Archive for the ‘Expat Trends’ Category
Independent of the new healthcare ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court healthcare costs are rising. This trend is not unique to the United States. According to a new study on medical costs by Towers Watson, healthcare costs are rising in “double-digits” around the world. The survey from professional services provider, Towers Watson, focussed on the cost [...]
The medical tourism market is growing rapidly and appears to be recession proof, according to new research on tourism niches. A study from Global Industry Analysts a market research firm found that medical tourism is a sector that “continues to grow at a steady rate despite the financial crisis.” With this evidence it seems more [...]
It’s that time of year again. The results of HSBC’s 2011 Expat Explorer Survey are out and Belgium placed #1 for expat healthcare, followed by Germany and France. Those rankings are based on affordability, access and quality of care. This year’s survey involved 3,385 expats living in more than 100 countries. In terms of healthcare, enough [...]
MediCare International released a statement detailing the most common health problems reported by its expat clients, finding “everyday” ailments such as back problems and hypertension far outweighed cases of serious diseases and emergencies. The health insurer looked at the top claims from the past two years to determine which were the most common.
60% of business travelers visit “high risk” destinations each year, according to a survey from travel, medical and security assistance firm International SOS. 16% travel to high risk destinations five or more times in a single year. By conducting the survey the company was able to identify the information travelers wanted most from their employers [...]
Recent OECD statistics paint a grim picture of obesity in the UK: nearly 25% of Britons are obese and over 60% overweight, compared to an average of 16% and 50% for the OECD as a whole. And while the British can take comfort in the fact that England is far from the fattest country in [...]
Luxury travellers and wealthy expats often purchase less health insurance cover than they should, according to Dr. Tom Brett, Lead General Practitioner for online chemist Lloyd’spharmacy. Brett said that while 60% of people moving or travelling abroad have concerns about getting ill, many of them do nothing about it. Wealth travellers in particular often skimp [...]
A landmark study by the UAE’s National Rehabilitation Center (NRC) recently concluded that 5.3% of all deaths in the UAE are caused by illicit drugs or alcohol. A 2010 survey showed alcohol consumption had risen 30% over the last five years, and in the last decade the number of Alcoholics Anonymous Arabia (AA Arabia) meetings [...]
Duty of care is a legal obligation requiring someone (such as an employer) to maintain a “reasonable” standard of care when handling issues that could cause harm to others. Hence, poor expat health benefits can mean big trouble for multinational employers if they’re ever found negligent. Multinationals need to be aware of their legal obligations [...]
A 2008 McKinsey report claimed the medical tourism industry could be worth as much as $100 billion by 2012. In some Asian hospitals, as many as 40-60% of patients are foreigners. This despite numerous ethical and practical concerns (not the least of which is determining whether any given doctor is qualified to do his job). [...]
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