Find the cost of medical procedures

The cost of medical procedure depends on a variety of factors. Here are some most common ones:

• Need of diagnostics - other than cancer cases, most diagnostic packages are part of the package.
• Number of days stay in the hospital
• ICU days in hospital
• Use of blood products
• High end implants used during the surgery
• Use of special medical equipments and modalities such as Robots, Cyberknife/ Gammaknife
• Hours in Operations theater
• Doctor experience
• Hospital chosen

Cost of medical procedure varies across countries for multiple factors and here are some of the common ones:

• Labor cost - Doctors, Nursing, Healthcare professionals
• Land cost where hospital is built
• Government regulations especially taxation on healthcare
• Imports of medical products, medications vs local manufacturing
• Currency exchange rate fluctuations
• Legal protection costs for healthcare professionals

We try to be as transparent as possible with our patients. Most common inclusions and exclusions are clearly listed when giving cost estimates for medical procedures. Here are some examples of inclusions:

• Cost of hospital room, Operation theater, Surgeon fee, Assistant Surgeon Fee, Anesthetist, Consumables and medicines

Here are some examples of exclusions:

• Consultation with another department/ speciality which is unrelated to the medical procedure
• Use of special equipments to tackle certain viral infections such as HIV, Hepatitis C etc
• Unplanned increase in ICU days/ extra days in room than mentioned in the cost estimate

However much we try to be informative and transparent, not all costs can be covered - post surgery medication, need for physiotherapy/ rehabilitation after surgery can sometimes come across as unplanned expenses. Based on our prior experience, the cost estimates given are accurate in 95% cases but be prepared for 10-20% price difference in the remaining 5% unforeseen circumstance. More than hidden costs, the bigger concerns are unreliable medical diagnosis presented by patients before travelling. Doctors can give the estimate based on the information and medical diagnosis shared by patients from home countries. When the information changes upon fresh investigations in India, the cost of treatment may vary.

Here are some best practices to receive accurate estimates from doctors:

• Vaidam gets a detailed history of the patient to capture the treatments taken, investigations done, length of disease etc. Please share all those details accurately to the best of your knowledge.
• Your medical reports should be recent - preferably less than 3 months old. Anything more than 6 months old medical reports are very unreliable.
• Ask for a video consultation with your preferred doctor and exchange information before your trip.

Most hospitals do NOT include travel and accommodation costs in their estimates. However, we at Vaidam can help you plan a complete travel itinerary with near accurate cost estimates.

Unfortunately these options are not offered by service providers in India. It is recommended you check for financing or payment plans with your local banks and financial institutions in your home country.

You should consult with your insurance provider to confirm coverage for international medical procedures. If you share your insurance details with the Vaidam assigned case manager, we will be happy to find out the coverage for your insurance in the country you plan to travel.

When comparing costs across different service providers, you should try and make as much apple to apple comparison as possible. If you compare the cost offered by a high end tertiary care hospital vs a small nursing home, you have to acknowledge the risk of care delivery and sub-standard clinical outcomes. Good news is, we at Vaidam work with more than 200 hospitals in India and can find a matching price you may have received from another service provider. Since our job is to assess the requirement of infrastructure needed to manage your case, we can recommend an alternative center without compromising too much on the clinical outcomes.