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Scalable support for employee success
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Scalable support for employee success
White paper by Seeta Hammer, Senior Clinical Director, Aetna International
Pre and post assignment coordination improves expatriates experiences abroad
When U.S. citizen McKenzie was assigned a short-term overseas trip to the Philippines, he worried about managing his sleep apnea far from home. Diagnosed later in life, McKenzie relied on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment to stay productive during long workdays without suffering from low energy or lack of mental clarity. Transporting the medical device and securing replacement parts would prove difficult. Going without treatment could drastically impact his work performance.
By contacting his health benefits provider’s medical services team for comprehensive pre and post assignment coordination, McKenzie also set important preparations in motion. As well as gaining a thorough understanding of his overall health and well-being, and providing pertinent advice about his host country, his clinical manager coordinated rental of a compatible CPAP machine equipped with McKenzie’s prescribed settings. Additionally, they negotiated McKenzie’s in-network treatment rates to minimize out-of-pocket fees.
Ongoing communication after his arrival kept tabs on the arrangements’ effectiveness. In McKenzie’s own words, “Thank you for helping me get the CPAP machine. It has helped me sleep better and feel less tired during long workdays.”
The advanced coordination provided by the pre and post assignment coordination team gave McKenzie the ability to excel professionally without health hindrances.1
Unfortunately, awareness of pre and post assignment coordination and its on-going benefits among organizations, international human relations managers and employees is relatively low. For expat assignees or business travelers managing medical conditions, lack of planning can quickly jeopardize overseas productivity and well-being. But comprehensive pre-assignment preparation empowers effectiveness no matter the destination. pre and post assignment coordination is just the tip of the clinical capabilities’ iceberg.
The tip of the iceberg
The blueprint for assignment evolution
Interconnected care: A holistic view of the expat assignment lifecycle
Seizing competitive advantage
About us
1 Aetna International, 2023
3 Global business travel spending forecast 2023 - 2027. López. 2023
4 The impact of business travel on traveler’s well-being. Ye. Xu. 2020.
12 Aetna International, 2023
13 Aetna International, 2023
14 Aetna International, 2023
15 Not applicable for Cayman or U.S. territories; other coverage limits apply