requirement like your home or car insurance. It's there in case the worst
happens so your loved ones will be taken care of financially. If you weren't
around starting tomorrow are you confident that your family would have the
necessary finances to cover your burial, funeral, and settle the remainder
of your outstanding debt?

Because todays world is one of credit and not cash, the majority of use
carry a good amount of debt. There are car payments, home loads, other
personal loans, and of course credit cards. It's a good idea to investigate
your employer to see if they offer some form of life insurance. Often
businesses will offer a program to their employers at a reduced rate as a
benefit for working there. While it may be a very small plan, it's better
then nothing. Most people will also seek out further coverage , this is to
ensure that not only are you funeral and other expenses covered but also
outstanding debts, and living costs for your loved ones after you've passed.

So how much does life insurance really cost? The premium is the cost for the
policy generally over a year, the cost of that premium varies based on the
individual seeking coverage. If you're like me you're always getting offers
in the mail for life insurance plans, and if you act now save big. Different
marketing techniques do more to confuse the situation rather then help it.
One thing you do need to educate yourself on is the different between a term
life policy and a whole life policy. Like it sounds a term policy is for a
particular term of your life. Generally 20 years or so and the premium stays
the same for the entire time. While this might seem like a good idea, and
the most cost effective, the plan builds no cash value and after the term is
up you need to find anew plan. While a whole life policy does build up a
cash value. A value that can be borrowed against, and even cashed out over
the holders life.
Most policies whether term or whole require some medical tests and exam
prior to being granted coverage.

It just makes sense, life insurance is a smart thing to have.
No one wants to leave their families and loved ones in a hard way
financially after their gone, and there is no excuse for it. Get out and do
some research there are independent brokers, and companies that specialize
in life insurance. You can get these brokers, and company representatives to
help you decide what coverage you need. Remember as you get older your
premium will cost more, so if you're considering a term policy it's smarter
to purchase when you're younger then older.

About The Author: For more information about life insurance and medical
insurance please visit our website Everything Insurance.
http://www.everything-insurance.com/

Insurance For Sports Cars

Insurance premiums on sports cars can be expensive compared to other
traditional automobile types. When shopping for insurance coverage, expect
some sticker shock. The tips provided here may you get lower insurance
premiums.

First, check to see if any group memberships would reduce your rate.
Membership in a national organization such as labor unions, government
employees, etc., can reduce your cost and offer substantial reductions if
you are eligible for a discount. Remember to ask your agent if he is aware
of any group memberships that could reduce your costs. A sports car club
membership sports car club could have a positive impact on your premium.
Insurance companies often offer a reduced premium rate to particular groups
of sports car owners in hopes of securing a greater number of customers.

Second, investigate your options and conduct price comparisons.
Call other insurance providers to determine their rates. Who knows, you
might find an unexpected bargain. In addition to making direct calls to
various insurance companies. You will benefit too if you search the internet
for services that will compare rates between multiple companies.

Third, there is an advantage to keeping as much of your insurance business
as possible under one roof. If you insure all of your vehicles, your home or
rental with one insurance company you can save a substantial amount on
premiums. The savings you receive may not be applied directly to your sports
vehicle premium, but the savings are such that you will find a cost savings
as a whole.

Finally, ask the insurance agent about any special classes or programs that
could reduce your premium. Some insurance companies offer discounts for
taking defensive driving courses.
An insurance company might reduce your insurance rate if you remain accident
free or after you have been driving for specific period of time. Take
advantage of any and all resources that might be helpful in reducing the
insurance rate for your sports car.

It is imperative that you carry adequate insurance coverage for your sports
car. Skimping might keep your costs down, but you will not have sufficient
coverage. Before you start your search, remember the following:

1. Ask for group specials.
2. Comparison shop.
3. Consider keeping all of your insurance needs under one roof.

4. Ask your agent about special programs.

By doing these things you just might save a surprising amount on your sports
car insurance premium.

About The Author: Tom Atkins is a staff writer at
http://www.insurance-gazette.com and is an occasional contributor to several
other websites, including http://www.debt-journal.com.