CEO Message

 

The rise of a truly global health care marketplace is underway.

 

Innovations in medical technology and strong economic pressures on non-US countries are driving the reinvention of health care systems and a transparent, collaborative approach to prevention and treatment around the globe. We are making great strides towards a border-neutral health care system - freely sharing knowledge and technology with an interconnected network of medical professionals and facilities - using global best practice standards for quality health care, regardless of where care is provided…anywhere… anytime.

 

Together, we continue to find innovative care methods for the health care needs of a variety of different cultures through our competition for quality and financial value, including innovations like risk pooling arrangements, public sector funding, mandatory insurance and wellness incentives. Global trends are reshaping our industry and bringing the health care system to a new level, including:

 

Employee mobility: Employees who live and work outside their borders for temporary or permanent work. The health system must be there to support them if they need care.

Medical tourism: Many people travel outside their border for spa treatments and cosmetic surgery. Increasing numbers are beginning to travel for non-elective procedures. More than 100 hospitals worldwide are Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited, and others are building a massive presence in low-cost, high-quality environments.

 

Language and culture: English is becoming the "lingua franca" of medicine. Individuals migrating from Latin America, Asia and Africa to Europe and the US are causing policy makers and health care professionals to incorporate multicultural medical and technological viewpoints.

 

Health care financing: Out-of-pocket medical spending is straining individuals’ budgets. The increase in costs is also impacting governments who are shifting health care delivery and management to private providers.

 

Improvements in the system include clinical analysis, predictive modeling and evidence-based medicine. We can generate and analyze clinical data for personal clinical profiles; we can track various medical procedures and treatments and the effect of each on our overall health; we can statistically predict outcomes! Will the health care industry just keep changing organically? Will medical costs keep rising? How will we manage costs vis-a-vis quality of care?

 

Leadership for the transition to a truly global health care system should be driven with purpose. I believe the expertise required to enable this charge is resident in the private industry that has insured, managed and administered health care for over a century. They have the knowledge, technology, capacity and ability to drive efficiency and ensure quality outcomes. However, it is the public-private partnerships that will serve as the catalyst to transform health care into a truly global industry. Our challenge as future contributors or beneficiaries of the trend is to anticipate rapidly changing, multicultural, diverse health care requirements of all individuals and be fully prepared to deliver the products and services that meet these needs around the world. This is an exciting opportunity—an opportunity to improve people’s health on an unprecedented scale.

 

To drive international coordination of high-quality health care at an affordable cost, we need a greater degree of integration between global health care recipients. Some countries lack sufficient clinical data and the ability to analyze it. They will need to build / leverage health care intelligence to make good decisions about care delivery, resource allocation and treatment of chronic conditions. Clinical analysis is key for our journey together.

 

What do we all want out of health care? Positive health outcomes, prevent mega illnesses, improve individual preventive care, accurately predict the treatment with the highest likelihood of success, reduce mortality rates and to get the right care at the right time, by the right professionals and facilities. We at UnitedHealth International are leading the way and will continue to blaze a trail for quality health care for everyone: anywhere…anytime.

 

To keep abreast of the industry’s progress and our contributions, visit our Senior Leaders’ blog.