Destination Healthcare® is a choice we make when seeking medical care. It involves selecting doctors, hospitals, and treatments based on factors like skill, reputation, cost, and availability. Soter Healthcare offers services that help find and access medical care not available locally. This includes identifying doctors and hospitals, evaluating their capabilities, and maintaining network relationships.

Destination Medical Care™ encompasses various medical services, such as hospital admissions, payment assistance, doctor and nursing care, and communication during and after treatment.

Today, people are considering international medical centers of excellence as an alternative. These centers offer premier medical outcomes, shorter wait times, affordability, and access to the latest treatments and technology. Soter Healthcare provides access to Centers of Excellence in over 30 medical specialties.

Destination Medical Care™ is chosen for several reasons, including avoiding long waiting times, accessing unavailable treatments, relieving financial burdens, and achieving premier medical outcomes.

The concept of traveling for medical care has a long history, dating back to ancient times. In the United States, the practice grew during the late 19th and early 20th centuries for conditions like tuberculosis. Today, patients travel to renowned international hospitals as well as those in their home countries.

The American Medical Association and American College of Surgeons recognize the value of Destination Healthcare® and Destination Medical Care™. Soter's programs meet their criteria and offer essential medical care and support.

Soter Healthcare assists individuals in finding doctors and hospitals that meet their specific medical needs and financial capabilities. They prioritize the quality of care over vacation opportunities and consider health insurance coverage to lower out-of-pocket costs. They also emphasize that the best care for a medical condition may not always be outside the home country.

History of Destination Healthcare®
Some of the earliest records about people traveling outside their home area for medical care date to roughly 2650 BC, around the time the Egyptians constructed the first pyramids. During this period, travelers came to visit the Egyptian healer Imhotep, a physician widely regarded for wound care and treatment of muscular, intestinal, and skin disorders. Definitive records from the fifth century BC describe the travels of the injured and ill to Epidauria, a territory along the Aegean Sea where the physician Asklepios lived. During this period, the cult of Asklepios gained a reputation for successfully treating chronic and often fatal conditions other doctors would not or could not treat. Patients are known to have come from Athens, Kos, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Rome, and other cities around the Mediterranean and Middle East.

In the United States, what we know as Destination Healthcare® grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Americans suffering from tuberculosis traveled to places like Colorado Springs; Louisville, Kentucky; and Saranac Lake, New York, among others. In the second half of the 20th century, Destination Healthcare® developed further as patients journey to leading hospitals including the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, the MD Anderson Cancer Center, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Today, patients travel to reach world-renowned international hospitals, in addition to those in their home countries.

Key Medical Associations Support Properly Designed Destination Healthcare®
The American Medical Association and American College of Surgeons each recognize the value of Destination Healthcare® and Destination Medical Care™ services and adopted position statements in support of its use. Our Destination Medical Care™ programs meet their criteria and offer the essential medical care and support you need.

Selecting a Destination Healthcare® Center
Realistically, this is the hardest part for most people, and we understand why. There is a lot of information from many companies promoting this place or that for medical care. There is uncertainty about going to a hospital in another country. How can you find out in advance about the quality of care? That’s where we come in. Our founder spent over a decade working with Olympic athletes, helping them find doctors and hospitals during their training and competitions. Now, we bring that and more to you.

First, we believe you should use the same standards you do when you pick a doctor or hospital at home. It starts with a simple question: Is this doctor or hospital going to deliver the care I need, when I need it, and at prices I can afford? Soter works with you to share information to help you make that decision. We don’t get fooled by websites, because we’ve visited and approved every hospital in our network.

Unfortunately, many companies begin by talking about the city or country you should visit. Many go on to describe the wonderful vacation opportunities. They don’t talk about your medical condition, except as an afterthought. That’s wrong.

At Soter, we start with your medical situation. If you tell us you want to go to a particular hospital, we’ll probably ask why. It may or may not be your best option. Our goal is to consider options with you individually, and not just pick a hospital or doctor that has a nice website. We’ll look into your health insurance coverage. Most companies skip this step entirely because they think it’s too hard. Often, we are able to find benefits that lower your out-of-pocket medical cost. Because we also focus solely on your medical need, your care is almost always eligible for medical reimbursement or tax deduction. Most of our competitors don’t understand this or seem to care.

At Soter, we don’t believe your Destination Medical Care™ provider is always outside your home country. Sometimes, the best care for your condition is available closer to home. We’ll also tell you that.

We invite you to check us out and experience the benefits of Destination Medical Care™ and Destination Healthcare®. We know you’ll be pleased you did.