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Increase in Travel to China Creating New Health and Security Risks

New China White Paper from MEDEX Global Group Offers Tips for Travelers

Baltimore, MD (April 23, 2008) — Infectious disease, poor sanitary conditions and substandard healthcare are among the serious medical concerns found in China, according to a new white paper recently released by MEDEX Global Group, a worldwide provider of international travel, security and medical insurance.

“This year, China expects 150 million foreign tourists, which is a 14 percent increase over 2007,” said Bruce Kirby, CEO of MEDEX Global Group. “This paper is intended to prepare the rapidly growing number of travelers for the unexpected by arming them with well-documented, critical health information.”

“What You Should Know Before Traveling Abroad: Health and Security Risks in China” captures the results from a series of 300-point, onsite evaluations of medical care and health facilities throughout China. To compile the evaluation, MEDEX experts examined a variety of factors including the country’s quality of healthcare, blood supply and disease risks. The full report is available for free download at www.medexassist.com/travelguides.

Overall, on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the lowest rating, MEDEX gave China a score of “4”. Training for doctors and nurses may not be up to international standards, and in rural areas of China, medical care is more rudimentary than in urban areas. Hospitals may not have modern equipment or even plumbing. In fact, only 28% of the population in rural China has access to adequate sanitation facilities.

The MEDEX report offers a number of health and medical-related tips for travelers:

  • In case of emergency in China, private clinics are recommended over public hospitals. Public hospitals are overcrowded, patients will likely wait hours and most often payment is expected in cash and prior to admission. Foreign health insurance plans are not accepted.
  • Ambulances are not reliable in an emergency. Private transportation, even in an emergency, is often the fastest alternative.
  • Blood supply in China is not safe. The AIDS virus is a significant concern in China and there is a risk of exposure to unsafe blood and blood products.
  • Six to eight weeks before leaving for China, visit a travel clinic to receive necessary vaccinations, including: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies and the flu vaccine.

Upon entering China, all visitors are required to complete a Health Declaration Form to notify authorities of any existing health conditions. Travelers with certain infectious diseases may not be permitted to enter the country.

Additional details and rankings are included as part of MEDEX 360°m Global Medical Monitor reports, a medical information service created in partnership with Harvard Medical International. It provides the most robust and comprehensive online medical resource available on China as well as 236 other countries and territories.

About MEDEX Global Group

MEDEX Global Group has been assisting travelers with medical and security emergencies for more than 30 years, providing international travel, security and medical support for corporations, government and humanitarian organizations, and leisure travelers. MEDEX services include everything from pre-trip intelligence and contingency planning to real-time medical case monitoring, complex emergency evacuations and virtually every contingency in between. The MEDEX Emergency Response Center handles nearly 30,000 cases a year in over 200 countries. For more information, visit www.medexassist.com.

Media Contacts:

Josianne Pennington at MEDEX Global Group - 410-353-6391
Gillian Pommerehn at Crosby Marketing Communication, 410-626-0805

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MEDEX Global Group Hires Industry Veteran Mike Roban as Vice President of Sales

BALTIMORE, MD (April 14, 2008) – Mike Roban has been named Vice President of Sales of MEDEX Global Group, announced Bruce R. Kirby, president/CEO of the worldwide emergency assistance and insurance company. A respected veteran with more than 20 years of sales experience in health and travel assistance services, Roban will add further depth and expertise to the senior leadership team of MEDEX.

Prior to joining MEDEX Global Group, Roban was the senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Americas Region with International S.O.S. Inc. He has held key executive positions at Health Management Corporation (Wellpoint Inc.) and Matria Healthcare. Additionally, Roban has served in various leadership positions at Coca-Cola Company, where he headed several sales teams and programs.

“Mike Roban’s impressive level of sales expertise, background in international travel assistance, and commitment to quality service make him the ideal choice for MEDEX—particularly as we work to continue the double-digit growth momentum that we have experienced over the last six years,” said Kirby.

Roban is pioneering a new role at MEDEX, overseeing the expansion of international and domestic sales for corporate, scholastic and USAID clients.

“I believe in the quality products, level of service and competitive pricing that MEDEX offers it’s corporate, USAID and scholastic clients,” explained Roban. “I’m incredibly excited about products like MEDEX 360°m Global Medical Monitor and the depth of resources it provides our customers.”

In September, MEDEX Global Group and Harvard Medical International (HMI) launched MEDEX 360°m Global Medical Monitor, the most comprehensive health information website ever developed for international travelers.

About MEDEX Global Group

MEDEX Global Group has been assisting travelers with medical and security emergencies for more than 30 years, providing international travel, security and medical support for corporations, government and humanitarian organizations, and leisure travelers. MEDEX services include everything from pre-trip intelligence and contingency planning to real-time medical case monitoring, complex emergency evacuations and virtually every contingency in between. The MEDEX Emergency Response Center handles nearly 30,000 cases a year in over 200 countries. For more information, visit www.medexassist.com.

Media Contacts:

Josianne Pennington at MEDEX Global Group - 410-353-6391
Gillian Pommerehn at Crosby Marketing Communication, 410-626-0805

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MEDEX / Harvard Partnership Now Offers Affordable, New Intelligence to Individual Business & Leisure Travelers

MEDEX 360°m Collaboration with Harvard Medical International Provides Comprehensive and Vital Global Health Information

BALTIMORE, MD January 29, 2008 – MEDEX Global Group and Harvard Medical International have extended the reach of their groundbreaking MEDEX 360°m partnership with the launch today of a new version created specifically for individual business and leisure travelers.

Like the original MEDEX 360°m website recently introduced for corporate, scholastic and government clients, this individual-traveler edition of the MEDEX 360°m Global Medical Monitor provides vital and timely health risk and medical care information in an easy-to-read report format.

MEDEX 360°m Monitors cover 236 countries and territories with destination-specific information on diseases / health risks; immunization requirements / recommendations; the quality / availability of local care; health alerts / updates; travel health prevention / advice; and health risk ratings. The unique one-to-five rating system allows travelers to quickly see what the primary concerns are for each country – whether medical infrastructure, remoteness to quality care, or cultural barriers, such as language or local medical practices.

Priced at only $8.95 each, MEDEX 360°m Monitors are an easy add-on during the purchase of any individual emergency evacuation or international medical insurance plan; which are priced as low as $2.00 per day or less. The coverage and destination report combination are only available through the MEDEX website: www.medex360m.com.

MEDEX 360°m Monitors are delivered via a live web link that is active through the last day of their coverage period, so travelers can view their report upon purchase, before and during their trip. Travelers are encouraged revisit their reports to benefit from the up-to-date alerts maintained by MEDEX and Harvard Medical International.

About MEDEX Global Group

One of the world’s leading emergency medical and security assistance / international medical insurance companies, MEDEX Global Group provides 24/7/365 support for corporations, organizations and individual travelers. Their extensive services include everything from pre-trip intelligence and contingency planning to real-time medical case monitoring, complex emergency evacuations and virtually every contingency in between.

About Harvard Medical International

Harvard Medical International is a self-supporting, not-for-profit subsidiary of Harvard Medical School. HMI’s role is to extend internationally, the School's tradition of improving the quality of health care through excellence in clinical medicine, medical education, and biomedical research.

To view a sample MEDEX 360°m destination report visit www.medex360m.com.

Media Contacts:

Josianne Pennington at MEDEX Global Group - 410-353-6391
Gillian Pommerehn at Crosby Marketing Communication, 410-626-0805

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Media Contacts:
Josianne Pennington
1-410-453-6364
Email Josianne

Nicole Beach
410-453-6391
Email Nicole