Medical Care Overseas

We were only 5 weeks into the trip when one of us needed medical care. I woke up in Sydney, Australia, with an eye infection and needed to find a doctor. We had purchased travel insurance with medical coverage before we left the U.S., so we called the insurance company for advice. They suggested we go to the closest Emergency Department. Luckily the Sydney Eye Hospital was only a blurry 10 minute walk from our hotel.

The inside looked much like our local E.R. at home, but with one major difference. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by a woman and asked if we had "Medicare" (the Australian national health insurance program--which covers all Australians). When I answered 'no,' she walked me over to a sign on the wall that stated in large print "$169 triage nurse + $169 doctor = $338 total." There was also a dry-erase board with "1-2 hour wait" written on it.

After I agreed to pay the $338 (Australian dollars, about $220 USD), she took my temperature and sent me to register. A few minutes later I saw the triage nurse, and then waited 90 minutes to see the doctor. I walked out with a diagnosis and a prescription, and our insurance reimbursed me as soon as I submitted the claim.

We also experienced medical care in Thailand, but this time it was planned. Our doctor in N.J. informed us that if we were to be gone for more than six months, he would need some updated medical information in order to refill one prescription, and from someone he could trust. I had asked him if he knew any doctors overseas and he said--yes, in Thailand, but he didn't know where the doctor worked or his last name, or if he was still practicing. I had something to work with though. . . "Dr. Pat in Thailand."

I searched for the type of doctor that we needed, "Dr. Pat" and "Thailand." It should not come as a shock that I did not find the person for whom I was looking! I decided that it was probably going to be easier to find a doctor that went to a reputable medical school in the US and was now practicing in Thailand, and I hoped that would be sufficient for our doctor back home. I searched [Specialty], "U.S. Medical School" and "Thailand." Now I was getting somewhere. Lots of Thai doctors went to medical school in the U.S. or completed their residency in the U.S. I found a private hospital in Bangkok with an English website, clearly geared toward medical tourism. I began to search through the many doctors, looking for any U.S.-educated or trained. There were a good number. I decided to find out where our doctor attended school and completed residency, as he would no doubt accept the legitimacy of another physician from that institution. As I sorted through the doctors, I finally found a Thai physician who completed his residency at the same hospital as our doctor, and around the same time! And his name was....."Dr. Pat [Verylonglastname]!" I was able to make an appointment online and it was confirmed within 24 hours.

Fast forward to November....Our appointment with Dr. Pat went well. The hospital was very organized, efficient, and accustomed to foreigners. We registered, checked in, met with the nurse, were sent for tests, met with the doctor, requested medical records, and then paid at the cashier. $93 total. No surprise medical bills to be mailed to us in 3-4 months, no wondering what would be covered and what would not. Medical records were emailed to me in 5-7 days, which I uploaded to our U.S. doctor's website.

We also decided to visit a dentist in Bangkok. I had heard that Thailand is a popular spot for dental tourism, as many Americans travel there for excellent quality dental work for a fraction of the U.S. price. This was confirmed by the numerous dental offices on every block. When we walked by one that looked new, clean, and had an English menu of services posted outside, we checked it out. A dental cleaning was about $30 US each, and we could get a set of Invisalign retainers for less than $200 US (which cost more than $500 at home). One of us had a cavity, so filling it added another $32 US to the total.

Luckily, we haven't needed much medical care, but the care we have received has been very good and very reasonably priced. Hopefully we won't need to experience the healthcare services in any other countries!