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MEDICAL CHECKUPS, INSURANCE TARGET BUSINESS LEADERS
BY SARAH MARQUER
When discussing a company’s bottom line, people most often think in terms of the amount of profit after all expenses and taxes have been deducted. But there’s another component that might be considered: the health and well-being of business executives.
As it turns out – and not surprisingly so – heads of companies and other senior managers are the employees most at risk in terms of health problems. Illness and injury can adversely affect their ability to perform their jobs, and that can hurt their companies.
As Walter Gaman, a doctor certified in family medicine in the United States and Canada, writes in the April issue of Corporate Wellness Magazine, these types of individuals are often likely to suffer from medical conditions that can be traced to work responsibilities and the resulting levels of stress.
In his article “A healthy bottom line starts with executive health,” Gaman writes: “The same personality traits that drove them [executives] to the top of the ladder are also the ones that can cause high blood pressure, stomach ulcers and even cancer.” Staying competitive, he adds, requires that top-level management – who often are type A individuals – push limits, include those relating to their health.
In today’s fast-paced world, long working hours, frequent travel and prolonged periods of stress frequently are just part of the job for executives. In response, insurance companies and health providers are tailoring services and policies that are beginning to be available in Egypt.
Executive checkup
Executive medical checkups are becoming popular, and increasingly available, among businesspeople worldwide. Other hospitals and clinics offer the procedures and services that comprise the package offered by Dar Al Fouad Hospital in Sixth of October City, an affiliate of the respected Cleveland Clinic and the only hospital in Africa accredited by Joint Commission International. But the hospital has packaged a thorough battery of tests and consultations into its executive medical checkup that can be done in one location in one day. Mona El Bakry, public and international relations manager at Dar Al Fouad, says the hospital’s executive checkup offers everything the Cleveland Clinic’s does, plus tests for hepatitis B and C, both of which are prevalent in Egypt. “It is tailored for executives,” says El Bakry, who adds that the checkup is intended for people in their mid-40s or older.
According to El Bakry, the checkup includes blood tests, a clinical nutrition consultation, radiological (x-ray) investigations, abdominal and pelvic ultrasounds, and cardiac stress tests. She explains that if the results of an exam are positive, the patient will meet with the doctors who conducted the exams to discuss treatment options and other courses of action “so the client is familiar with his medical condition and he understands what the recommendations are for him for the coming year.” Even if one gets a clean bill of health, an internist or physician from the hospital who has analyzed the exam results and medical and family histories will explain to patients the kinds of medical problems or ailments for which they might be at risk and how they can be prevented.
Common health issues for executives include cardiac problems, hypertension (elevated blood pressure), diabetes and being overweight, El Bakry says. “Hypertension is the silent killer,” she says. “It has very few symptoms, but affects so many people.” Checkups, such as the one offered at Dar Al Fouad, are important for the early detection of potentially serious conditions, she says. Men over 45 years of age and those who are subjected to prolonged periods of stress are at increased risk for hypertension, she says, while women 40 and older should have regular mammograms and gynecological examinations.
The checkup lasts from 9:30am to 5pm and is available Saturday through Thursday. The cost is LE 3,120 for men and LE 3,480 for women, who receive additional services such as bone density tests.
Medical insurance
We are living in a time when advances in medical treatment and rising costs are almost daily occurrences, says Karim Ramadan, deputy managing director at MedMark Health & Life, an insurance broker. For this reason, medical insurance is becoming more and more important, particularly for executives at risk of health problems.
Ramadan explains that there are two predominant types of insurance: health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and private medical insurance (PMI) systems. While most people with insurance coverage subscribe to HMOs, Ramadan believes it is in the interest of business executives to consider PMI.
HMOs commonly limit subscribers to networks of doctors and hospitals in an effort to control care and costs; those covered by PMI policies can choose their own doctors and hospitals. “HMOs operate on a restricted network of medical providers; as a member of one you have to go to a primary care physician who works for the HMO... premiums for members are lower than in a PMI scheme,” he says.
According to Ramadan, policies such as Horizon PMI or BUPA, which are offered through MedMark, allow clients to seek the best medical services available anywhere in the world. For example, if someone needs foot surgery, the policy will cover an operation at a hospital in Paris. Unlike HMOs, referrals usually are not necessary.
PMI schemes are particularly attractive to executives who frequently travel, he says. “Coverage [through BUPA, for example] doesn’t make a distinction between business or leisure travel,” says Ramadan. “It doesn’t matter how much you travel either.” He points out that for executives who often find themselves in foreign countries, PMI plans can ensure access to medical care.
Such policies cost significantly more than an HMO. “Typically, a BUPA scheme costs an adult 35 to 40 years old around $800 to as much as $2,500 a year, depending on the scheme,” says Ramadan. “Corporate schemes are 20 to 25 percent lower [in price] than that, especially with large corporate policies which can be even lower.”
Ramadan further believes that offering PMI coverage can be an effective tool to help companies retain employees. “Companies spend a great deal of time, effort and money on their employees in terms of training, in terms of salaries and different benefits. This is one of the strong benefits... that can make an employee really think twice about [leaving his or her job],” he says. Companies offering this kind of medical insurance to some or all of their employees include Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, EFG-Hermes, Orascom subsidiaries and EgyptAir.
Dar Al Fouad Hospital
26th of July Street, Touristic Zone
Sixth of October City
Tel: 3835-6030/40 ext. 4004-4040
www.daralfouad.org
MedMark Health & Life
44 Abdel Moneim Riyad Street
Mohandiseen, Giza
Tel: 3305-5781
www.medmark-online.com
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