In this guide
Plan for it before you book. Make sure a doctor will explain your results to you in a language you understand before you leave; find out what care is available if something urgent is found; get a written English report and your scan files; and arrange with your own doctor at home to see you soon after you return. Don't make big decisions abroad in a rush.
It happens, and it's usually minor
Any checkup can turn up something unexpected, especially one with lots of imaging. Most findings turn out to be minor or harmless. But you need a plan for the few that aren't, and for the follow-up that even minor findings can need.
Before you book: ask the hospital
- Who explains the results to me, in English, before I leave? A written report alone isn't enough.
- If something urgent is found, what can you do here, and how fast?
- Will I get a written report in English, signed by a doctor? When?
- Will I get my scan files (DICOM), not just printed images?
- Can my doctor at home contact the doctor who examined me? Get a name and an email address.
Before you go: talk to your own doctor
- Tell them you're planning a checkup abroad, and share the package list.
- Ask whether they'll review results and images from abroad, and in what format.
- Book a follow-up appointment in advance for shortly after you return.
Check your insurance
- Make sure your travel medical insurance covers care abroad, and that you have medical evacuation cover.
- Find out what your US insurance will cover for follow-up tests at home after a finding abroad.
If something is found
| Situation | What usually makes sense |
|---|---|
| Urgent (needs care within days) | Discuss options with the hospital doctor, your travel insurer's assistance line and your own doctor before deciding where to be treated |
| Not urgent | Take the report and scan files home; see your own doctor as planned |
| Unclear | Ask the hospital doctor how urgent it is, in writing, then talk to your own doctor |
Whatever happens, don't feel pressured into treatment abroad on the spot unless it's a genuine emergency. Take time to talk to your own doctor.
What we do (and don't do)
We make sure every partner hospital has a written process for explaining results and handling abnormal findings, and we check it was followed. We don't interpret results or give medical advice; that's for the hospital doctor and your own doctor.
Please note. General information, not medical advice.
Reviewed at least every three monthsNo paid placementsInformation, not medical adviceOur editorial standards
Joe Yang, PhD, Economics. Joe Yang holds a PhD in economics from the University of Washington. For four years Joe evaluated the costs and savings of US health programs for insurers and employers at a health-analytics company, and before that studied pricing and demand as an economist at Amazon and a data scientist at Oracle. These guides apply the same discipline to a simpler question: what care really costs, and where.
