Getting treatment abroad Costs of treatment
Certain countries are more popular among UK patients than others, and some are more popular for particular procedures.
Planning costs
Finding out what you'll pay and where can be difficult, but you should research as much as possible.
As a rough guide, we collected quotes for popular treatments from a number of clinics. We concentrated on countries that are popular with health tourists.
| Varying cost of treatment abroad | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment | UK | India | France | Belgium | Spain | Poland | Hungary | South Africa |
| Knee replacement | £9,000 | £4,250 | £6,700 | £7,186 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Dental implant and crown | £2,200 | n/a | n/a | n/a | £850 | £750 | £750 | n/a |
| Tummy tuck | £4,000 | £1,400 | n/a | n/a | n/a | £2,000 | n/a | £2,700 |
Table notes
Prices are for procedure only and based on the average from three quotes from each country
Unexpected costs
Check written quotes carefully to find out what exactly is covered. It may not include follow-up costs, for example. If you ask your clinician they should be able to give you information about possible additional costs before you agree to treatment.
When asking about additional costs, consider the following possibilities:
Clinical and professional fees
This can include nursing; physiotherapy; counselling; clinic costs, such as towels, medication and anaesthesia; and scans and other investigations, such as lab tests.
Aftercare services like physiotherapy might cost you more money
Future care costs
You might also pay for rehabilitation, such as physiotherapy; follow-up appointments; reviews with your provider if included in the contract or guarantee; remedial work, including travel and accommodation if overseas; and even specialist medical care and transport back to the UK if required.
Travel costs
You may need money for an accompanying person; accommodation until you recover; rescheduled flights; transfers and travel within the country; visas including medical visas in some countries; and food and extras.
Check exactly what your quote for treatment does and doesn't cover
How to pay
There can be several ways in which to pay for medical treatment carried out abroad and different times when payments are due, so ask about these from the start.
Making different choices might change your final bill. For example, paying by cash might cheaper than using a card – but consider the legal protection that paying by credit cards gives.
