<p> Healthcare Reform Survey Released by the Medical Tourism Association</p><p>The Medical Tourism Association conducted a Healthcare Reform survey which delivered extremely positive results for the medical tourism industry. </p><p>Recently the MTA surveyed over one hundred US insurance companies and US employers on the effect medical tourism will have upon them. The survey, “Healthcare Reform Survey Among Industry Stakeholders Discovers Similar Concerns” released its results in July, 2010. http://medicaltourismmag.com/article/healthcare-reform-survey.html</p><p>73 percent responded that health insurance cost will increase significantly, while 24 percent believe it will surely increase to a certain level.</p><p>Starting in 2014, any person can wait until they are sick to purchase health insurance rather than purchasing it when they are healthy. 96 percent of the respondents think this will destroy the underwriting process.</p><p> 87 percent of the respondents think negatively about low employee cost penalties and they think that this is not sufficient to force employees to buy health insurance. If that proves to be the case, reform will work more negatively for employees than its intention of a positive effect. Waiving pre-existing condition clauses and making insurance premiums equal for healthy and sick people will drive health insurance costs up dramatically, making employers and insurers more interested in offering medical tourism as an option to keep costs down.</p><p>“The survey shows the future growth potential of the medical tourism industry because in the survey 71 percent of insurance companies and employers felt healthcare reform was extremely positive for the medical tourism industry and more Americans would travel overseas under the new law. Employers and insurance companies know that healthcare reform will increase costs and medical tourism is one of the few ways to lower those costs,” said Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the Medical Tourism Association.</p><p>The low penalty cost for employees who choose not to buy health insurance is so little, it will not encourage Americans to buy health insurance; it starts at $95 for an individual in 2014 and rises to $695 in 2016. The survey reveals that the majority of its participants are in agreement—no American will be able to afford the health insurance premiums for their families in 2020. The family insurance premiums will cost approximately $30,000 to $40,000 per year, while the average income of families is estimated $56,000.  When asked about impact of healthcare reform on businesses, whether it be healthcare professional, insurance agent or insurance companies, 80 percent showed a negative expression towards the effect. The Medical Tourism Magazine published “Healthcare Reform Survey Among Industry Stakeholders Discovers Similar Concerns” in July of 2010. This article contains all results. http://medicaltourismmag.com/article/healthcare-reform-survey.html</p><p>The Medical Tourism Magazine conducts surveys on a monthly basis. The printed version on average is distributed to over 90 countries around the world in all 5 regions inclusive of thousands of International Hospitals, International Health Insurance Carriers in the Middle East, US, UK and Canada, healthcare providers throughout the world, the travel industry, potential medical tourism patients considering going overseas for surgery, and anyone with an interest in the industry. The magazine is also distributed to a majority of the health plans which administer Self Funded Employer health plans in the U.S. Medical Tourism Magazine can be read at http://www.medicaltourismmag.com/.</p><p>The Medical Tourism Association (Medical Travel Association), also known as the Global Healthcare Association, at http://www.MedicalTourismAssociation.com is the first international non-profit association comprised of the top international hospitals, healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators, insurance companies, and other affiliated companies and members with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality of healthcare to patients in a global environment. Our Association promotes the interests of its healthcare provider and medical tourism facilitators members. The Medical Tourism Association has three mission-driven tenets: Education, Communication and Transparency. http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com/en/index.html </p><p>Gaby Vicuna</p><p>US 001.561.791.2000 [email protected] www.medicaltourismassociation.com</p>