Medical Tourism Program Development Package

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We offer a comprehensive package of clinical and business development guidance and support, clinical operations, international patient services department setup and accreditation preparation, in order to establish your Medical Tourism program.

1. Guidance in all phases of the start-up process for the launch of a medical tourism program

Including, but limited to:

• Clinic Site Selection
• Medical / Surgical and Patient Reception site design and functional layout of the clinic operations
• Guidance on leasehold improvements, signage, licenses, wayfinding
• FF&E purchasing guidance through our affiliate GPO membership program
• Assistance with grand opening promotions
• Help with developing a successful medical tourism business plan

2. Clinic Development Package that includes:

Startup support, including all brand documentation of policies, procedures for:

• Corporate development for your clinic
  
• Program infrastructure documentation framework
  • Program operations (safety, security, quality, customer service, environment of care, policy and procedure manuals, standards of care, staff training and development, competency testing
  • Bespoke Administrative Manual that outlines all performance standards required by contract
  • Clinical Operations Manual: The typical operations manual is comprised of over 200 separate policies, procedures and forms, and aligns with the Joint Commission’s Provision of Care standards and applicable National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (NIAHO).
  • Other documents needed for program management program, such as the performance standard attachments for hospitals, clinics, nursing services contracts and for internal use.  We will align these with NIAHO, Joint Commission and the local regulations as required.
  • Credentialing and Privileging
    • Medical staff criteria-based credentialing, re-credentialing and privileging, appointments policies and procedures
    • Medical staff bylaws and applications for membership
    • Clinical directorship, employment contract, competency and leadership standards, credentialing, roles and responsibilities
    • Support staff roles, responsibilities, criteria-based competency, job descriptions, etc.
    • Technology considerations
    • Hotel and DMC standards of performance and contracts for services
    • Medical tourism facilitator representative agreements

3. HIPAA Standards, policies, procedures, and testing

To ensure compliance with the U.S. Office for Civil Rights standards used to enforce the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information; the HIPAA Security Rule, which sets national standards for the security of electronic protected health information; the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, which requires covered entities and business associates to provide notification following a breach of unsecured protected health information; and the confidentiality provisions of the Patient Safety Rule, which protect identifiable information being used to analyze patient safety events and improve patient safety.

Privacy is an article of faith for Americans. If you do business with patients from the USA through a medical tourism facilitator located in the USA, you are required to comply with these standards in addition to the law of the land in which you operate. In the event of a conflict, you must default to the more restrictive set of standards. the U.S. Constitution guarantees “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures…” Federal regulations promulgated pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule recognize this core right and your customers from the USA will expect its strict adherence.

By referring to the need for security of “persons”, as well as “papers and effects”, the Fourth Amendment suggests enduring values in American law that relate to privacy. The need for security of “persons” is consistent with obtaining consent before performing invasive medical procedures.  The need for security in “papers and effects” underscores the importance of protecting information about the person, contained in medical records or elsewhere.

• Medical records management, documentation policies, procedures and formats
• HIPAA compliance policies, procedures, forms in a manual that is approximately 300 pages
• Job descriptions, competency standards, training manual for initial and refresher training, and employment agreements for:
  • Medical records technician
  • Medical records manager
  • HIPAA compliance officer

4. Readiness for Joint Commission Health Care Accreditation 

(or other competing accrediting bodies) can be attempted after 6 months of continuous operation, and will be a necessity to compete with all the other serious and well-established medical tourism programs at the level to which your clinic will aspire.

5. Contracted management support (or interim management)

To provide the highest standard of operational procedures to maximize sales and profitability, with:

• Hands on assistance with all aspects of running a health center
• Experienced clinic directors
• Training and training follow up programs
• Programs and materials to support new service offerings

6. Computer system and electronic medical records software setup and installation

To facilitate intake and export medical records in a compliant manner.

7. Communications Package

• Brand standard graphics, website design, m-health technology interface
• Introduction to medical tourism facilitators, DMCs and travel agents interested in selling these services to the retail market
• Arrangement of fam tours for medical tourism facilitators and DMCs that want to offer your program from within and outside your local region
• Grand opening advertising program guidance (materials and printed/video/digital services are extra)
• Representation at medical tourism trade shows and conferences around the world
• Establishment of a local US customer service office that can assist clients during US business hours.

8. Third-party payer contracting preparation

A collection of bespoke business rules, marketing information, contract forms, and sales training, billing and revenue cycle procedures (for services paid by insurers and/or employers, rather than retail direct-to-consumers) to align with your strategic plans.

• Job descriptions, competency standards, training manual for initial and refresher training, and employment agreements for:
  • Third-party payer sales training, marketing materials, explanatory materials, account setup training
  • Contracting business rules and negotiation points
  • Contract language to be used between the program and employers
  • Pricing methodologies, subcontractor contracts and payment formulas
  • Alternative acceptable language for payer contracts

9. Administrative Staffing

 Job descriptions, cultural and language competency awareness training, HIPAA privacy and security training manual for initial and refresher training, and employment agreements for:

• Patient relations staff
• Other support staff

10. Telehealth and Telemedicine Technology Setup and Implementation

© 2014. Mercury Advisory Group Intellectual Property is protected by copyright. All international rights reserved.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Lead Expert

Maria K Todd, MHA PhD

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Author

• The Handbook of Medical Tourism Program Development
• The Managed Care Contracting Handbook, 2nd Edition
• Physician Integration & Alignment
• The Medical Tourism Facilitator’s Handbook
• The Handbook of Concierge Medical Practice Design
• The Employer’s Guide to Medical Tourism Benefit Design

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Discovery Process

Whether you are a first time entrant into medical tourism, or an experienced business owner, our Medical Tourism Business Development Package empowers you to get more out of what you want from your business. We have created our Discovery Process to help you ask the right questions and to help you to learn as much as possible about our Medical Tourism Program development opportunity.

In most cases, your program can be operational and ready to see the first patient in 180 days or less.

As you go through the steps, you will find all the information necessary to decide whether a Medical Tourism Program is the right choice for you.

Step One

Complete a client application, review the Medical Tourism Business Development Package Description (above) and undergo a credit and background check.

Step Two

Meet with the development team, conduct due diligence on the hospital, hotels and program operator, select a clinic site, and develop a Medical Tourism Program business plan. If you need help with the business plan development or feasibility study, we can offer you assistance.

Step Three

Present the Medical Tourism Program business plan to the Board of Directors, the Tourism Board, or other stakeholders for approval and submit to our senior management for review and sign off and acceptance of the engagement.  A percentage of the fees for your project will be due at this stage.

Step Four

Receive board or other stakeholder approval, sign a clinic development agreement, begin training, select and submit site for approval, and secure financing. Financing is your responsibility and we do not secure funding or receive any commission payments or other consideration from your financing arrangements.

Step Five

Finalize the lease or site negotiations and selection, sign consulting agreement, begin leasehold improvement construction, conduct employee training and open your clinic.

Step Six

After six months of continuous operations, we will assist you to apply for and prepare to undergo successful accreditation survey by the Joint Commission or other competing Healthcare Accreditation.

 

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