U.S insurance companies and their insured have much to benefit by providing options for legal immigrants to return to their home countries for surgeries where the immigrants can benefit from being close to their family support systems. And in this case you're matching up huge cost savings to insurance companies with compassion for the patients.
That's the humanistic and compassionate hue and cry of a successful health care insurance provider who pioneered cross-border care between California and Mexico, and now advocates for U.S. insurance companies to offer to immigrants a choice to return to their home countries for surgeries, where they will be close to their family support systems.
Immigrants want to be close to their family support system. Given the choice I'm sure they'd like to be in their home country", says insurance provider, Frank Carrillo, a concept that he's proven over the last 12 years starting with lobbying for cross-border care and resulting in over 40,000 legal immigrants insured by several major U.S. insurance companies being reimbursed for care in Mexico.
The insurance companies will save money by enabling a patient to pick the country and doctor of their choice. It will also be a great marketing tool for the first U.S. insurance company to provide global health care where the patient wants it. "I think Aetna will be the ideal company to start this trend, and if Aetna starts it most of the other insurance companies will follow," said Carrillo.
It's a great concept from the standpoint that insurance companies will be able to lower their costs, and the insured will get the health care they want. U.S. citizens stand to benefit from global competition.