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Check it out: http://medkohealth.com/
The problem:
An estimated 8 million U.S "medical tourists" will travel abroad in 2012 for a more affordable medical procedure because of historically high prices in the states. They have no way of finding unbiased reviews of doctors and accurate info on pricing to aid them in their decision of which destination country to choose.
The solution:
MedKo. Yelp for Medical Travelers. There are over a hundred websites on the Internet with reviews of hotels, restaurants, and attractions, but what about the most important thing, our personal health?
A catalogue of international doctors and medical services, connecting health travelers to their best option depending on their budget and interests. Health Travelers can create profile pages, share before-and-after photos, interact with Doctors, and best of all... hear it from someone who's been in their shoes.
Medical Tourism is a 20 Billion Dollar Industry.
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Why it matters:
9 Million Children in the United States are uninsured. Their families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and too little to afford private insurance. It is a class in the U.S. known as the Working Poor and it is only growing.
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The Journey:
The inspiration for MedKo came when we were applying for Start-Up Chile. Our idea was to start a Health Travel (medical tourism) Agency with a unique spin on growth and its method for customer acquisition. However, during all our research we realized what the real problem is. People throughout the states are desperate for proper health care that they can actually afford. They are looking into going abroad more and more but have little to no way in finding genuine unbiased information. They have numerous sites for the accommodation - orbitz, airbednb, etc. for food- yelp, foodie, etc It's time to create a portal for something even more important - healthcare options that suit your need.
I just moved to Chicago after graduating from UC Santa Barbara. I'm not a huge web developer, more of what people refer to as a "hustler," and in my hometown of Palo Alto I made it a point to immerse myself in the sea of successful entrepreneurs. The sort of entrepreneurs that will rip your "idea" into shreds, chew it up, and spit it at you, and then send you back to mommy with your tail between your legs. (I know from experience)
The more common response I get now is..."I think you're onto something"
After further research, number crunching, and market validation, turns out... I might be onto something.
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