1 Decide what's worth doing in India cost vs quality

Procedure

USA / UK

India (top hospital)

Dental crown / implant

$3,000–5,000

$300–500

LASIK (both eyes)

$4,000

$600–800

IVF cycle

$15,000–25,000

$3,000–5,000

Knee replacement

$40,000–60,000

$5,000–8,000

Hip replacement

$40,000

$6,000–9,000

Heart bypass (CABG)

$100,000+

$5,000–10,000

Coronary stent

$30,000–50,000

$3,500–6,000

MRI / CT scan

$1,000–2,000

$80–150

Comprehensive health checkup

$1,500

$100–300

Cataract surgery (per eye)

$3,500

$300–800

Confirm the procedure is one where India offers better-or-equal quality at much lower cost — see table above. For acute / experimental conditions, US / UK may be the right choice

Get a written second opinion from your US / UK / Canadian doctor before flying — many overseas insurers require this for any reimbursement claim

Check if your overseas health insurance has an international / out-of-network clause — Cigna Global, Aetna International, BUPA Global all reimburse India treatment with paperwork

2 Pick the hospital + specialist accreditation matters

Pick a hospital with JCI (Joint Commission International) or NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals) accreditation. Most major chains have both

Top tier general: Apollo (Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai), Fortis (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore), Manipal (Bangalore), Max (Delhi NCR), Medanta (Gurgaon)

Specialty hospitals: Tata Memorial Mumbai (cancer), AIIMS Delhi (govt-run, low-cost), Narayana Health Bangalore (cardiac, lowest cost-quality ratio globally), LV Prasad Hyderabad (eye), Sankara Nethralaya Chennai (eye), Aravind Madurai (eye)

Verify the specific surgeon / consultant — top hospitals can have variable quality at the consultant level. Ask for the surgeon's case volume per year for your specific procedure

Email the hospital's NRI desk with your reports — most respond within 48 hours with a tentative cost estimate, surgeon match, and admission window

3 Pre-trip planning 3-8 weeks out

Apply for a Medical Visa (separate visa category — allows 3 attendants under "Med-X" category). OCI cardholders use OCI directly, no separate medical visa required

Wire cost estimate + 30% buffer to your NRO account — surgery costs occasionally escalate with complications

Compare FX rates →

Book accommodation near the hospital — most major chains have empanelled hotels at discounted rates for patient attendants

Buy travel insurance for the flight + complications-during-travel. Standard travel policies cover emergency in-India treatment if your primary purpose is travel, not medical

4 During treatment paperwork matters

Insist on itemised bills for every charge — needed for overseas insurance reimbursement and US HSA / FSA reimbursement claims

Keep originals: discharge summary, doctor's notes, lab reports, imaging on CD or USB drive. Most hospitals will mail follow-up reports overseas if asked

Pay in INR via NRO account or international card — many top hospitals offer 5-10% discount on the package price for upfront cash settlement

Get fitness-to-fly certificate from the surgeon if required — most international airlines need this for post-op flights within 4-6 weeks

5 Post-treatment + follow-up 12 weeks after

Confirm follow-up schedule with the surgeon — most provide 3-6 months of post-op email or telemedicine support included in the package price

File overseas insurance reimbursement within the claim window (typically 30-90 days from procedure date) — late filings get auto-rejected

Combine all receipts into a single PDF with index — easier than submitting 30 separate documents

If procedure requires in-person follow-up — schedule one return India trip (most NRI desks pre-book this at the time of discharge)

Brief your primary care doctor overseas with the discharge summary so they can manage ongoing care

Plan your treatment in India? Here's exactly how, in 22 steps.

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