The Olive Press" Commercial Director Dake Nottingham puts SimpleCare to the test

LIVING and working in Spain is, for me, a truly enriching experience.

Absorbing the culture, making new friends and above all, grappling with the language, have all provided memorable milestones along a wonderful voyage of discovery and personal fulfillment.

Except, that is when it came to my health. Ordering meatballs and getting pork chops is one thing, but when you’re sitting in front of a doctor trying to describe the symptoms of a serious illness, you need to know that the physician in front of you understands precisely what you are telling him.

You also want to be sure that your doctor knows what he is doing. This may sound a facile point but when you have lived overseas for as long as I have – in Thailand, Vietnam and China for the last 15 years – this is not something you take for granted.

And so it was that after a seeming eternity of indestructibly rude health, I recently fell ill with a urological infection. This was also around the time I made the acquaintance of Dr Raymond Prats of SimpleCare. Through the course of our (unrelated) discussions, the issue of my health problem came up.

Having listened to my concerns about finding a doctor who could understand me and who I could trust, Dr Prats suggested I give SimpleCare a try.

So I did.

And I can honestly tell you it was one of the best decisions I have made in
a long while. The way it works is very simple. First you become a member of SimpleCare, which you can do online in a matter of minutes. Within a few days, you will receive your membership card. It doesn’t matter if you have had a previous condition; they take everybody.

Being a SimpleCare member brings you two major benefits.
First it gives you access to the best specialists and doctors in the private health sector. The peace of mind you get, knowing that your health is in qualified, capable hands is immeasurable.

The second benefit – and this is really important  when you consider that health-care costs can often be prohibitive when you “go private” – is that being a SimpleCare member qualifies you for huge savings on you medical bills.

SimpleCare can do this because, as a large US based company, they are able to leverage the prices usually only available to the big insurance companies. When I paid my bill, out of curiosity, I asked the lady behind the desk how much it would have cost me if I hadn’t used my SimpleCare card. Amazingly, the price of my consultation and treatment would have been almost double.

As for the doctor; I can say with hand on heart that Dr Sanz, the chief urologist in the Clinica Premium in Marbella – recommended as the best urologist in the South of Spain by SimpleCare – was consummately professional, sympathetic, attentive and – not least, bilingual.

Indeed, even the nurses at the reception desk spoke pretty good English. The whole experience was very reassuring.

In summary; I don’t speak great Spanish and I am not certainly not familiar enough with the Spanish public healthcare system to navigate the maze of its variable quality. What I need is to be able receive excellent healthcare without losing the shirt off my back.

SimpleCare has enabled me to do that. And the peace of mind that brings is truly priceless.

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SimpleCare Provides Affordable Private Health-care in Spain

Affordable private health-care in Spain is the better route to go as opposed to settling for the national health fund system's care in that the consumer with private insurance has many more options and much better resources available to the family than those who do not have private insurance. Affordable Private Health-care in Spain.


No matter where a family resides in the world, if they are living in a country where medical care is available, they should have quality medical health-care insurance. Health-care insurance is peace of mind that in the event of serious illness or sudden injury, there is help at the ready for medical costs from hospitalizations and treatments to medications and further healing treatments that may be necessary in some situations. When shopping for affordable private health-care in Spain, it is important to shop around exhaustively to find the best deals, for private health-care in Spain can be expensive.

Even with the expense that can be incurred, it is certainly worth the trouble of finding affordable private health-care in Spain due to the overall better care and resources available in comparison between private health-care options and the national health fund options. With quality private health-care, consumers can rest assured they will be able to get the care they need when they need it. As with any family anywhere, it is important to have health-care coverage that meets the specific needs of the family.
What type of plan needed depends on the specific needs of the family members being insured. If there are family members with chronic illnesses or diseases, then it is likely they will need more doctor visits, prescription drugs and medical procedures than a family where everyone is healthy overall. These are the families that benefit from comprehensive plans that offer help with all those rising medical care costs.


Affordable private health-care in Spain is the better route to go as opposed to settling for the national health fund system's care in that the consumer with private insurance has many more options and much better resources available to the family than those who do not have private insurance. Private health-care in Spain ensures good quality in care as well as almost always assures there will be English speaking personnel on hand. This is critical, for language barriers can be serious barriers to prompt and quality medical treatment. Overall, private health-care in Spain ensures the patient will have faster, better service, higher quality treatment that is held to a higher standard and have access to much more comfortable facilities. The choice of doctors and facilities is also left up to the patient when they have private health-care. These are things that most families want in health-care, quality high level care with options in which doctors and facilities they want to provide that care.

Simplecare World Medical Headquarters
Avda. Ricardo Soriano, 72; Edf. Golden, Portal B, 1a Planta;
Marbella Malaga Spain 29602
www.simplecahealthplan.com
1 (800) 281-3136
34-952-768-315

SimpleCare Announces Clinical Affiliation With Clinica Novo Sancti Petri

Marbella, Spain – SimpleCare has signed a clinical affiliation agreement with Clinica Novo Sancti Petri – a comprehensive health-care facility that provides primary and urgent care as well as occupational health services in Chiclana de la Fra, (24 hours a day, seven days a week) and Cadiz communities.

The new partnership enhances service offerings at “SimpleCare” by providing patients with access to Clinica Novo Sancti Petri world-class specialty care services in orthopaedics, lasik, lithotripsy, ozone therapy and general surgery, delivered by a team of experts from Clinica Novo Sancti Petri.

“SimpleCare is pleased to partner with Clinica Novo Sancti Petri to bring a comprehensive array of specialty care services to those who work and live near Chiclana de la Fra, Cadiz,” our continued growth and expanding memberships in Gibraltar and Rota required we address this need, said R.B. Prats, Medical Director at SimpleCare,

Clinica Novo Sancti Petri provide a full range of health-care services including all aspects of occupational health and medical treatment for accidents, injuries and illnesses in the workplace; primary care, internal medicine, family practice and urgent care. In addition, provides orthopedics, pain management, physical therapy, rehabilitation and laboratory services, electrocardiogram (EKG) and pulmonary function testing, immunizations and x-ray imaging technology to provide patients with fast and accurate assessments in one convenient location. Hearing and vision services as well as all aspects of corporate health-care services are also available at Clinica Novo Sancti Petri.

“The Simplecare affiliation with Clinica Novo Sancti Petri provides our patients with access to the highest levels of sub-specialty care available and is in line with the SIMPLECARE mission to provide the timely health-care that our patients need, coupled with the convenience they want. We have the best physicians practicing in quality facilities who deliver the compassionate care our patients deserve,” said R.B. PRATS., Medical Director of SimpleCare.

Through this new affiliation, SimpleCare patients will have seamless access to a full complement of inpatient and outpatient services at Clinica Novo Sancti Petri ranging from the latest radiology imaging techniques such as MRI, CT, scans and fully digital breast imaging services to lithotripsy, ozone therapy and lasik procedures. SimpleCare patients will receive the same first-class treatment and care that the Clinica Novo Sancti Petri community has come to know and rely upon.

About SimpleCare Health Plan International:

SimpleCare offers World-Class medical care. Typically SimpleCare will save you between 40-70% on Hospital Cost and Physician fees

SimpleCare Health and Medical Scheme

•    No pre-exisiting medical exclusions
•    No upper age limit and no related price increases after age 70
•    Save up to 70% on Hospital and Physicians fees
•    Treatment you can pay for when you need it
•    Low excess calculated per claim
•    Free GP consultation when you sign-up

SimpleCare Health Plan names and symbols are registered marks of SimpleCare Health Plan.



About Clinica Novo Sancti Petri:

Clinica Novo Sancti Petri has a total area of 5000 m2. The infrastructure of the building occupies and area of 1800 m2 distributed on three floors. It has 2 accesses for patients and for ambulance transports, also parking is available.

In the main floor we have the reception area, emergency services, doctor surgery, medical specialties rooms and the operating rooms.

On the lower level, we have rehabilitation services, orthopedic, employment medicine and the central services of laboratory and xray.

On the first floor, we have the hospitalization, rooms and the infirmary control.

Clinic Novo Sancti Petri is placed in one of the most beautiful zones in Cadiz, Andalucia.

Contact:

R.B. Prats
Medical Director
SimpleCare

Tel: 34 952 768 315 or 1 800 281 3136
www.simplecarehealthplan.com
www.simplecareworldhealth.com

“SIMPLECARE” As men age Bladder problems increase, study reports

Mayo Clinic researchers studying prostate problems in men report in the issue of the Journal of Urology that as men grow older their bladder function can worsen and the prostate gland may be responsible.

Their findings remind patients and their physicians that urination difficulties in men can be better cared for at early onset. Additionally, the study notes that as men age, the possibility increases that they will experience problems with urination.

"What we know is that many men ignore their symptoms and do not seek assistance with their physician until much later," said Andrew Rule, M.D., nephrologist and epidemiologist at Mayo Clinic and the lead author of the study. "What happens is men can end up with a bladder not working, perhaps needing a bladder catheter all the time. They also become at increased risk for bladder infections and even kidney failure problems."

The researchers looked at information in men from two tests: post-void residual and voided volume. The post-void residual test involved men urinating and then having an ultrasound scan to determine how much urine remained in the bladder. The voided volume test measured how much urine men could void with a full bladder.

Dr. Rule said that both tests are difficult to interpret in a patient because they can yield varying results with the same person each time. However, because the study relied on hundreds of men with multiple visits, those variations could be lessened. The study looked at a random sample of 529 men, ages 40 to 79, who were followed with the two tests every two years for up to 12 years.

Dr. Rule says the study presents some new data on the natural history of the post-void residual and void volume in men as they age.
What was interesting is that as men aged, their post-void residual increases but eventually levels off," he says. "On the other hand, voided volume decreased as men aged and did so at an increasingly rapid rate. These findings were consistent with the development of a stiff, weak and overactive bladder in men as they age."

Not all men were at equal risk for these changes to occur. "Men with signs or symptoms of a prostate obstruction were more likely to have worsening bladder function," said Dr. Rule. "It isn't necessarily prostate cancer, but the prostate's enlargement with aging that gives men greater problems in urinating."

He advises patients to consult their physicians if they notice changes in their urination such as a slow stream, straining, and the feeling of not being able to empty their bladders. Also, having to urinate frequently or multiple times at night deserves a visit to the doctor. Medications and surgical options for treating prostate obstruction can preserve bladder function.

The research team also included: Debra Jacobson, Michaela Mc Gree, Cynthia Girman, Dr. P.H., Michael Lieber, M.D., and Steven Jacobsen, M.D., Ph.D., all of Mayo Clinic.

Sources:
1.    Mayo Clinic
2.    The Journal of Urology is the official journal of the American Urological Society and publishes studies on critical areas of research and practice, survey articles and clinical observations.

More information on SimpleCare World Health can be found at www.simplecareworldhealth.com or by calling 1-800-281-3136.
Inquiries can be sent to:
info@simplecarehealthplan.com