| Each and every year Western HealthCare | | | | inconsistencies between the healthcare |
| establishments lose hundreds of millions of dollars in | | | | establishment's records and the records in the |
| uncollected debt of foreign accounts. This sum is | | | | country of origin.o Language and cultural differenceso |
| predicted to increase due to increasing tourism from | | | | Intricate and obscure foreign legal systemso Lack of |
| developing countries which are experiencing an | | | | contacts and business relationships in foreign |
| economic surge that brings wealth to more and more | | | | countrieso Difficulty in identification of account |
| people. | | | | ownero Inability to determine the exact insurance |
| Many of the offended establishments assume a | | | | coverage scopeo Difficulty in collecting from embassy |
| policy of writing off a large part of the international | | | | and other diplomatic accountso Elective health |
| debt which is owed them due to the increasing costs | | | | treatment debt collection (which may not be covered |
| of identification of liability and the collection process. | | | | by travel insurance)o Lengthy negotiations with |
| Why is Foreign accounts collection such a challenge? | | | | foreign insurance companies |
| The reasons are various: First, it requires an intimate | | | | Where does that leave healthcare establishment? |
| knowledge of the intricacies of foreign cultures and | | | | As this problem is likely to remain and increase in |
| business practices which most healthcare | | | | prominence, any establishment which treats foreign |
| establishments do not possess. Second, unless you | | | | citizens and wishes to improve the bottom line, |
| have the necessary expertise, it is often financially | | | | increase financial certainty, and decrease collection |
| ineffective to go through the entire collection | | | | time, will need to either create an in-house |
| process. And indeed, this is a process which requires | | | | international collection department, or outsource this |
| specialty and experience. Here are just some of the | | | | service. |
| problems that may occur:o Information | | | | |