Planning care in India from the United States
For many Americans the question is cost: deductibles, coinsurance and out-of-network bills. For others it is how long it takes to see a specialist. Here are the published numbers, and what we can arrange if you decide to look at India.
Mumbai skyline. Footage still: Vinay Mayekar on Pexels.
What the data says
Average annual deductible for single cover among workers in employer plans with a general deductible, 2026. 38% of covered workers were in a plan with a single-cover deductible of $2,000 or more.
Average wait to schedule a new-patient physician appointment across six specialties in 15 large US metro areas, up 19% since 2022.
Average new-patient wait for obstetrics-gynaecology in the same survey; cardiology averaged 32.7 days and dermatology 36.5 days.
We can't tell you whether treatment in India will cost you less overall; that depends on your plan, the provider's estimate, travel costs and follow-up care. What we can do is help you collect written estimates from the hospitals you choose, so you can compare them with what your plan says you would pay at home.
Sources checked 4 November 2026.
On the ground in India
- Appointment and estimate requests to the hospitals or practitioners you choose
- Visa paperwork guidance and a document checklist
- Airport pickup, transfers and local transport
- Stays near your hospital, for you and the people travelling with you
- Interpreters where available for your language
- Ayurveda, homeopathy or a check-up holiday, if you want one
- A recovery stay and help with your journey home
Practical checks
- Ask your health plan, in writing, what it covers abroad and how follow-up care at home is handled.
- If you use an HSA or FSA, ask your plan administrator or tax adviser what is eligible.
- Read the CDC's guidance on medical tourism and the State Department's India travel advisory and country information.
- Plan follow-up care with your US doctor before you go.
Your trip from the United States, step by step
What most US patients sort out before they board, and who does each part.
Talk to your own doctor first
Ask whether travel is safe for you, and how they would handle follow-up when you're back.
Get written replies from hospitals
You pick the accredited hospitals. We help you send them your reports and follow up until each one replies in writing. Hospitals reply on their own timelines; we follow up with them, but we don't control how long they take. Our own reply to your enquiry comes within one working day, and it's free.
Fix your dates, then book flights
Book only once the hospital confirms your date. Fly into the international airport nearest your hospital (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi, for example, all have international flights) and check current routes from the United States with airlines.
Get your e-Medical visa sorted
Use the official portal only. We give you the checklist and help you request the hospital letter.
Arrive to a plan
Airport pickup, a stay near the hospital, admission support, interpreters and a coordinator you can call.
Quick answers for US patients
Can someone travel with me?
Will I be able to talk to the doctors?
What will it cost?
What do I bring home?
e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant visas
US passport holders appear on the official e-Visa fee table for the e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant visas (checked 4 November 2026). Apply only on indianvisaonline.gov.in.
The portal lists e-Medical visas as valid for one year from arrival with multiple entries (checked 4 November 2026). Rules change; the Government of India decides every application. We give general guidance only.
Please read
- Care Beyond Borders is not a medical provider and does not give medical advice.
- Talk to your own doctor before planning treatment abroad. Don't stop or change prescribed treatment.
- We don't promise outcomes, prices or waiting times. Estimates come from the provider, in writing.
Heal in India, with the ground arranged
Tell us what you're planning and when.