The retailer joins the ranks of companies sending employees to hospitals far from home in the name of less expensive and better care.

ama-assn.org – A small but growing number of US corporations are offering their insured employees the option of undergoing certain procedures at highly ranked health systems across America at almost no out-of-pocket cost to them – travel included. The companies believe sending heart and spine patients elsewhere would result in improved care for patients and lower costs for employers. Although companies are just getting started in pushing what is often called domestic medical tourism, analysts say it’s something doctors should keep an eye on. Physicians may find patients bypassing them on the way to health systems elsewhere. Others may be handling pre- and post-care for procedures performed hundreds or thousands of miles away. “We’re going to see a lot more of this,” said Simon Hudson, Ph.D., director of the SC Center of Economic Excellence in Tourism and Economic Development at the University of South Carolina and an expert on medical tourism. “And if physicians cannot compete on price, then they are going to have to compete on quality and exceptional customer service if they are going to keep patients.” To continue reading click here.