Reply To Amazon's Plan Discussion Board

Benjamin Yun 

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             The idea of implementation of a program that reimburses or cover even the travel cost as the part of the medical bill is very interesting for me as I never thought in that way. I am highly spoiled that I would never thought of traveling to receive better healthcare, only because I have a luxury to live in Boston, which is known for the best medicine in the United States. Travel program that covers the cost of airfare, hotels, and even gasoline would certainly promote employees to seek for the best care regardless of the location and travel costs associated with it because the employee is covering for it. Ultimately, I really love the idea of eliminating unnecessary treatment, which consists of the same value with the value-based care system. The Value-based bent is an idea that the value-based care is bending the healthcare cost curve by reducing unnecessary medical costs by six percent while improving quality of care and patient satisfaction (2018, Leventhal). It is still a pilot program that does not have many data to support the full extent and benefit of the program, however, the purpose of the program is beneficial for both employer and employees so it is critical to continue.

            I would also be concerned with the costs that is associated with travel cost, which might end up be overspending and not improving the quality of care in long-term. It is crucial to set standards so people may not abuse the travel program. It is important to make strict and reasonable eligibility criteria first of all. It would be advised to perform a data analysis to determine which diagnosis or surgery has higher-than-average in quality of care differences between national top hospitals and local community hospitals. If a certain procedure does not have significant differences in between national hospital and community hospital despite of travel costs and time, it is better to make it ineligible so people may not spend unnecessary travel costs associated with it. Also, types and costs of hotel must be considered instead of reimbursing any amount spent in hotel. It may be better to have a contract to associate with specific hotels to receive a premium price for employees who are traveling to receive health care.

Response:

Business paradigms are continually shifting both on local and global levels, and in due course, organizations are compelled to devise effective stratagem to extract the utmost competitive advantages. Amazon is one of the most innovative companies, that believes in the idea of embracing change and permeating uniqueness to its operations. Amazon pays the employees' expenditures for traveling and opts for appropriate doctors and hospitals in order to control the implied cost (Evans, 2015). Development and implementation of employees' healthcare traveling compensation plans by Amazon or any other organization pivot the notion of cutting the cost of local medical care. In several cases, it becomes more practical to seek improved and enhanced medical care out of the city, state, or country to mitigate the wastage of time and financial resources consumed during local diagnosis and treatments. And in fact, such initiatives should be deemed as a basic necessity of contemporary epoch instead of a luxury. However, the selection process for the eligible employee is indispensable to ensure the accurate and beneficial investment of the compensated package.

Reference:

Evans, M. (2015). Amazon Joins Trend of Sending Workers Away for Health Care. Retrieved 5 December 2019, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-joins-trend-of-sending- workers-away-for-health-care-11571131801

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Isabella

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Paying for their workers to travel across the country to find the best care at a low cost is a very nice thing to do because it gives them more options, instead of just limiting them to local health care providers. This is a win-win for Amazon because they can get better prices for the care too. Essentially the cost of paying for their employees to travel for better care would be less than the cost of unnecessary treatments. This will reduce waste such as unnecessary testing and diagnostic error. The authors share, "Walmart Inc., Lowe's Co s., and McKesson Corp saved an estimated total of $19.4 million in 2017 as workers who traveled to see spine and joint surgeons avoided unnecessary care" (Evans, 2019, p. 3). I found it interesting to learn that this approach that Amazon is using is also referred to as "medical tourism" (McQueen, 2008). In the article by McQueen the topic of discussion is employers sending workers abroad for care, which is a bit different than across country. One major point here is that the cost of surgery here in the United States is much more expensive than it would be in another country (with physicians who are just as qualified) (McQueen, 2008). But, it is well known that many people who take sick and live in other countries wish they could get to America for their treatment/surgeries. This makes me question why employers would send there workers to other countries after all. It is low cost, but is it safe? What do you think? The author shares, "There are some potential patient-safety concerns with having surgery overseas. We don't have data but we do have concerns in a number of areas like blood safety. Many patients need blood transfusions. Can you be sure it is free of viral pathogens like HIV or hepatitis C?" (McQueen, 2008, p. 15).

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122273570173688551

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-joins-trend-of-sending-workers-away-for-health-care-11571131801

Response:

Assuredly, developing and implementing a reimbursing medical trip is a pragmatic tactic that works effectually for both employees and employers simultaneously. The strategy saves the company a substantial cost while preserving the employees from unnecessary hassle of unsatisfactory medical care and procedurals. According to Medical Tourism Magazine (2019), a myriad of outbound healthcare cases depict a considerable difference between expended costs. It is asserted that outlay of an American healthcare process and the expenditures of the similar medical treatment somewhere else (even in Central America or the Caribbean) are strident. Companies (of course, including Amazon) save millions of dollars by incorporating the medical trip facility to the employees' package. Reportedly, the amount that is saved in the past decade through the implementation of such measures is 20,000 to 30,000 dollars, averagely (Medical Tourism Magazine, 2019). In due course, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Columbia, and Mexico are nearby and eminent locations that proffer lower cost and high-quality medical infrastructures.

Reference:

America Outbound: The Free World has Employees Finding Healthcare Abroad. (2019). Retrieved 5 December 2019, from https://www.medicaltourismmag.com/article/america- outbound-the-free-world-has-employees-finding-healthcare-abroad

America Outbound: The Free World has Employees Finding Healthcare Abroad. (2019). Retrieved 5 December 2019, from https://www.medicaltourismmag.com/article/america-outbound-the-free-world-has-employees-finding-healthcare-abroadAmerica Outbound: The Free World has Employees Finding Healthcare Abroad. (2019). Retrieved 5 December 2019, from https://www.medicaltourismmag.com/article/america-outbound-the-free-world-has-employees-finding-healthcare-abroadAmerica Outbound: The Free World has Employees Finding Healthcare Abroad. (2019). Retrieved 5 December 2019, from https://www.medicaltourismmag.com/article/america-outbound-the-free-world-has-employees-finding-healthcare-abroadBottom of Form