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My parents are visiting US soon. I want to take this opportunity to see if I can get my mother checked by a specialist in the US (bay area). She has an non-life threatening nagging oral ailment and we have checked with plenty of doctors in Bangalore, but their diagnosis and treatment hasn't helped.

- Anyone has experience with international patients and medical care in the US?
- We will purchase insurance, but this won't be covered ofcourse and we will pay out-of-pocket. I understand the costs really depend on the treatment - but say, we need a few consulting sessions with a good oral specialist.
- Anyone know of hospitals in the bay area that provide good medical care for international patients?

tahoelocal;636508My parents are visiting US soon. I want to take this opportunity to see if I can get my mother checked by a specialist in the US (bay area). She has an non-life threatening nagging oral ailment and we have checked with plenty of doctors in Bangalore, but their diagnosis and treatment hasn't helped.

- Anyone has experience with international patients and medical care in the US?
- We will purchase insurance, but this won't be covered ofcourse and we will pay out-of-pocket. I understand the costs really depend on the treatment - but say, we need a few consulting sessions with a good oral specialist.
- Anyone know of hospitals in the bay area that provide good medical care for international patients?

My mom is currently going through treatment (with specialists) in Valley Medical (County hospital) in San Jose.

Most of the county hospitals accept the patients on Travel Insurance with an understanding that the Patient will cover whatever is not covered by their insurance. Level of care is not that great and wait times are extremely long at these hospitals.

For a visit to a specialist at a County hospital you need a referral from a Primary Care Physician OR a referral from Emergency. Once you get the referral, you then need to book the appointment with the specialist and work with hospital's authorization department to get the them authroize to use travel insurance. It may require some sweet talk on your part!!!

If you don't want to go through the insurance, you can pick any specialist or primary care or hospital for consultation. Typical fee for a Specialists will be around a $1000 per visit not including any tests or lab works.

dixit;636509My mom is currently going through treatment (with specialists) in Valley Medical (County hospital) in San Jose.

Most of the county hospitals accept the patients on Travel Insurance with an understanding that the Patient will cover whatever is not covered by their insurance. Level of care is not that great and wait times are extremely long at these hospitals.

For a visit to a specialist at a County hospital you need a referral from a Primary Care Physician OR a referral from Emergency. Once you get the referral, you then need to book the appointment with the specialist and work with hospital's authorization department to get the them authroize to use travel insurance. It may require some sweet talk on your part!!!

If you don't want to go through the insurance, you can pick any specialist or primary care or hospital for consultation. Typical fee for a Specialists will be around a $1000 per visit not including any tests or lab works.

thanks, this is super helpful. Travel insurance is an option, but we are seriously considering just paying out of pocket. I will call the county hospital you suggested and think through this. Thanks for the the $1000 estimate per specialist visit. Any estimate on tests + lab-work? We either start with a clean slate, or we carry all the tests we have done so far in bangalore hospitals and bring them over and hope the specialist here can use them.

The mode of operation in india is so different: The specialist cost even in high-end hospitals tend to be around 1k-2k, and we can afford to "try" a few of them and go with the one whose treatment works. In the US, it is tougher to "try" a few specialists, need to find the right one.

dixit;636509My mom is currently going through treatment (with specialists) in Valley Medical (County hospital) in San Jose.

Most of the county hospitals accept the patients on Travel Insurance with an understanding that the Patient will cover whatever is not covered by their insurance. Level of care is not that great and wait times are extremely long at these hospitals.

For a visit to a specialist at a County hospital you need a referral from a Primary Care Physician OR a referral from Emergency. Once you get the referral, you then need to book the appointment with the specialist and work with hospital's authorization department to get the them authroize to use travel insurance. It may require some sweet talk on your part!!!

If you don't want to go through the insurance, you can pick any specialist or primary care or hospital for consultation. Typical fee for a Specialists will be around a $1000 per visit not including any tests or lab works.

What kind of specialist charges a $1000 per visit? Wow, never heard of that much.

tahoelocal;636510thanks, this is super helpful. Travel insurance is an option, but we are seriously considering just paying out of pocket. .

Though you are willing to pay out of pocket, take some kind of insurance (check insubuy). These insurances will not cover any thing.. Having insurance will entitle you for U&C charges - wherin you will benefit from the insurance negotiated fees.