The South Florida Business Journal recently held "Critical conversations in Health Care," a discussion about medical tourism and how South Florida businesses might take advantage of the opportunities available when travelers come to the Sunshine State seeking medical care.
These tourists may come for necessary or optional treatments not available where they live or available in Florida at a higher quality or lower cost than what is available elsewhere.
Many such medical tourists seek a travel package of the right doctor, along with a convenient place to stay, easy transportation and restaurant/shopping availability for friends or loved ones traveling with the patient, according to the Business Journal article about the discussion. Facilitating such packages is a growing trend in this $50 billion industry, according to the article.
Potential language barriers for medical tourists add another layer of challenge for travelers seeking health care in Florida.
Gunster shareholder Bruce Lamb was one of four business professionals on the Business Journal's panel whose work intersects with the health care industry.
Lamb said that businesses getting involved in the growing medical tourism trend need to understand the regulations surrounding the financial relationship they may find themselves in, according to the article.
The panel consisted of:
- Bruce D. Lamb, attorney and health law practice leader at Gunster
- Joseph Harkins, associated editor, Medical Tourism Association
- Jeffrey Kramer, partner at Goldstein Schechter Koch
- Dr. Andrew Shatz, medical director, SightTrust Eye Institute
Critical Conversations is an ongoing Business Journal series examining key issues in business. Editor-in-Chief Al Lewis moderated the discussion.
Gunster was a sponsor of the event.
Read the article: Attracting the world's medical tourists to South Florida (South Florida Business Journal, 10/23/15)
