Kansas City hospitals said they are prepared for the influx of international patients expected this summer during the World Cup. But they worry that the patients may not be ready for America’s labyrinthine healthcare system.
Takeaways
- Kansas City area hospitals expect an increase in patient traffic of between 6% and 8% over the course of the World Cup.
- Hospitals said they are scheduling more doctors and nurses to be ready for the influx of patients.
- Some international visitors from countries with government-provided healthcare, may be uninsured.
In addition to bulking up translation services and scheduling more doctors and nurses for shifts during the monthlong tournament, hospitals said they’re focused on communication to help international visitors understand that getting care here isn’t as simple as it may be back home.
“All of our health systems have been working together to share information about how to best work with and take care of patients coming from single-payer countries,” said Dr. Bryan Beaver, an emergency medicine physician at the University of Kansas Health System who is leading the city’s medical coordination for the event.
In countries where healthcare is provided through the government, it is free to patients and, unlike the United States, there is no menu of care options with varying price tags. That’s why, hospital leaders said, visitors need information, so they’ll know where to go and what it may cost if they get sick…