New Web Portal and Blog - 'The Bridge' - Opens Online Communities for Consumers,...

New Web Portal and Blog - 'The Bridge' - Opens Online Communities for Consumers, Employers and Payers Involved in Medical Travel

DENVER--(Business Wire)--
With the introduction of BridgeHealth International's new Web site
(www.BridgeHealthInternational.com) and its accompanying blog entitled
The Bridge (http://www.bridgehealthinternational.com/blog), business
leaders and consumers have access to objective, timely information on
medical travel. Offering easy-to-find, relevant information on the
numerous aspects of medical travel, visitors will learn some of the
best ways to access high quality healthcare worldwide and maximize
their medical travel experience.

"Today, medical travel is top-of-mind for some of the nation's
leading employers and health plans in response to consumer demand for
lower cost, quality healthcare outside the United States," says Victor
Lazzaro, Jr., CEO of BridgeHealth. "As a result of this interest
level, the Internet has been flooded with boundless amounts of
information that may have created some market confusion. This
proliferation of online material has actually made it more difficult
to find specific, credible resources or to locate exactly what is
needed. We have simplified this process and de-mystified the search."

Lazzaro points out that in late 2005, a Google search for "medical
tourism" returned 326,000 results, while the same search in 2008
produces more than 1.6 million links. Comparably, a search for the two
terms "medical tourism" and "cosmetic surgery" in 2005 found 14,900
pages, while the identical search in 2008 returns 122,000 pages of
results.

"In creating a new Web site for BridgeHealth, we recognized a back
drop of cyber clutter in the area of medical travel information and an
overwhelming abundance of medical tourism information," notes Lazzaro.
"This makes it difficult for the discerning visitors to locate
accurate, trustworthy sources of information pertaining to their
individual or corporate needs. BridgeHealthInternational.com provides
rich, timely and relevant content in a way that is easy to navigate,
pleasant to view, and worthy of a visitor's trust."

Complementing the Web site, BridgeHealth also launched The Bridge,
a medical travel and tourism blog edited and moderated by medical
tourism expert Jeff Schult, author of Beauty from Afar: A Medical
Tourist's Guide to Affordable and Quality Cosmetic Care Outside the
U.S. The Bridge will provide "news you can use," with fresh insights,
perspectives and advice from medical professionals and patients who
have hands-on experience with medical travel worldwide.

Blog discussions will cover a wide range of topics, with sessions
already underway focusing upon the impact of a weak U.S. dollar on
medical travel; an interview with Stephanie Sulger, R.N.,
BridgeHealth's vice president, consumer division, identifying options
for stem cell treatment abroad; the future of medical travel; top ten
criteria for selecting a healthcare provider outside the United
States; and ways in which employers can utilize medical travel to cut
healthcare costs and have employees come out ahead.

"This rich forum for active discussion addresses the needs of
prospective patients, businesses seeking to learn the value of
introducing a medical travel benefit, as well as international medical
providers searching for current information," says Lazzaro.

About BridgeHealth International, Inc.

BridgeHealth International, Inc. (BridgeHealth) is the premier
service provider in the burgeoning medical travel industry, founded in
with a vision "to create a trusted bridge to the world of
international healthcare." BridgeHealth serves health plans, insurance
carriers, employers, third party administrators, individuals accessing
benefits via voluntary benefits plans, health and affinity card
programs or Consumer Directed Health Care Plans (CDHP), and individual
consumers seeking medical travel options. Visit
www.BridgeHealthInternational.com.

CPR For BridgeHealth International
Paul Fisher, 201-641-1911 x52
pfisher@cpronline.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008