This week I have been traveling away visiting family and when I go, I like to try and take advantage of the different health services for some medical tourism.
Some of my favorite activities include stocking up on cheap or stronger medicines when I go. Here in Germany, healthcare costs are sky high and the medicines are also very pricey. They even have a saying here called chemist prices if you are being ripped off.
Sometimes in the chemist when I am stocking up abroad, they are asking why I need so many paracetamol or other tablets, but it is just that I am buying a years supply.
Usually, Big Pharma have different pricing models for different countries, so there can be some big savings to be had. Especially here in Germany with their sky high prices for even basic over-the-counter medicines.
Visiting specialists is also another thing that can be worth to do. Getting your eyes checked and some new specs can save you enough to cover the cost of your trip even sometimes.
I also like to go abroad for my dental treatment. Although I can get some free checkups here, I try to avoid it due to the many horror stories I have been told by rogue dentists in Germany. Therefore, I prefer to pay and see a dentist that is not likely to go rogue and try and cause havoc in my mouth. Luckily, there are many good options when traveling abroad.
Sometimes you need to be careful about the language when you rock up to the dentist and ask for an appointment. Preferrably, it can make sense to bring someone along who can speak the local lingo, especially if the dentist is not a typical medical tourist establishment. This is usually a good sign so you will not pay extra fees too.
Today I went for a dental checkup abroad, here they had a nice flower at the entrance.
At the reception they had some trendy chairs and plants. I didn't take a photo of the receptionist as I couldn't do it inconspicuously.
I was then waiting directly for my appointment. Luckily I have usually gone directly in which is good as I don't like to wait if I can help it.
Handily, they also had some toilets available to use if you needed.
Usually the staff are very friendly and work very well. I try to say a few words in the local language if I can like hello , goodbye and thank you. This I hope helps me blend in to the locality. Other times I just nod as though I have understood them.
Overall, I can certainly recommend to try and shop around for your health care abroad as it can save you some money and you can get a much better service.
Do you go abroad for medical treatment?
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Images are my own.
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