Global Health News: Articles of Interest

International SOS has evacuated over 800 people from Egypt – primarily expatriate employees and families of 40 clients from private corporations, non-profit organisations, as well as students.

Regional Managing Director of International SOS Dr Ian Cornish, says passengers were transported to Frankfurt, Paris and Dubai, using seven different flights where International SOS reception teams were meeting them.

“Operating flights in and out of Egypt has been very difficult, with significant delays and last minute cancellations.”

In the immediate wake of the uprising, International SOS activated a crisis management team at its London alarm centre, coordinating operations with its Philadelphia, Frankfurt, Paris, Geneva and Dubai alarm centres.

Managing Director of International SOS Assistance UK, Kevin Duffey says this crisis team, whose initial members left within a few hours of the start of the unrest, consists of medical, security, aviation and logistics experts.

“In addition, another team consisting of security specialists representing a joint venture from International SOS and Control Risks is working from Cairo, Alexandria, Asyut and Suez.  The security specialists are providing real-time reports to assist members seeking information on colleagues in Egypt and on the ground conditions.

“Some of our security specialists who were in Tunisia following recent political unrest, are now in Egypt.  They are able to deliver first-hand information and coordinate operations with our locally-based partners.

“Calls to our alarm centres have increased by an estimated 180 percent over the past weekend.  We are using our pre-established network in Egypt to provide transportation, security and medical care for clients. In addition, we and Control Risks have activated TravelTracker, a proprietary system to help identify members in the affected areas, responding to calls at our 28 alarm centres,” says Duffey.

Cornish says the overall situation remains highly fluid, although the large deployment of troops at strategic locations, including in Cairo, will go some way towards controlling the situation.

“In-country personnel should remain in a secure location if it is safe to do so and wait for the situation to stabilise.  There is a risk of further violent anti-government protests, particularly in Cairo. People should avoid all gatherings because of the risk of violence and should not stop to watch or photograph these.  If a crowd or large group of security personnel begins to gather, vacate the area immediately. In the unlikely event of a confrontation with local nationals, do nothing to resist or antagonise the assailants.”

Cornish says due to uncertain telecommunication services, personnel should plan overland travel carefully, ensuring sufficient fuel and support in the event of a vehicle breakdown or security incident. Travellers should prearrange a check-in procedure to confirm arrival at their destination.

“International flight connections and domestic transfers via Cairo are still possible.  Travellers should however, check for delays with their airlines before travelling.  People wishing to leave Egypt by air should be sure about transfers to the airport and should allow additional time for road movement and check-in procedures. Only depart for the airport if reservations have been reconfirmed. If possible, have a physical copy of your ticket.

“Monitor developments closely via the international news media and local contacts prior to and during your stay. Use all available resources like hotel staff, local colleagues and hosts.  Register with your embassy and ensure that you receive regular updates prior to and during your visit.”

He says the security forces’ sensitivities may be heightened at this time.

“Do not cross military or police cordons without the express permission of the authorities and treat members of the security forces with patience and respect. Carry photographic identification and follow all instructions promptly.”
International SOS is an international healthcare, medical assistance and security services company.  Through its worldwide network of alarm centres, clinics and health and logistics providers, the company offers local expertise, preventative advice and emergency assistance during critical illness, accidents, or civil unrest.

“Removed from familiar working environments, business travellers may encounter increased and unfamiliar threats to their health, safety and security. During severe political upheaval and other situations that may impact travel, companies need to look after their employees who are abroad.  Crisis plans as well as systems to track and communicate with their travellers are crucial in helping organisations fulfill their duty of care.”

“The increased threat to business travellers heightens the liability of employers, who have a legal and moral duty of care for their employees, wherever they are based.

“Many organisations are operating across borders without fully understanding the obligations that surround duty of care, or are not providing the right level of care. Travel seems to be a blind spot when it comes to duty of care, compared to the health and safety procedures in the permanent workplace.

“The services we provide to clients are tailor-made for each individual organisation’s specific needs. This approach has again proved successful for our clients in Egypt,” says Cornish.

Written by Muzi Mohale

Self-appointed commandos stand guard at intersections all over the Cairo neighborhood of Maadi, apparently a haven for retired military from several countries.  Some defenders wear camouflage, ski masks and Kevlar vests. They wield very large guns. Civilian troops pack too, though more creatively: kitchen knives, golf clubs, 2x4s and baseball bats.

“Who knew so many people played baseball in Cairo?” says my friend Randi.

Meanwhile, she is delighted to finally take a photograph of Maadi’s old synagogue, a building usually heavily guarded and blockaded in all directions. The police are all gone now. Randi is not worried about walking around here, though, having lived with police helicopters and gang gunfire near South-Central Los Angeles in the ’90s. 

The U.S Embassy wants all nonessential personnel to leave Egypt.  Another friend Jorge calls to say she was trying to de-stress with backyard yoga when gunshots rang out above her downward dog. She is weighing options between taking the State Department offer or being dropped off in Cyprus, Istanbul or Athens or staying and trying to maintain a sense of normalcy for her 7-year-old son Nikos.  One day at a time, she decides. Today, she stays.

My neighbor Assam tells me not to fear Muslims. I like Muslims, I say: After all, I choose to live in Egypt, home to about 80 million of them.  I think he hears me. Mona on the top floor tells me not to  leave. She offers me candy.  One time I told her how attractive her hijab was and I almost wore it home. It is the Egyptian custom to offer the item you compliment.  Her mother, Nourdar, seems to be taking the revolution in stride. She’s lived through assassinations and occupations.

While downtown Cairo sees massive protests and now violent clashes, Maadi is quieter. There are fewer gun pops,  which are said to be army signals or intimidation volleys — both of which could be wishful thinking.  Police are rumored to be coming back. I need a hot shower and I better hurry because I just received a call warning of a water stoppage. The week has been a blur of the mundane and the monumental.  History in the making. It is all hard for me to grasp. On Egyptian television, President Hosni Mubarak offers to step down, but not until September elections. The crowd will have none of it.

 “Leave, leave,” they chant, long after midnight in Tahrir Square.

- Clare Fleishman in Cairo

Aetna announced the launch of its enhanced global emergency assistance program on November 11th, 2010, which will provide its international members with emergency and urgent medical evacuation, repatriation and medical assistance, as well as access to travel assistance services. The new program is available starting December 1, 2010, to U.S.-based employers with expatriate health plans through Aetna Global Benefits (AGB), the organization’s international benefits division.

In combination with its existing 24/7 customer service and clinical support capabilities, AGB will leverage the proven travel assistance capabilities and services of On Call International. On Call is the U.S. affiliate of the International Assistance Group, a global, collaborative network of 32 independent medical assistance companies with response centers in 53 locations.

“The unique structure of our global emergency assistance services with On Call allows us to provide a better customer experience as part of our integrated service model,” said Donna Otten, head of AGB. “One call to Aetna by the member or physician triggers live coordination of the medical evacuation process with On Call based on our prompt identification of the affected member, his or her plan benefits and the emergency situation. Our members and providers won’t have to repeat this information since our streamlined process ensures immediate and consistent notification to all parties involved in managing the member’s care seamlessly, including our in-house clinicians in the International Health Advisory Team.

“The end result for our members and employer plan sponsors is a better evacuation outcome with enhanced communication and reporting, real-time data access, and greater flexibility in plan options,” added Otten.

As part of the global emergency assistance program, AGB members receive:

• Emergency evacuation services, such as emergency or urgent medical evacuation, medical repatriation coordination and companion travel coordination;
• Medical assistance services, such as pre-trip planning; medical, dental and pharmacy referrals; and delivery of medicine and vaccines; and
• Access to additional travel assistance services, such as translation and interpreters, pet return, and assistance with emergency cash advances, lost luggage and the replacement of lost traveling documents.

“In virtually every corner of the world, On Call provides medical evacuation and travel assistance. We look forward to serving AGB’s expatriate members and establishing a long and mutually fulfilling relationship,” said Mike Kelly, president and CEO of On Call International. “As the leader of medical and travel assistance for the U.S. travel insurance, student-travel and cruise industries, our program with AGB expands On Call’s reach into the international employee benefits sector with a customized plan to meet the needs of AGB’s expat members.”

About Aetna Global Benefits

Aetna Global Benefits, the international business segment of Aetna, is committed to helping create a stronger, healthier global community by delivering comprehensive health benefits and health management solutions worldwide. AGB’s expatriate business is one of the industry’s largest and most prominent U.S.-based international health benefits providers, supporting more than 400,000 members worldwide. Our expatriate offerings include medical, dental, vision, life, disability and emergency assistance. The organization’s health management business collaborates with health care systems, government entities and plan sponsors around the world to design and build locally-applied health management solutions to improve health, quality and cost outcomes.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 35.4 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates.

About On Call International

On Call International is a leading provider of medical, security and travel assistance for international business and leisure travelers, as well as expatriates, students and others traveling away from home. Operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, On Call International’s experienced, multi-lingual team of Assistance Coordinators and in-house Medical Director and team of physicians specialize in delivering life-determining aid during medical emergencies from any point on the globe as well as coordination of transportation home after accidents or illnesses. Available to assist more than ten million travelers, On Call serves the travel, education, insurance and maritime industries. On Call International is the U.S. member of the International Assistance Group, a 32-partner global network of independent assistance companies, including more than 50 alarm centers.

A new provision extends the applicability of the social security coordination regime to include a third-country national who is a legal resident of an European Union or European Economic Area country who is working in a different EU/EEA country. For example, this would include a U.S. citizen who is legally resident in Belgium but who is temporarily assigned to work in Romania.

The current social security coordination regime, set forth in Reg. (EC) 883/2004 and Reg. (EC) 987/2009, took effect on 1 May 2010, replacing Reg. 1408/71 (EEC). Previously, the regulations omitted covering a legal resident of an EU/EEA country who is not an EU/EEA citizen, and who is working or staying in another EU/EEA country. The new third-country national coordination provision corrects this omission–except in United Kingdom and Denmark, which have exercised their right to opt out.

It will be noted that the United States, Canada, and other major non-EU/EEA countries have social security treaties with the principal EU/EEA countries and, therefore, their residents may not be affected by this change; however, they will benefit if they are working in one of the other EU/EEA member states where there are not treaties. (The US has social security treaties with 19 of the 31 EU/EEA countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.)

Anyone who has gotten homeowner’s or expat health insurance before knows that it is important to review precisely what coverage you are spending your money on. Why include extra cover for all the expensive technology your teenagers had in the home when they have finally moved out, taking their laptops, cameras, smart phones and sound systems with them? Similarly, if you have a growing family and all these gadgets are just beginning to enter your home, you would probably think about increasing the scope of your premium. The important message is: don’t stop reviewing.

Just as it makes sense in the home, it makes equal sense in the workplace. You need to regularly review your options for business healthcare plans in order to guarantee that you have the one that is ideal for you and your employees. These are akin to the financial reviews offered by banks, with which you are no doubt already familiar.

Choosing a good healthcare plan is a vital, yet all too frequently ignored, part of helping your business grow. However, picking one option and just sticking with it year after year is not enough. You could be throwing away money because of not taking the time to consider all your options The more serious concern is that your company could get put in a dangerous position. Even at the best of times, these are situations that you should want to avoid and, in this current economic climate, with all the doubt it brings with it, they pose even more of a concern.

A professional and dependable healthcare provider will ensure they offer you a well prepared review that looks at several key areas of your company. One of those is your business’s value. Your healthcare plan will need to be adjusted based on changes to your business’s value, which you hope are positive changes.

The amount of workers you employee is another important consideration. Even though limiting the healthcare you provide will save you money each year, you may lose out on a few of your oldest and most reliable employees. Pressure can lead to illness, absence and an adverse effect on your turnover. A healthcare review that takes all concerns into account can help you make the best decision.

You need to take your shareholders into account as part of your healthcare review also since their age and health concerns will have an impact on the healthcare plan your business chooses.

Whether your business is large or small, you need to review its healthcare insurance on a consistent basis the same way you would review your home insurance.

Link to original article

As in greater Germany, healthcare in Berlin is part of a universal system financed by national health insurance and schools.

Expats in Germany will either need to enrol in state health insurance (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung), known as sickness funds, or in private insurance (Private Krankenversicherung). Medical care can be expensive, thus its vital expats choose one of the other.

If you are an expat employed in Germany and you earn less than €4000 (approx. $5,270 USD) per month you are a mandatory member of the public system and you and your employer will split the cost of the monthly premium; usually equates to roughly 10% of salary.

Under the public system, individuals can visit any physician they like. Waiting lists are unheard of, and bad service is kept to a minimum.

Expats who earn more than this have the option of opting for private health insurance; schemes differ among service providers and in order to find the plan that best suits your needs and priorities it may be necessary to get the advice of a broker or professional advisor.

It should be noted that the public health insurance may not cover certain services, like private hospital rooms or dental insurance, thus expats will certainly want to consider investigating private options.

Self-employed or unemployed individuals will need to organise a private insurance scheme.

See the original article at: http://www.expatarrivals.com/germany/berlin/healthcare-in-berlin

HARTFORD, Conn., Friday, December 3rd 2010 [ME NewsWire]:

(BUSINESS WIRE)– Aetna (NYSE: AET) won the International Benefits Provider of the Year category for the Expatriate Management and Mobility Awards (EMMAs) at an event in New York City. Aetna Global Benefits (AGB), the companys international business segment, provides tools, programs and services to help its more than 400,000 members access high quality health care around the world and make informed health decisions.

We are very honored by this recognition, said Donna Otten, head of AGB. As we continue to expand our presence in the global marketplace, we not only want to ensure our expat members have comprehensive benefits as they move around the globe, but we want to help them live healthier lives.

The EMMAs were developed by The Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM) to recognize excellence in global mobility in 14 different categories of distinction. This year, more than 240 entries were received from both corporate HR and service providers. The independent judging panel consisted of more than 20 mobility experts from global organizations, including Unilever, Mercer, Ernst & Young, the National Foreign Trade Council and World Bank.

We are delighted to honor companies and people who view expatriate management through the correct lens and make it easier for people to work and live in different parts of the world, said Brian Friedman, founder and CEO of FEM. Its important to recognize companies like Aetna that provide exceptional services to support globally mobile professionals.

FEM is an information and news portal with services to help connect organizations and professionals who either manage international employees or provide support services to facilitate cross-border employment and living.

About Aetna Global Benefits

Aetna Global Benefits, the international business segment of Aetna, is committed to helping create a stronger, healthier global community by delivering comprehensive health benefits and health management solutions worldwide. AGB”s expatriate business is one of the industry”s largest and most prominent U.S.-based international health benefits providers, supporting more than 400,000 members worldwide. Our expatriate offerings include medical, dental, vision, life, disability and emergency assistance. The organization”s health management business collaborates with health care systems, government entities and plan sponsors around the world to design and build locally-applied health management solutions to improve health, quality and cost outcomes. For more information, see www.aetnaglobalbenefits.com. />

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nations leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 35.4 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com. To learn more about Aetna”s innovative online tools, visit www.aetnatools.com. />

For media enquiries, please contact:

Aetna
Cynthia Michener, 860-273-8553
michenerc@aetna.com

By Eva Holland

Jim Manzi is living in Paris, where a recent Buffett concert has him reflecting on the expat experience: Continue reading “Bars, Beaches and Baguettes – Jimmy Buffett, Live in Paris” »

By Ellen Schliebitz, eChinacities.com

Shanghai gets musical this National Week as the 2010 Jazz Shanghai Festival kicks off for almost two weeks from October 4-17th at various locations in the city. The event will bring some of the world’s top jazz musicians and bands to the city, promising to be one of the major must-go events in Shanghai this October. Continue reading “2010 Fall Festivals throughout China” »