A Ticket to a New Life: Idaho Mother Looks to New Zealand for Something Elusive at Home -- Affordable, Quality

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, Jul 07 (MARKET WIRE) --
Heather Cody's ticket to an improved quality of life just may lie in New
Zealand. The 44-year-old Idaho Falls woman seeks something that remains
elusive at home -- affordable, quality healthcare treatment. Cody, a
single mother with three children, has embarked on a journey to scenic
New Zealand in search of relief from a painful hip condition.

As one of America's millions of working uninsured, she is unable to afford
the surgery in this country that would alleviate her constant pain. Rather
than continue to put off the care she needs, Cody recently made the
decision to travel abroad for a viable healthcare solution. She is not
alone. According to a recent Gallup Poll, more Americans are considering
medical travel as an alternative, rather than waiting for a reform of the
U.S. healthcare system.

By the end of last year, more than 750,000 Americans had traveled for
medical treatment, and that number is expected to reach nearly 6 million
by 2010 and 10 million by 2012, according to the Deloitte Center for
Health Solutions. The report also estimated that the global medical travel
industry currently generates annual revenues of $60 billion -- with 20
percent yearly growth -- which could reach $100 billion by 2010.

This week Medtral New Zealand (www.medtral.com) will provide a complete
medical travel package for Cody -- including treatment, hospital stay,
state-of-the-art medical facilities, airfare, aftercare and even a
contingency insurance policy -- at a fraction of what it would have cost
her in the U.S. "Without this opportunity, I would have had to continue to
postpone surgery and live with my condition that is only getting worse by
the day," said Cody.

Cody, like many of the 48 million uninsured in this country, although
employed as a mental health therapist for an Idaho company, does not work
enough hours to qualify for health coverage.

Regaining her health and mobility is not only crucial for Cody, but also
for her family. In addition to raising her three children ages 14, 12, 8,
she also takes cares of a 34-year-old mentally handicapped man.

The differences in health procedure costs between the U.S. and New Zealand
are significant. Even after adding airfares and accommodation costs to
these procedure expenses, the total travel and treatment package costs
provided by Medtral New Zealand are often 30-40 percent of the equivalent
procedure cost alone in the U.S.

The private hospitals partnering with Medtral are all internationally
accredited and adhere to stringent quality standards equivalent to those
in the U.S., and the physicians it employs have been trained in both New
Zealand and either the U.S., Canada or Europe.

As a popular travel destination, New Zealand also features excellent
tourism possibilities, including luxury spa resorts and golf courses,
uncrowded, picturesque beaches, and top rated restaurants and vineyards.
Medtral's medical travel package is designed to enhance its patient's
overall experience in New Zealand. Its travel advantages include
customized travel packages with five-star accommodations before and
following the hospital stay (with continued nurse visits and
physiotherapy), comprehensive travel planning assistance, and flight
transportation provided by Air New Zealand.

"New Zealand is sophisticated, diverse, and multicultural, and offers our
patients a clean, attractive, safe and peaceful environment that promotes
healing," said Edward Watson, MD, Medtral's executive chairman and
founder. New Zealand is considered of one of the safest countries in the
world and was ranked first in the 2009 Global Peace Index that gauged the
overall tranquility of 144 countries.

To further overcome the financial implications for potential Medical
Travel patients, Medtral has recently partnered with MyMedicalLoan.com, a
service offering flexible and affordable medical financing options.

Medtral is also in discussions with health insurers across the U.S. about
offering medical travel benefits to its self-insured clients.

About Medtral New Zealand

Medtral New Zealand is the leading provider of medical travel in New
Zealand for North American patients, providing world-class, non-acute care
and treatment in some of the country's finest private hospitals.
Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, Medtral New Zealand can be reached
at 866-206-3582, or www.medtral.com.

Press contact:
George Pappas -- PR Specialist
The Kreisler Group
562 472-2787 (Tel)
562 857-5680 (Mbl)
Email Contact
www.kreislermediagroup.com

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