The number of Americans traveling abroad continues to grow each year – an estimated 41.8 million U.S. citizens traveled outside the United States in 2018, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. Those travelers are three times more likely to purchase travel insurance, and one in six will file claims. That puts increasing pressure on insurance companies to manage subscribers’ care. A new service from SentinelMED addresses this concern with outsourced medical direction and MD case management for insurance companies.
While this offering is new for SentinelMED, it’s a natural extension of our long-time mission: arranging the safest, most efficient medical care and transport for travelers after an injury or illness. Our board-certified physicians, as well as our medical escorts and logistics team, have decades of experience in travel medicine. They are skilled in providing the care and transport needed while controlling their associated costs.
Why Insurance Companies Choose SentinelMED for Medical Direction
and MD Case Management
Travelers who purchase travel insurance policies are those who prepare for the unexpected. They want to know they’ll get the care needed, quickly and at the medical facility that’s best equipped to treat them. Even if they don’t purchase additional insurance, some travelers may be covered for medical care abroad under their existing health care policies. Their concerns may need to be balanced with the need to reach the closest in-network provider, as soon as possible.
The team at SentinelMED understands all the variables that must be considered when providing outsourced medical direction and MD case management. Our team is uniquely skilled at making recommendations that take into account what’s best for the patient, cost concerns and the capabilities of local medical providers. Let’s look at each of these three in detail.
- Patient health and safety. Our team’s focus is first and foremost on patient care. We want to make sure the patient receives needed medical care as quickly as possible and from medical providers who meet our high standards. If a patient needs transport to receive quality care, we will recommend the most efficient, cost-effective option that ensures his or her safety and comfort.
- Cost concerns. Insurance companies work to ensure that their subscribers receive treatment that is within the terms of their policies. This is in the best interest of all parties involved. The SentinelMED team has decades of experience working in the fields of international medicine and medical transport. We have a unique and deep understanding of travel insurance policies and the logistics involved with long-distance medical transport, medical evacuations and medical repatriation.
- The quality of local medical care. The quality of care available to a traveler can depend on where he or she is at the very moment of illness or injury. Our managing director and medical director are physicians who are board-certified in emergency medicine. They are skilled in assessing the level of care that a patient requires, identifying the best and closest facility available to provide it, and determining whether a patient is fit to travel. Together with the SentinelMED team, they can provide consultations and recommendations for patients anywhere in the world.
Another reason insurance companies choose SentinelMED is the flexibility we offer, with services provided on a contract, retainer or one-time basis.
About SentinelMED
SentinelMED works with insurance companies of all sizes to ensure the safe care and transport of their subscribers. Our logistics and transport professionals are able to easily tailor the mode of transport to the care needs of individual patients, as well as the terms of their insurance policies. In many instances, patients can be transported on commercial airlines with the aid of a medical escort, a cost-effective alternative to air ambulances.
At SentinelMED, we understand the complexity of delivering exceptional care and transport services to insurance companies’ subscribers. Please contact us to learn more about the services that SentinelMED offers or its staff.
