Professional oversight to handle your crew medical issues

Future Care Medical Case Managers (MCM) coordinate between hospital staff, physicians, crew members and their family, to review and monitor medical treatment on behalf of the shipowner.

Our team, who are experienced in responding to the specialized needs of the hospitalized seafarer, maintains contact with the crew member and their family throughout, managing a range of duties, including:

  • Steering to appropriate hospitals
  • Facilitating admission and managing billing
  • Communicating with the hospital treatment team
  • Coordinating transportation with the port agent 
  • Managing repatriation, including identifying suitable medical transport and professional escorts, as needed 
  • Managing post discharge treatment and medications required after discharge or upon repatriation 
The presence of a Future Care MCM also personalizes the shipowner’s involvement during treatment, serving as a reminder of their concern, creating goodwill between employer and employee and reducing the likelihood of claims and litigation.

91,800 APPROVED AND VERIFIED MEDICAL PROVIDERS

Your crew are in good hands

Future Care is part of The International SOS Group of companies, so our customers have access to a network of 91,000+ Medical Providers across 239 countries and territories.

By using our Medical Case Management service we can steer your vessel early on to vetted and approved medical providers, ensuring costs are kept in check.
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Case studies

Estimated savings: $10,000+
Location: At sea, Gibraltar, Malaga, Zagreb.

A Crewmember complained of severe abdominal pain at sea and so the captain contacted Future Care, who provided Physician Advice at Sea telemedical treatment until the ship reached Gibraltar.

Future Care appointed a Medical Case Manager (MCM) who prepared the crewman’s admission to the hospital, alerted the hospital treatment team, made all necessary transportation and financial arrangements.

During the crewman’s three-day hospitalization the MCM reviewed progress with the medical provider, reporting developments to the shipowner and family members. The crewmember did not respond to treatment as expected, and it was agreed that he should be transferred to a facility with greater medical resources in Malaga, Spain, which was arranged by Future Care.

The crewmember was initially diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, which was subsequently complicated by obstructive jaundice and biliary stenosis. He was eventually stabilized, requesting to continue treatment in his home country of Croatia.

The MCM identified an appropriate medical escort for the flight from Spain to Croatia and facilitated the flight arrangements with the medical escort and crewmember’s wife to Croatia. Upon repatriation the crewmember was admitted to hospital in Zagreb, where he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and underwent five chemotherapy sessions.

During his prolonged treatment in Zagreb Future Care reviewed and facilitated treatment, maintained communication with the crewman and his family, explaining treatment and evaluating options, and reported developments and costs to the shipowner. Eventually, after much treatment, the crewman recovered, was assessed as Fit For Duty and returned to sea.

Future Care saved the shipowner saved tens of thousands of dollars by improving the efficiency of treatment; selecting the appropriate facility in Croatia to provide specialized treatment, facilitating transportation and admission to several hospitals and managing treatment through convalescence and a return to Fit For Duty.

Estimated Savings: Cost of prolonged U.S. medical treatment
Location: Charleston, U.S.A

A non-U.S. crewmember reported to the Captain with a complaint of abdominal pain and presented with an elevated temperature, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. He was taken to an urgent care center in the U.S. and transferred to the hospital, diagnosed with acute appendicitis.

The crewmember underwent an emergency appendectomy and was discharged to a local hotel two days later and repatriated two days thereafter.

Future Care’s MCM was notified of the incident shortly after hospital admission and immediately made contact with the hospital and crew member to develop a treatment plan for the U.S. hospitalization, repatriation and convalescence in the crew member’s home country.

Duties of the MCM included liaising with the U.S. treatment team, crewmember and their family, coordinating the crewman’s discharge from the hospital to a local hotel, managing repatriation arrangements, including Fit for Travel, coordinating treatment and medications in the crew member’s home country, as well as a Fit for Duty status, collecting and reviewing all medical records on behalf of the crew member and shipowner and arranging a Future Care audit review and billing negotiation with all providers.

The shipowner avoided the expense of extensive medical treatment in the U.S. Future Care’s medical case manager expedited treatment, recovery and a return to work with consequent financial savings.
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