Executive Interviews - iPMI Magazine

International Private Medical Insurance Magazine Provider Network Directory September 2021

Published in iPMI Magazine Breaking News
13 Sep 2021

The September 2021 edition of the International Private Medical Insurance Magazine Provider Network Directory, is out now, featuring over 80 pages of international private medical insurance and medical assistance company intelligence.

The iPMI Magazine network consists of a wide range of leading international medical payors and service providers, on call, 24/7 to assist you manage worldwide medical risks during a global pandemic.

The international medical network covers all sectors of the global medical insurance business, and you can use the directory to source new partners and service providers. Simply use the the contact details within the network directory to connect with new partners and customers.

IPMI Market Network Sectors: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Insurance Technology, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Enter full screen click the small rectangle above ↑

The IPMI market use the iPMI Magazine Provider Network Directory to source the best information and data on international private medical insurance payors and providers. They may be searching for a new partner, looking for a contact number of a current provider, or researching the payor and provider market for future cross border network development.

Classifications include: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Current Advertisers

Click a company name below to visit their micro web site on iPMIM and learn more or download the brand new e-directory using the above link. To add your business to the e-directory and launch a micro website please write to David Bond, CIO, iPMIM on ipmi[at]ipmimagazine.com

PAYORS AND PROVIDERS IN FOCUS:

IPMI

ASSISTANCE

AIR AMBULANCE

COST CONTAINMENT AND CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Rowland Brothers International

INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY

International Private Medical Insurance Magazine Provider Network Directory August 2021

Published in iPMI Magazine Breaking News
15 Aug 2021

The August 2021 edition of the International Private Medical Insurance Magazine Provider Network Directory, is out now, featuring over 80 pages of international private medical insurance and medical assistance company intelligence.

The iPMI Magazine network consists of a wide range of leading international medical payors and service providers, on call, 24/7 to assist you manage worldwide medical risks during a global pandemic.

The international medical network covers all sectors of the global medical insurance business, and you can use the directory to source new partners and service providers. Simply use the the contact details within the network directory to connect with new partners and customers.

IPMI Market Network Sectors: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Insurance Technology, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Enter full screen click the small rectangle above ↑

The IPMI market use the iPMI Magazine Provider Network Directory to source the best information and data on international private medical insurance payors and providers. They may be searching for a new partner, looking for a contact number of a current provider, or researching the payor and provider market for future cross border network development.

Classifications include: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Current Advertisers

Click a company name below to visit their micro web site on iPMIM and learn more or download the brand new e-directory using the above link. To add your business to the e-directory and launch a micro website please write to David Bond, CIO, iPMIM on ipmi[at]ipmimagazine.com

PAYORS AND PROVIDERS IN FOCUS:

IPMI

ASSISTANCE

AIR AMBULANCE

COST CONTAINMENT AND CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Rowland Brothers International

INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY

International Private Medical Insurance Magazine Provider Network Directory July 2021

Published in iPMI Magazine Breaking News
19 Jul 2021

The July 2021 edition of the International Private Medical Insurance Magazine Provider Network Directory, is out now, featuring over 80 pages of international private medical insurance and medical assistance company intelligence.

The iPMI Magazine network consists of a wide range of leading international medical payors and service providers, on call, 24/7 to assist you manage worldwide medical risks during a global pandemic.

The international medical network covers all sectors of the global medical insurance business, and you can use the directory to source new partners and service providers. Simply use the the contact details within the network directory to connect with new partners and customers.

IPMI Market Network Sectors: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Insurance Technology, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Enter full screen click the small rectangle above ↑

The IPMI market use the iPMI Magazine Provider Network Directory to source the best information and data on international private medical insurance payors and providers. They may be searching for a new partner, looking for a contact number of a current provider, or researching the payor and provider market for future cross border network development.

Classifications include: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Current Advertisers

Click a company name below to visit their micro web site on iPMIM and learn more or download the brand new e-directory using the above link. To add your business to the e-directory and launch a micro website please write to David Bond, CIO, iPMIM on ipmi[at]ipmimagazine.com

PAYORS AND PROVIDERS IN FOCUS:

IPMI

ASSISTANCE

AIR AMBULANCE

COST CONTAINMENT AND CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Rowland Brothers International

INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY

iPMI Magazine Speaks with Global Excel Indonesia’s Steven Om on Brand-New Hospital Express Discharge Program

Published in Executive Industry Interviews
07 Jul 2021

In this exclusive iPMI Magazine interview, Christopher Knight, CEO, iPMI Magazine, meets with Steven Om, General Manager of Global Excel Indonesia. They discuss in detail the key benefits of the brand-new Hospital Express Discharge Program, designed to drastically reduce both the waiting period and the paperwork associated with the discharge process for patients leaving Indonesian hospitals.

Tell us about Global Excel Indonesia:

Global Excel Indonesia was originally an ISOS organization. Global Excel acquired the company as a joint venture in 2017. Today, as part of the Global Excel family, we offer customer-centric insurance solutions to individuals and corporations in Indonesia. Global Excel Indonesia specializes in navigating the complex processes of Third-Party Administration, comprehensive claims management, assistance, and cost containment.

What is the Hospital Express Discharge Program (HEDP), and what does it aim to accomplish?

Our brand-new Hospital Express Discharge Program (HEDP) aims to simplify the traditionally complex discharge process for any type of patient admitted to an Indonesian hospital, while significantly reducing the normally lengthy wait times they experience once discharged.

How will reaching those goals help improve things for patients, payors, and providers?

For patients, the HEDP means that once they’ve been discharged by their attending doctor, they’ll be able to leave the hospital in an hour or less, instead of the usual 4 to 8 hours. It also means less paper-work – a lot less: no reimbursement forms to fill out, and no back-and-forth to figure out what’s covered and for how much.

For payers, it means an improved customer journey, in particular with the hospital claim process, whose relevance is amplified in these challenging pandemic times. This leads to higher member satisfaction, retention rates and new sales opportunities.

For providers, they’ll appreciate the simple administration process – a single complete payment from the payer rather than 2 different payments from the patient and payer for uncovered and covered amounts. This will help with billing reconciliation and improve the overall hospital experience for their patient.

Is the HEDP unique in its field? If not, what does it do that others don’t?

Most insurance companies usually offer some sort of service related to hospital discharges. Some focus on document preparation, others concentrate on logistics while still others offer streamlined payment services. As far as we know, we’re the only company to combine all of these and more to offer a very simple, very sure, and very speedy discharge where all parties are satisfied with the win-win-win outcome.

What inspired the creation of the HEDP?

At Global Excel Indonesia, we’ve always found feedback – from members, clients, and providers – to be extremely valuable. So, we analyzed the hospital discharge process, a known pain point for all involved parties, to see where we could make improvements. From our desire to simplify and improve this process, the HEDP was born.

Will the HEDP stay regional, or will it expand beyond Indonesia?

For now, our expertise rests upon our familiarity with the Indonesian healthcare system, so that’s our current focus. However, we’re confident in the success of the HEDP, and will certainly be open to expanding this service throughout the greater region.

iPMI Magazine Speaks With Dr. Ameet Deshmukh M.D, Chief Medical Officer, New Frontier Group

Published in Executive Industry Interviews
07 Jul 2021

In The iPMI Picture: Dr. Ameet Deshmukh M.D, Chief Medical Officer, New Frontier Group.

In this interview, Nicole Bonfiglio, brand ambassador at New Frontier Group, sat down with Dr. Ameet Deshmukh M.D. to discuss his new role as Chief Medical Officer at New Frontier Group.

To start off, please tell me about your medical background and your career journey.

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated high school at the top of my class. When I was in 11th grade, I was a part of a program in which I shadowed doctors at Washington University in St. Louis, resulting in my love for medicine. I attended medical school at University of Missouri-Kansas City where they have a six-year medical program, meaning I did both my undergraduate and my M.D. in six years rather than the usual eight years. It is very intense, and you only have one month off a year with no other breaks. From day one I was shadowing a doctor during their clinical rounds every week, which gave me a hands-on education. After graduating, I completed a three-year residency in emergency medicine at an inner-city trauma hospital, followed by training in hyperbaric medicine and wound care. I have been a practicing Emergency Medicine Physician for nearly twenty years.

You have just accepted a role as the new Chief Medical Officer for NFG: tell me about what you are hoping to accomplish and contribute to NFG and their clients. What are you most excited about in this new role?

I think I am here to bridge the gap between business and medicine in a way. I will be able to support people in different levels of the organization, like aiding in arranging medical transports, or talking to certain medical providers about patient information that other members of the team might not typically have access. For example, it might be difficult for a client service representative to reach a treating surgeon at a major hospital, but if I call, I should be able to bridge this gap. I also look forward to being a resource for our clients, conversing with their medical team, assisting in providing positive outcomes for their policyholders.

What am I most excited about? The team. That was the most unknown for me, but they are fabulous people, and they are brilliant. I do not think that I have ever met an executive or CEO that is as strong as Gitte Bach. She is so dynamic and can approach anyone. She can be tough, she can be yielding, but she knows this sector inside and out. She really wants to know all the details and who has the best ideas for a better solution. She is accountable to the insurers, her clients, the policyholders, and each member of the NFG staff. I have joined NFG to add a clinical spin to things, and it is very exciting. I love business and business development; I have always had a passion for it.

My mantra is “we put the clients first”, and with a business like NFG, we have lots of different clients, all with very high service expectations. Fulfilling everyone's expectations while providing the best outcomes will help provide quality care, everyone will be happy, and we will develop a good sustainable quality product that NFG can expand.

iPMI Magazine Provider Network Directory June 2021

Published in iPMI Magazine Breaking News
28 Jun 2021

The June 2021 edition of the iPMI Magazine Provider Network e-Directory is out now, featuring over 80 pages of international private medical insurance and assistance company intelligence.

The iPMI Magazine network consists of a wide range of leading international medical payors and service providers, on call, 24/7 to assist you manage worldwide medical risks during a global pandemic.

The international medical network covers all sectors of the global medical insurance business, and you can use the directory to source new partners and service providers. Simply use the the contact details within the network directory to connect with new partners and customers.

IPMI Market Network Sectors: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Insurance Technology, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Enter full screen click the small rectangle above ↑

The IPMI market use the iPMI Magazine Provider Network Directory to source the best information and data on international private medical insurance payors and providers. They may be searching for a new partner, looking for a contact number of a current provider, or researching the payor and provider market for future cross border network development.

Classifications include: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Current Advertisers

Click a company name below to visit their micro web site on iPMIM and learn more or download the brand new e-directory using the above link. To add your business to the e-directory and launch a micro website please write to David Bond, CIO, iPMIM on ipmi[at]ipmimagazine.com

PAYORS AND PROVIDERS IN FOCUS:

IPMI

ASSISTANCE

AIR AMBULANCE

COST CONTAINMENT AND CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Rowland Brothers International

INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY

iPMI Magazine Provider Network Directory May 2021

Published in iPMI Magazine Breaking News
05 May 2021

The April 2021 edition of the iPMI Magazine Provider Network e-Directory is out now, featuring over 85 pages of international private medical insurance and assistance company intelligence.

The iPMI Magazine network consists of a wide range of leading international medical payors and service providers, on call, 24/7 to assist you manage worldwide medical risks during a global pandemic.

The international medical network covers all sectors of the global medical insurance business, and you can use the directory to source new partners and service providers. Simply use the the contact details within the network directory to connect with new partners and customers.

IPMI Market Network Sectors: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Insurance Technology, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Enter full screen click the small rectangle above ↑

The IPMI market use the iPMI Magazine Provider Network Directory to source the best information and data on international private medical insurance payors and providers. They may be searching for a new partner, looking for a contact number of a current provider, or researching the payor and provider market for future cross border network development.

Classifications include: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Current Advertisers

Click a company name below to visit their micro web site on iPMIM and learn more or download the brand new e-directory using the above link. To add your business to the e-directory and launch a micro website please write to David Bond, CIO, iPMIM on ipmi[at]ipmimagazine.com

PAYORS AND PROVIDERS IN FOCUS:

IPMI

ASSISTANCE

AIR AMBULANCE

COST CONTAINMENT AND CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Rowland Brothers International

INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY

Healix Rolls Out Major Upgrade To COVID Travel Safe

Published in iPMI Magazine Medical Travel Technical Roadside Assistance Company News
29 Apr 2021

Combining cutting edge technology with best in class medical and risk intelligence to enable business travel in the midst of the global pandemic

While the debate continues around the role of vaccine passports as a means to open up international travel, there has been a clear drive for business to get moving again. But for many organisations the big issue is how to do this while simultaneously prioritising employee health and navigating complex and changing international travel restrictions.

Since its launch in June 2020, COVID Travel Safe has provided hassle-free risk assessments of the medical and logistical risks of individual employee travel plans, enabling organisations to resume critical business travel within the pandemic.

Developed by our industry leading medical and risk management experts, the platform experience begins with the user filling out a personal profile that answers a number of questions about their intended trip alongside a Covid-19 specific medical questionnaire.

Based on the traveller’s unique profile and itinerary, the tool calculates a comprehensive “Risk Score” for each trip and delivers an instant, downloadable assessment of what risks the traveller may face.

To ensure that the platform is up-to-date and representative of the pandemic’s evolution, following a scheduled review, we are delighted to roll out the first major COVID Travel Safe upgrade which sees an update to our methodology and risk categories.

While COVID Travel Safe already measures a range of sub-risk factors including pandemic trend and Covid-19 testing access, alongside practical concerns such as travel bans and curfews, it now accounts for a traveller’s vaccination status.

Also included in the COVID Travel Safe upgrade:

Personal Medical Risk: We have introduced an ‘Adjusted Risk’ rating, which will be assigned to those who have completed a full course of a Covid-19 vaccine. This rating is issued alongside the ‘Pre-Existing Medical Risk’, rather than replacing it, due to insufficient data on the longer term efficacy of vaccination.
Country Pandemic Risk: This section now comprises six sub-risk categories, introducing ‘Testing’ (on the basis of test positivity rates), ‘Infection Rate’ and ‘Control Measures’. In this upgrade we have also included cases and deaths over the previous 7 days and the country’s progress in mass vaccination programmes.
Country Logistical Risk: As governments have implemented, tested and adapted a range of policies to manage the spread of the virus, certain mechanisms have become more established as normative practice, and are introduced to varying degrees in most locations. We have split these into ‘Inbound Travel Logistics’ and ‘Local Logistics’ with high level descriptors. More nuanced information is included in the Snapshot paragraphs and an enhanced section for ‘Detailed Travel Regulations’. ‘Inbound Travel Logistics’ ratings are now supported with information from the market-leading IATA data feed.

Find out more, click here.

iPMI Magazine Provider Network Directory April 2021

Published in iPMI Magazine Breaking News
07 Apr 2021

The April 2021 edition of the iPMI Magazine Provider Network e-Directory is out now, featuring over 85 pages of international private medical insurance and assistance company intelligence.

The iPMI Magazine network consists of a wide range of leading international medical payors and service providers, on call, 24/7 to assist you manage worldwide medical risks during a global pandemic.

The international medical network covers all sectors of the global medical insurance business, and you can use the directory to source new partners and service providers. Simply use the the contact details within the network directory to connect with new partners and customers.

IPMI Market Network Sectors: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Insurance Technology, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Enter full screen click the small rectangle above ↑

The IPMI market use the iPMI Magazine Provider Network Directory to source the best information and data on international private medical insurance payors and providers. They may be searching for a new partner, looking for a contact number of a current provider, or researching the payor and provider market for future cross border network development.

Classifications include: IPMI, Assistance, Air Ambulance, Cost Containment And Claims Management, Funeral Directors, Ground Ambulance, Healthcare Insurance Management and Pharmacy Benefits Management.

Current Advertisers

Click a company name below to visit their micro web site on iPMIM and learn more or download the brand new e-directory using the above link. To add your business to the e-directory and launch a micro website please write to David Bond, CIO, iPMIM on ipmi[at]ipmimagazine.com

PAYORS AND PROVIDERS IN FOCUS:

IPMI

ASSISTANCE

AIR AMBULANCE

COST CONTAINMENT AND CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Rowland Brothers International

INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY

Vaccine Passports: Balancing The Benefits Against The Risks

Published in Articles Case Studies
10 Mar 2021

Dr Adrian Hyzler, Chief Medical Officer at Healix International provides his perspective on the current debate about Vaccine Passports ahead of the EU Commission’s proposals for a ‘Digital Green Pass’, set to be published on 17th March.

“There’s no question that any initiative that can enable international travel without increasing the risk of infections from COVID-19 will be welcomed by the much beleaguered travel industry and all its associated services. But the lack of discrimination from COVID-19 – it affects every age group, every gender, every race, every socio-economic group – could actually be the potential for a very high risk of discrimination if ‘Vaccine Passports’ are adopted as the only way to allow international travel.

“I want to be clear. I see no harm in a ‘digital immunity certificate’, per se, for ease of verification of vaccination status, especially as this will be easier to verify by authorities and less susceptible to a range of forgeries or indecipherable documentation. However, I do worry about the further implications of a ‘passport’ or ‘green pass’ that enables those that are vaccinated to do things that others cannot. This form of immune-privilege will disadvantage a number of people, many of whom are already victims of inequity and discrimination, not just as a result of COVID, but dating back well before the pandemic.

“In the last week European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for the creation of a ‘Digital Green Pass’ for EU citizens to travel safely. The proposal is due on March 17 and is being developed in response to pressure from tourism-dependent countries to help them salvage the summer season. However, across the EU there isn’t currently a clear consensus on this approach.

“Concerns about the impact on those not yet eligible or unable to have the vaccine have been raised highlighting the very complicated picture. And that concern must be recognised as a global issue. For example, South Africa has declined to use its supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine claiming that data shows that it is ineffective against the variant in wide circulation. So will they allow travellers who are vaccinated with this vaccine to enter the country? Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland have made a political decision not to allow the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to be used for their citizens - will they allow travellers entry who have received this vaccine? Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic have authorised the Sputnik V vaccine from the Gamaleya Institute in Russia for their citizens, in response to the perceived slow rollout of EMA approved vaccines from the European Commission - will this be an accepted vaccine for the rest of the European Union member states? Similarly, Hungary and the Czech Republic have licensed the Chinese vaccines, Sinovac and Sinopharm, respectively…

“Of course, it is in the interests of governments of countries that depend on tourism for their economies and have been hardest hit by the devastating drop-off in leisure travel to promote whatever means are available to encourage inbound travel. Greece has led the drive in Europe and is lobbying the European Union to introduce legislation around ‘Vaccine Passports’ (VPs). Italy, Cyprus, Spain and Malta are supporting the Greeks - all are highly dependent on tourism revenue. Denmark is to introduce VPs this month and Sweden is soon to follow. However, the UK government has put on hold any decision on VPs, pending further discussion. The US has adopted a similar policy of further debate on the matter.

“So what’s the answer? There is undoubtedly a demand for a ‘Digital Immunity Document’ and this will simplify the process of: verification of inoculation; confirmation of positive COVID test within a time period of between 3 and 6 months; and COVID test notification. From an international travel point of view you could look at this as the equivalent of an airline’s app that enables you to store your boarding pass, airline membership card and flight details electronically. Some people use the electronic version but others continue with paper documentation and the process still functions.

“But let’s not forget that 3.4 billion people worldwide do not have internet access and over 1 billion people do not have a cellphone of any kind. Therefore, any such scheme will require close cooperation of governments in allowing access to an individual’s vaccination records. And that, of course, brings up another issue – data privacy.

“There are two clear discussion points here: the first is the concept of an electronic means of verifying ‘immunity/infection status’ as opposed to a paper document; the other more complex discussion, that is often confused by the concerns around the ‘passport’ or ‘pass’, is what will governments, organisations and businesses choose to do with that information. Will there be a requirement for vaccination for entry to a country/a restaurant/a gym/a music festival etc or will it form one of a layer of requirements that will determine what restrictions will be required on entry? This implies that there will be a need for ‘immunity security’ to prevent entry for the unvaccinated - is this really what the hospitality industry wants?

“My thought is that vaccination status should be one of the determinants of entry quarantine requirements, in combination with natural immunity and testing. The whole approach to prevention of COVID-19 transmission is dependent on layers of protection - it is not just about masking or physical distancing or even vaccination. No preventive measure is fully protective but each tool of prevention is layered on top of the next and together they form a stronger barrier.”