A new company called “Well-Being Travel” is linking the medical and travel industry in a first — what they call a “breakthrough partnership.”
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The time is right for the medical and travel industries to work together to provide consumers with a consulting service that expertly manages all of their medical travel needs around the world from one source,” said Anne Marie Moebes, executive vice president of Well-Being Travel.
“This is the first time that a travel agent distribution channel is pairing up with the medical industry to provide the very finest service to medical travelers,” says a press release.
Moebes emphasized that the travel and the medical segment of the company’s service was separate with each utilizing its own capabilities. Well-Being signed on Companion Global Healthcare, a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of South Carolina, as a preferred vendor, Moebes said at a recent “American Marketing Group’s ‘Got Talent’” global conference in Florida.
Supporters say the current US$20 billion medical tourism market could reach $100 billion by 2012.
The alliance provides an instant relationship for travel agents that are part of the American Marketing Group agency groups (TRAVELSAVERS, NEXT, TWIN or the Affluent Traveler Collection) to become a source to handle the medical travel needs of their clients.
Companion Global Healthcare has relationships with leading hospitals and doctors worldwide.
Referring travel agents, many of whom have long-term relationships with hoteliers and airlines, fill the travel arm of the transaction.
The American Marketing Group travel agency companies deliver 3,000 travel agency outlets acting as distribution points as well as a select group of agencies via its TWIN group acting as destination management companies in key regions worldwide. The organization has a 40-year history and an infrastructure that positions it to handle the travel needs of medical travelers around the clock, the company says.
The implications are not only for leisure travel but also on the corporate side.
“It’s a bit of a sleeping giant,” Moebes said of the corporate aspect. She adds:
“This is a brand new service that, once our agencies understand the process, they can confidently pitch to their corporate clients to help them manage their health insurance program more cost-effectively.”
In addition to its services, Well-Being will soon be offering medical travel packages that include air and hotel. A medical expo is also planned for the near future.
By David Wilkening
