Getting a CT in Portugal

We had a medical emergency in Portugal in May and my husband received care at a public hospital in Evora and in Lisbon because that is where the ambulance transported us. The care was very good. If I was advance planning, I would seek out a private clinic or hospital where insurance can more easily coordinate payment. I think there are many private clinics there and your travel insurance might recommend some. Our Kaiser medical insurance did a pretty good job with it, and the price of medical care in Portugal seems very reasonable.

CT scans are very expensive. I don't think any insurance policy (including travel) would cover it overseas unless it was in an emergency situation.

Cost will vary depending on the clinic/hospital, what area or areas are being scanned, with or without contrast, etc. Add on the cost of a physician consultation to order the test, possible radiologist fee for reading the scan and issuing a report. Then you would need to have the medical records translated to English. Travel insurance won't pay out for a non emergency procedure. Your regular insurance may not pay for out of country elective health care.

The private medical care here in Portugal is very good and costs significantly less than in the US.

The private hospitals are CUF and are plentiful. Most doctors have their offices in the CUF hospitals. The biggest issue might be getting a prescription for the CT. Google CUF hospitals close to where you are staying and go talk with them to see what you need to do.

Btw - I had a couple of MRI’s a few years ago when my private insurance only paid half . My co-pay was €120. And, I just had shoulder surgery with one night in the hospital. Total cost €8880. My insurance paid 90%.

Almost everyone in the CUF hospitals speak English plus there is an English option when you phone.

Thanks everyone for the info. I'll look into the CUJ hospitals when I'm in Lisbon. Glad to hear the quality of the care is very high!

I guess your MD is good to accept the report of a foreign CT scan?

If it is so unimportant that you are going on vacation anyway will it wait until you get home?

Why would a non-ignorant doctor would have hesitancy with foreign CT report?

Machines are similar everywhere even in developing countrirs (many times better in their main cities than in US suburbia)

Many MRI/XRay/CT scan are read overseas (Poland, Estonia, India, Vietnam) anyway under"supervision" of radiologist signing the report.

Some self insured Fortune500 companies pay 100 pct of diagnostic tests done in these locations with prior approval. They save a ton of money.

Would love a F/U from the OP to see how this turned out

Dennis

A CT scan is a very general term. You would need to be specific on what part of your body would be scanned and if it is with or without contrast.
If you have no immediate ailment that needs this scan, perhaps it may be better to wait until you return. Not to waste your time in Portugal to try and accomplish this.

Since the OP left for their trip 4 months ago, and hasn't replied, I doubt we'll ever know what they decided to do.

The OP made 2 posts, answers about Andalucíam, a month after this so apparently got there and back, but has not been heard from since. I agree that we will likely know what happened...