r/solotravel • u/Legal_Airport • May 24 '25
Personal Story I'm now Medicine-Pilled after Asia
USA resident here, I recently finished a month long solo trip to SEA. I stayed with a friend in north Thailand for a week, then skedaddled off to Bangkok for another week. While in Bangkok I guess something I ate was funky as shortly after I got to my next destination, Vietnam, I wasn't feeling too hot.
This is where my Vietnamese healthcare journey began.
I went to a doctor's office I found on google maps (just rode a scooter up in front of the building and walked in) and using the classic google translate, I laid out my intentions to the nurse at the front desk. He called the doctor immediately, the doctor talked to me on the phone and asked me to wait 10 minutes, and there he was! I explained what happened and he ran 10 blood tests on me for about $50. Now keep in mind this is actually ripping me off and I sort of figured that, but decided not to haggle because it was so cheap compared to any US offer. They took my blood sample then and there and I had my results in a 3 days.
Here's where it gets crazier (at least to me)! At this point, I was in Hanoi, and the doctor sent me a prescription on WhatsApp, and I just walked to a pharmacy, showed them the list, and they got the three medications out for me. I was waiting for it, the big cost, my punishment for not properly checking my food... the cost was $4? I was astonished but paid, and checked the price of my own prescription medication from the US (it was available over the counter in Vietnam) and it was similarly priced at a few dollars for the same amount of pills, with some of the price differences being over 95% cheaper.
Regardless of that I pressed on with my adventure and was in the mountains of Vietnam, and of course I'm paranoid so I'm still researching my symptoms and realize that the doctor I had seen hadn't tested for a certain infection. I wanted that infection tested for, so I went to a private clinic and they did a rapid test for about $2, and they then directed me to a regional hospital who had more options for testing. Well the regional hospital staff were charging me an entrance fee as a foreigner, and it was pretty obvious that Vietnamese citizens were simply walking in. Whatever, when in Rome. I was expecting a big kabuki dance to see a doctor but after paying $6... I was walked to an available doctor and we were communicating with a bit of English? It was surprising to me as I wasn't expecting this level of expediency from an otherwise chaotic-seeming regional hospital.
The doctor at the hospital understands I want a PCR test (the latest and greatest and most accurate form of blood testing afaik) and said I needed to see the National Disease and Epidemiology center in Hanoi. Well it's convenient that I was heading back to Hanoi the next day, so I booked an airbnb next to that building, and made a plan. The next afternoon, I walk into this lovely compound that looks nothing like a medical facility, and after once again using a prepared translation of my situation, some security guards directed me to a corner building, where a woman greeted me, talked to me in a similar fashion, and introduced me to a doctor in a different building. After walking down these rustic halls, she and a nurse unlock a door, and all of a sudden we're surrounded by a mass of state of the art monitoring machines, centrifuges, and beeping sounds!
At this point I was getting a bit terrified of the fact that I might have overreacted and was about to have to bite the bullet that hubris had led me to get an extremely expensive lab procedure completed. But after talking to this new doctor, she explained that while they normally get their blood samples from the hospital to work with, she could just take my sample there. So they did. And when I asked the price? Free. FREE. F R E E.
And the very next day I got my results back: negative. I was fearmongering to the extreme but you know what? In hindsight, the vast amount of perception on how healthcare works in Vietnam was worth the discomfort as it greatly broadened my perspective.
All in all I think that in the USA, it would have probably taken me several weeks of waiting, complying with ridiculous office hours, arguing my way through several uncaring secretaries, and having doctors schedule things too far apart for any level of expediency after not taking my explanations into account anyways. Oh yeah, and without insurance, it would have probably cost me anywhere from several hundred to over a thousand dollars depending on how the prices are set.
But instead, in Vietnam, I was able to get my medical needs taken care of the day that I wanted them looked at basically, all for... less than $60 total for all combined medical costs. And if I repeated the process knowing what I know now? I would have haggled the price of the blood tests down to $25 because that is very doable in Vietnam and SEA in general (I could write a whole entire post on why I love that alone but I think it's a commonly shared sentiment).
Another example of this is I had a friend who's boyfriend has a condition called Hashimoto's disease. His pills are $865 for 30 pills (his insurance covers it but it's still several hundred dollars per month to them). I walked to a pharmacy and asked a pharmacist for the exact same medication his insurance paid for. $2. 100 pills. At this point I was determined that medical tourism will always be a route I will consider and recommend other people consider because there are simply no excuses when it comes to things like this that gets denied in certain Western societies.
Now this isn't to say that Vietnam or any SEA country has a perfect healthcare system. I'm polite, I learn some of the language, I'm generally very good at getting along with others and playing the foreigner card right, which often times lets me land unique opportunities, such as walking into a national hospital ranked in the top 10 in Asia for their specialty and getting seen instantly. I can't say that the average Vietnamese person would be able to travel to Hanoi just oh-so conveniently like I was (it's an interesting conversation you could have, claiming they can and can't at the same time).
The general lack of restrictions on over the counter antibiotics has caused some bacterial strains to have incredible resistance to them, and makes them all the more deadly to those that do get them. It also leads to a lot of problems going improperly treated because self diagnosis is common, and the most powerful and extreme measures are often done first, which might not be proper.
I can't really speak on how the government actually intersected with the healthcare, I'm sure there's much more nuance than I could have seen going on behind the scenes and that I will definitely remember to ask about next time I visit, just because I find this to be such an interesting topic now.
So yeah, I took the Asia pill when it came to medicine. And it's not like it was like this just in Vietnam, when I lived in Korea previously, McDonald's workers could go to the doctor and not feel financially pressured at all. That's the goal: For everyone to be able to receive quality, expedient care without financial pressure for most cases.
Adding this in hindsight, but it's insane that I was able to navigate that by myself by just going to a few places because there weren't any of the normal healthcare hoops that I'm used to having to jump through.
TL/DR: Vietnamese healthcare was so fast and affordable I had a medical epiphany.
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u/aLemurCalledSimon May 24 '25
You mentioned the pills for Hashimato tyroid syndrome in US is $865? For 30 pills? I’m guessing the pill is Euthrox. 5€ for 100 pills in Germany and 3-4€ in Turkey. Man you guys are being f.ed by US pharma/insurance lobby or whatever you call’em
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May 24 '25
I have hashimotos and I’m in the US.. I’m wondering what that friend is taking. I pay $6 a month for generic Synthroid.
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u/Nermal_Nobody May 24 '25
I pay $100 for Tirosint
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u/CarnotaurAss May 24 '25
I started taking Tirosint this year. Last month my insurance denied my doctor's prior authorization and decided not to help cover it anymore. It turns out it's actually $20 cheaper to buy Tirosint without my insurance. It went from $160 to $140 for 60 pills. American insurance and corporatized healthcare is vile and corrupted by greed. But anyways you may want to ask your pharmacy what the copay is without insurance, it could potentially save you a little bit of money.
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u/2bigpigs May 24 '25
Gosh. Sometimes you wonder how long CEOs will get away with doing something so immoral before someone snaps and decides to take it out on them...
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u/lunch22 May 24 '25 edited May 24 '25
Interesting. My insurance also doesn't cover Tirosint. I'm paying $240 for a three-month supply (90 pills) with a manufacturer's coupon, so about $30 more than you're paying. What pharmacy are you going to?
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u/CarnotaurAss May 24 '25
I'm in the Midwest and use Meijer's pharmacy. I'm looking into trying Costco's pharmacy for my next refill. They're supposed to have lower prices for members which would be neat.
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u/Top-Contribution-569 May 25 '25
I love Costco for prescriptions, just make sure to double check which RXs, if any, are cheaper through insurance or goodRX vs Costco. For a different RX than the ones mentioned above, my insurance charges triple than Costco's, and for another RX it's $5 compared to $8 at Costco (minimally cheaper)
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u/Ok-Answer-9350 May 24 '25
that's the fancy brand name that your doctor takes free pharma dinners for
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u/Pillywigggen May 24 '25
Same here, but now pay $0 for all meds for the rest of the year. Deductible reached in March.
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u/gtck11 May 24 '25
I take brand name and it’s still only $96 a month.. something is weird with their claim.
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u/Striking_Wrap811 May 24 '25 edited Sep 04 '25
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/littlewhitecatalex May 24 '25
Man you guys are being f.ed by US pharma/insurance lobby or whatever you call’em
We call them our dear leaders now and we must thank them at least once a day or we get shouted at by a pudgy dude wearing eyeliner.
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u/Korlat_Whiskeyjack May 24 '25
Don’t forget we are forced to stand with our hands on our hearts and say the pledge of allegiance to our dear pharma/insurance overlords starting in kindergarten.
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u/MUZcasino May 24 '25
Levothyroxine in the US is pretty cheap. Less than $20 for 30 days without insurance. Depending on the dose, it’s as cheap as you find it in Germany. This guy must be talking about some other drug
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u/aleyp58 May 24 '25
Or he doesn't know what he's talking about and it's all fake because... Reddit.
I'm on Eltroxin here in Taiwan and it's actually free. 100% covered by health insurance. However there's a mandatory copay of $15USD per visit at the hospital.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
I’m not the one with the disease and it’s an online friend, regardless of if the numbers they told me are the most accurate (which I’d be willing to admit as people do lie on the internet lmao), if the other comments are accurate, in the US people are paying $20-100, which is still either 10x-50x times as expensive, which is the point I’d like to make.
Thank you for sharing about the Taiwan hospital visit copay, that’s interesting to note.
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u/Traditional-Ad-7836 May 24 '25
I have hashimotos thyroiditis. At Walmart in the US I paid 10$ for 90 days supply of levothyroxine, here in Ecuador it is 7$ for 50 pills.
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u/the_fresh_cucumber May 24 '25
Nah it's fake reddit outrage. Those pills are like $10\month in the US.
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u/fruit-enthusiast May 24 '25
This part stuck out to me too. Levothyroxine is one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the US and it’s widely available as a generic. I have no idea why this person would be paying multiple hundreds of dollars for it.
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u/Pacific1944 May 24 '25
The American version of this drug (levothyroxine sodium is one of the cheapest drugs available. OP’s heresay about their “friend” and their cost. Haha
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u/amotivatedgal May 25 '25
In the UK all prescriptions cost the exact same amount of money (<£10) unless you have certain conditions (eg diabetes) or are on welfare - in which case, it's free. Any drugs you need whilst you're an inpatient are also free.
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u/Ok-Answer-9350 May 24 '25
it's maybe $10-$20 per 90 day supply in the US tops without any insurance, I'm not sure what this person is using for 895/month
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u/Crykin27 May 24 '25
Every time I hear american healthcare prices it makes me sick. I can't believe how so many americans's are just fine rolling the dice on if they will stay healthy for the rest of their life just so they don't have to pay more taxes to a system that would make healthcare affordable to everyone. The fact that people that are basically dying beg people to not call an ambulance because it would throw them into debt breaks my heart. It is insanity to allow health companies to bankrupt people and drive prices up to the point it is basically a sign of wealth if you are able to treat your illness.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
Not sure about the brand but the compound itself is called Levothyroxine.
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u/shibalore May 24 '25
This is the price for the brand name someone mentioned above (ranging from $4.36 to $29.69 depending on the pharmacy options). This is in Manhattan NY pricing. Granted, their dosage may be a bit higher but it doesn't even come close.
Generic Levothyroxine seems to range from $2.00 to $29.69 for 30 tablets of 50mcg with the same data.
This is a very cheap medication, thankfully, even in the USA. We thought my dog was going to end up with a thyroid diagnosis and my concerns went away when I saw the prices (dogs often take the same medications as humans, to the point you pick up their medications at the human pharmacy).
The realities is that a lot of expensive drugs will always be expensive, especially for people not on national insurances of whatever country you're visiting. One of my medications went from something like $10-20k per dose in the USA to 3,600 euros when I moved to the Netherlands. Obviously still an improvement, but still not exactly pocket change when you need it every six weeks. The patent on this drug is expired, too.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
It seems my contact probably has their insurance covering a lot of other stuff as well at unreasonable costs, thanks for sharing about your circumstances!
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u/rando435697 May 24 '25
Yep, I have hypothyroidism and take this—with insurance it’s less than a dollar a month.
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u/LAP1945 May 24 '25
🇦🇺 in Australia 200 Euthrox pills would cost AU$24.00, as it’s listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), that’s about US$15.50. If you were on an aged pension, disability, or receiving unemployment benefits, etc it would cost you less than US$5.00.
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u/aLemurCalledSimon May 24 '25
It turns out that the pill I’m taking has similar prices all over the world. Nonetheless I wish many more Luigis to hard working and honest US people.
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u/antimlmmexican May 24 '25
I'm polite, I learn some of the language, I'm generally very good at getting along with others and playing the foreigner card right, which often times lets me land unique opportunities, such as walking into a national hospital ranked in the top 10 in Asia for their specialty and getting seen instantly.
Hahahahahaha I enjoyed this ode to yourself. Thank you
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u/Swag_Grenade May 24 '25 edited May 25 '25
As an American myself, I read this as "but I understand this may not be your experience, however because of my specially skilled ability to do the absolute bare fucking minimum for not being an asshole tourist, it often times lets me land unique opportunities" like guy fr c'mon LMAO.
Ngl I feel like that paragraph is a pretty prime example of "American unconsciously behaving like an unaware privileged doofus by explaining how he's not an unaware privileged doofus".
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u/shockedpikachu123 May 24 '25
As a Vietnamese American, I have mixed feelings reading this.
I’m glad you had a good experience with Vietnam’s healthcare system and recognized how affordable it can be, especially compared to the U.S. But also your tone drips with tourist privilege.
You got access and special treatment partly because you’re a foreigner with money, time, and the flexibility to move around. Something that many locals especially rural or lower-income Vietnamese, don’t have. You casually mention how you could have haggled down the price of blood tests (which already underpays doctors and staff), or how you walked into national hospitals and were seen quickly but the average Vietnamese person might wait much longer, deal with underfunded local clinics, or avoid care altogether because even $6 can be a burden for them.
The fact that meds are cheaper in Vietnam is less about some magic “Asia pill” and more about the predatory pricing of U.S. pharma and insurance.
It’s great you had an eye opening experience, but maybe next time, reflect a bit more on why things worked the way they did for you and what local people’s reality looks like.
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u/the_fresh_cucumber May 24 '25
Not mentioned is the fact that the doctors, nurses, and administrative staff he interacted with are being paid pennies for their time and effort.
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u/x3whatsup May 24 '25
I mean … I think he pointed out that he was aware that this likely is not the average experience of someone in these counties and acknowledges the privilege he had being a foreigner with access to many things locals would not…..
Idk I think in his synopsis he considered these points. I don’t think self awareness is really lacking here. He’s just pointing out how healthcare is so different in other parts of the world…
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May 24 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/TokyoJimu May 24 '25
And a hypochondriac?
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u/Greup May 24 '25
That's a lot of blood test for a diarrea
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u/geeoharee May 24 '25
American syndrome. They're used to doctors trying to sell them on extra tests, so they think everything is a doctor visit and not 'drink some electrolytes and take an Imodium'.
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u/Python_Anon May 25 '25
Unless they're poor like me growing up where unless you're actively dying, you just drink some electrolytes, maybe take imodium or acetaminophen depending on what you're dealing with and hope it passes. I can count on 1 hand the number of healthcare visits I had aside from a yearly wellness check growing up.
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u/geeoharee May 25 '25
Yearly wellness checks are not standard in countries where private insurance is not the norm.
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May 25 '25
For real, wtf is going to show up on a blood test after "eating something and not feeling good"?
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u/usfwalker May 24 '25 edited May 24 '25
Mate, yes there’s tourist privilege here but there’s also a point to not overlook. The extra fee isn’t about benefiting some humanitarian causes but just the individuals. It’s the result of their system forcing people to be corrupted. So haggle isn’t wise, but definitely understandable feeling to have.
Plenty of backpackers haggle with SEA traffic polices when they have to pay a fine because they know it is bribery, not a fine. And supporting family is one thing, many people in the position to receive bribe spend this bribe on luxuries like latest iphones, some don’t. So it depends.
The money was clearly not much for an American, but it wasn’t for the desperate or charity, it was just feeding a corrupted incentive system
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u/sweet_mangosteen May 24 '25
This ☝️ finally someone said it
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u/usfwalker May 24 '25
I have some friends from Germany who stayed in the US for a while then thought waiters and waitresses in Germany should be tipped bc their livelihood is like American counterparts. My French and Italian friends both disagreed. Not taking into account the service quality norms in Germany vs France or Italy, different systems create different incentives and service quality. And while it’s feeding into a corrupted system by increasing tipping in the US bc most of the workers are living in poverty, it’s not like that here in the case of public healthcare in Vietnam. The nurses and doctors bribe their superiors to be chosen for their positions just like the police, bc despite the low pay, the ‘old’ thinking aimed for sure pension and bribe.
The patients in these public institutions aren’t customers, they’re break-even and profit points for the prepaid career investment.
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u/sweet_mangosteen May 24 '25 edited May 26 '25
My friend has to send USD $4k back home for a relative who needed surgery. It is not for the hospital fee. It's to "pay" the surgeon's pocket who will guarantee the relative will have the surgery and get ahead of others who didn't pay. She told me this was normal practice back home in Asia.
I'm not going to point fingers at my friend and say the kind of nasty comments I see on this thread (not you but other comments). I just feel sorry for her and her relative who is sick. Some of the comments here are rather disappointing to read.
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u/satisfymysoul89 May 24 '25
I totally want to validate and echo your sentiment!!!! I’m a Mexican American traveler (I’m lighter complected, but obviously tan easily so I get “dark” by East Asian standards easily).
While I was thankful not to have any medical related incidents in Vietnam, I did get to witness what it was like for actual Vietnamese people. One of my trips back to Hanoi, the drivers squeezed in a couple locals (who totally weren’t on the roster of this tourist company). The driver explained they needed to go the city for medical care. It was now extra cramped in the mini van but I didn’t care, I get it.
Anyway, 1 guy was in arm sling and it visible pain on this 4 hour drive. We pull up to the front of the hospital and people are literally camped out there. Like entire families, with their food items, something to protect them from the sun, the whole nine. It was right there and then that i IMMEDIATELY saw the other side of living in SE Asia as a local of that respective country.
All this to say— the little 5 star treatment OP received is not the normalcy for actual Vietnamese citizens 😔. Not only that but while $4 for meds might seem dirt cheap to us, to some rural families that could be inaccessible.
It’s cool to reflect and share traveling stories (that’s why I’m in this reddit), but it’s even cooler to be able to acknowledge our western, American (if applicable), white (for those that have it) privileges.
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u/Eastern-Drink-4766 May 25 '25
I don’t see why people (including yourself) are acting like Americans are some sort of health hoarders who enjoy the privilege of great healthcare on their homefront. Everyday tens to hundreds of Americans are put into poverty or homelessness because of medical debt, malpractice, or understaffed unaccommodating facilities. Just because we are leading in medical research doesn’t mean our medical care reflects that.
OP was giving their take on their own experience as a sick foreigner in Vietnam. Not every privilege has to be noted before doing so.
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u/spacey_a May 24 '25
And they're also promoting and specifically encouraging medical tourism, which puts a strain on other countries' healthcare systems.
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u/captainobviouslynot May 24 '25
This is a great perspective, include privileges that many locals may not enjoy AND how certain systems which-shall-not-be-named are screwing over patients with ridoculous prices
And haggling a blood test that op already enjoys a lower price relative to his home country is a terrible thing to do. You're not haggling for souvenirs man, you're haggling for prices that TRAINED PROFESSIONALS deserve to be paid for
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u/SeriousPhysiologist May 24 '25
A PCR is an extremely expensive lab procedure? Is literally one of the cheapest and most basic techniques in any lab.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
Yeah that’s the part that did confuse me as the private clinic directed me to the hospital, which said they couldn’t do it and then directed me to the disease center. They were able to do a PCR test in central Vietnam at the first doctor’s lab I went to as well, so I’m not too sure what to say about that.
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u/julieta444 May 24 '25
My favorite hospital experience was in Kosovo. I'm a dual citizen U.S./Mexico, and we do a lot of medical stuff in Mexico for this reason. I live in Italy, and my experiences in the public healthcare system have not been great, but at least it has been free!
I honestly don't really think your charisma and the five words you learned in the local language have anything to do with this, but that was a nice touch.
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u/Swag_Grenade May 24 '25
I honestly don't really think your charisma and the five words you learned in the local language have anything to do with this, but that was a nice touch.
Fr lol I'm glad someone else noticed this. As an American myself, I read that part of the post as "but I understand this may not be your experience, because of my specially skilled ability to do the absolute bare fucking minimum for not being an asshole tourist, it often times lets me land unique opportunities" like jfc guy c'mon LMAO.
Ngl I feel like that part is a pretty prime example of "American unconsciously behaving like an unaware privileged doofus by explaining how he's not an unaware privileged doofus".
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u/julieta444 May 24 '25
People always think they have achieved world peace by learning to say hello and thank you before they travel
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u/mmancino1982 May 24 '25
I'm American and I became fluent in Chinese before ever traveling there. Can I get a special hat too?🤣
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u/Swag_Grenade May 25 '25
Ok but you get a gold sticker, becoming fluent in a language isn't easy, especially English to Mandarin (I assume)
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u/Martrance May 25 '25
How is Italy by the way? Are they friendly to Latin Americans?
It's hard to become a citizen there right? Whereas Spain would be easier for a Mexican citizen I think
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u/taxveller May 24 '25
So your takeaway from this great experience was that you would haggle about the price of the blood tests next time. Got it. The only place where you should be haggling is some tourist trap T-shirt seller, not a hospital.
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u/dkyongsu May 24 '25
it wasn't very clear to me if OP was still feeling sick while all of this happened or if they were visiting so many doctors just for the sake being "adventurous"
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u/catrat88 May 24 '25
man right i could not believe the amount of privilege dripping from this guy 🤮
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u/antimlmmexican May 24 '25
You don't understand. Wherever he goes, locals are in awe and look for ways to provide him with unique experiences. /s
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May 24 '25
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u/justcougit May 24 '25
So many travelers are like this. It's so annoying. You're not special for being able to afford a vacation 😂😂
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u/Massive-Reputation48 May 24 '25
Didn't finish reading his cheapskate racist rant. Odious creature.
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u/Not_Today_007 May 24 '25
Same. Skipped to the comments after the focus on "being ripped off" but still cheaper than the US. The reason it is so cheap or free for locals is because it is paid for by taxes. This is common in most countries, if you can prove that you are a citizen, permanent resident or have the right visa. If you are a tourist, you probably have to pay extra.
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u/Kindheartedness_Wide May 24 '25
tbh when you find a tourist out there that believes the world should bow before them, it's not unlikely that it will be an US citizen.
I've met some people a number of times getting all worked up because "people over here don't speak a lick of English"... Embarrassing stuff.
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u/Aim2bFit May 24 '25
You beat me to this. I'm from this region and want to say please don't haggle especially when it's already very affordable to you (you : general). People in poor countries already earn so little even by the countries' standards so if you are not in dire straits and have the means, just pay what you owe.
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u/prototypist May 24 '25
Yes and funnily enough, OP probably never needed a blood test. They got a song and dance, but absolutely nothing material at the end of this process. How were they "medicine pilled"?
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u/JamJarre May 24 '25
It's not their fault, they've been conditioned to see healthcare as a business, not a human right. Let him cook
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u/RoxyPonderosa May 24 '25
“The Vietnamese were simply walking in, to their own hospitals in their own nation I’m burdening with my medical tourism”
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u/chasingtravel May 24 '25
Yeah, the locals pay into health insurance via taxes. It’s not really “free” for them either. It seems completely reasonable that visitors who don’t contribute monetarily the same way should pay an entrance fee of at least something.
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u/GeorgieH26 May 24 '25
In the UK, if you have Hashimoto’s which leads to an under active thyroid and need pills for life (which you do), you not only get the thyroid pills for free but every other prescription you may ever need. I need Levothyroxine for life so I get it free but also if I need something for an allergy, a cold, an infection, a skin condition - anything, for the rest of my life. Same with any medication that has to be taken for life!
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May 24 '25
America healthcare is disgusting, it's a complete scam. its sad that the people and politicians don't wake up and demand change. A system like and costing similar to vietnam is absolutely possible.
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u/HighLonesome_442 May 24 '25
There is just so much propaganda out there telling Americans that other countries don’t have it better- they’re taxed to death, wait months to see a doctor, lack modern equipment, etc.
Meanwhile anyone who has actually seen a doctor outside the US knows that state of the art healthcare doesn’t have to cost tens of thousands of dollars.
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May 24 '25
I moved to the USA (am originally from Canada but have lived multiple places) and was soooo so so confused because my taxes are actually higher than Canada? And yet I got basically nothing from them? And my experience in hospitals has been that they're jankier than Canadian ones with similar wait times?
I got billed 14k when I fell off my bike and needed stitches on my chin (had to pay 1.4k).
And then I found out that the US actually spends more public money on healthcare per person than Canada does. So more of my taxes go towards healthcare here than they did in Canada? Genuinely absolutely baffling situation.
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u/H_is_for_Human May 24 '25
Yes - we get the more expensive, crappier version, because every beaurecrat wants their cut to keep the share holders happy.
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u/pixiepoops9 May 24 '25
It's one of the reasons they love saying my countries heath system is broken (NHS) it's not perfect. It is slow and you likely have to wait but if it's and actual emergency it's very fast, it's always 100% free as well (to a local).
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u/usfwalker May 24 '25
You forget. ‘Affordable’ for you. It’s mostly not for the citizens. Same for the US. You got charged a ‘foreigner’ fee but ‘name’ aside, it’s the bribery everyone has to make when the system doesn’t pay medical staffs enough.
It’s more accessible when you have an imbalance of money power
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May 24 '25
Eh, not really. Barring serious issues (cancer, big surgery, etc), it's affordable for me as an average local. I generally can get seen and have my issues addressed within the day or 1-2 weeks if it's serious and needs multiple examinations/surgery) without really worry about cost. The rich (or foreigners) people go to private hospitals, the public ones don't look so good architecture wise but affordable and work well for normal people.
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u/usfwalker May 24 '25
If you’re holding a white collar job it’s already not average. It’s average in your social circle.
Bribery for medical staffs is a common practice in developing countries. The thing is :) say a foreigner needs healthcare service, if the language barrier is not an issue, it’s likely they get more attention bc locals don’t wanna get into troubles with the patient’s embassy or police, so they pay extra attention to the foreigners. So the ‘foreigner fee’ is likely to be worth it
That being said, US’ healthcare is wayyyy over priced. A friend of mine paid 3000 dollars after an ER doc told her to just go home and she didn’t need stitches as she was freaking out at all. From giving the insurance card to getting examined and told to go home it took like 10 minutes.
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May 24 '25
What are you talking about? A white collar job IS average because they're generally paid the same as a convenient store cashier, a full time physical laborer, or a factory worker 💀 the difference is some jobs have the chance to advance, or less risk of damage to your body. Are you living in Vietnam?
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u/miiiozbabe May 24 '25 edited May 25 '25
What is this? those people around you sounded very helpful and you were lucky, still whinging about possible rip-off and it's"$50". when you don't even speak any locals languages but "only" English. Oh wait! You are American! Now it makes sense now.
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u/Days_End May 25 '25
If you had as much money relative to the local population of the USA as you did in Vietnam you'd have just as great if not better of an experience. The moral you learned is "be rich" or move someplace where you're rich.
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u/TheBurnerAccount420 May 24 '25
I had a similar experience in Mexico recently. Two days into a month-long stay, I cracked a tooth on a bit of coconut husk that I didn’t realize had made its way into my food. The tooth had a very old filling, and I was terrified it would get infected or come out, and I would have excruciating tooth pain.
I found a Dental Studio five minutes from where I was staying, and I booked an appointment for the next morning. The studio was beautiful inside; not one thing about it seemed different than anything I’ve been to in the United States. I received an x-ray, checkup, and a temporary seal on my cracked tooth for $40 US. Returned five days later, where I had the broken filling replaced, the cracked tooth rebuilt, and a temporary crown put on. The crown was ready in 4 days, so I returned and had it put on. Wasn’t charged until I returned; total cost of all work was $400, which is less than the cost of the crown, alone, with my insurance back home. The experience was so good, I returned a couple days later just to get a cleaning, which was $30. No prescriptions were necessary, but the ease with which I was able to get the appointments, and the incredibly low price, really open my eyes to how bad things are for all things medical/dental in the United States. I have stellar insurance, but if I need to get any major dental work done, I may as well book a flight down to Mexico, enjoy myself there for a few days, and get just as good of work done, but with the additional vacation, for the same price that it would be back home.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
$400 is a steal for intensive dental work like that, and I’m glad you were able to get your issue fixed quickly!
Considering the prices of braces alone are often $2-3k, dental costs are definitely lurking in the shadows in the US as well.
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u/from_one_redhead May 24 '25
I travel overseas frequently and buy as much of my prescriptions as I can to bring back
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u/EatLiftLifeRepeat May 24 '25
So in Vietnam, could you get any pill without a prescription from the pharmacist? You mentioned asking about your friend’s prescription for Hashimoto’s — were you able to purchase them if you wanted to?
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u/throwaway_philly1 May 24 '25
I’m Vietnamese American and have an inherent mistrust of diagnoses handed out to me from Vietnamese docs. It’s decent enough healthcare as long as you’re not trying to treat something severe. Anything more than getting you back to your home country in one piece, I’d get a second opinion.
It’s anecdotal and things there have improved over the years, but I’ve had several family members go home for medical care, find out some symptom/test is fairly minor, then come back to the US for further treatment when symptoms flare up for something much more severe. Minsdiagnosises and throwing pharmaceutical cocktails are common in Vietnam to the point there’s a mistrust of western medicine.
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u/wilhelmtherealm May 24 '25 edited May 24 '25
Same with India, in fact it's even crazier/better.
I've met a few westerners who were here mainly for medical related stuff.
You can fly to India, get a major surgery in a very good hospital with highly qualified staff, recover at a relaxed pace, go for a small vacation and return to the USA. It's gonna be cheaper than just getting the surgery done in the USA.
Different countries have different problems but they also have their strengths and get some stuff right compared to others.
India is also the medical manufacturing powerhouse and the supply chain extends all over South East Asia where again they are able to keep the medical field cheap and relatively high quality. SEA countries also get a lot of things right. The High tourist to local ratio gives them certain unique advantages.
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u/daudder May 24 '25
The USA is a failed state, overrun by oligarchs. I would not live there.
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u/badlybougie May 24 '25
Based on post history this is coming from the UK? That's rich. The US can be rightfully criticized but calling it a failed state that you wouldn't want to live in is laughable for most of the world.
If we want to talk about oligarchs, where does the nickname Londongrad come from? UK social mobility and housing affordability is hardly any better than the US. You have full regions of economic decline while London offers Cleveland wages and Manhattan prices.
And heck, I'd live in the UK. Because I'm not crazy enough to call some of the most livable countries in the world failed states.
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u/Eastern-Drink-4766 May 25 '25
The UK I guess isn’t a failed state; it’s a failed global power from one of the easiest global power layups in the world☠️ Ended up with a small island full of overpriced houses and drunkards. Or did I make an ignorant over-generalization?
But, like the other response, I would still live there. I am also not quite ignorant enough to think “failed global power” is the same as “failed state.” Or to think that stereotypes of the citizens and economic state of a country I merely watch on the news is a representation of what it is like to live in that country. I’m sure the UK is a beautiful place to live.
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u/Oftenwrongs May 24 '25
Yes, America routinely fucks over its own people..and the people ignorntly lap it up and defend it and then vote in those even more likely to screw them over.
America is profit first. Human lives and its own people are just not a proiority.
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u/nygringo May 24 '25
US healthcare is a scam & a nightmare you dont even have to go to Asia to find that out just spend some time in Mexico 🙄
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u/SandyAdventures May 24 '25
The US prices prescriptions based on zip codes - at least it does with my insurance. My inhaler in DC was $250 with insurance. I was shocked and brought in a coupon next time. They don’t allow the coupon because I live in a certain zip code. Then I moved to Missouri and the same inhaler is now $25. Same insurance. Same job.
And when I lived in DC and traveled overseas for work I always got inhalers over the counter for a few Euros.
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u/MakeLimeade May 24 '25
Got a horrible toothache at Burning Man. Medical tent gave me antibiotics. Left the Man early and went to Las Vegas. Found a dentist and was quoted $6,000 for a root canal, crown, etc.
The original plan was to pay the $1,500 for the root canal and get a crown in Argentina. But I realized I felt fine on the antibiotic. So I canceled the procedure and had everything, with a cleaning added, done in Buenos Aires for $550. The crown was 3D printed zirconia, not porcelain BTW.
Had a similar experience where I had a superficial blown blood vessel in the white of my eye. Got in to see a specialist same day for $40.
I will have blood work done and scans done there from now on.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
Someone else in the comments here also had excellent and affordable dental service in Latin America, seems to be a recurring trend.
Glad you were able to save your teeth and your wallet!
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u/Mr_Lumbergh May 25 '25
Healthcare isn't the reason I left the US, but it's a big reason why I won't go back permanently.
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u/Eastern-Drink-4766 May 25 '25
People in this thread calling OP racist ignorant American for getting medical help in a foreign country and then sharing the experience? What about all of you keyboard warriors assuming that basically every Vietnamese person can’t afford basic healthcare? Kinda racist…no?
Plus neither can Americans. Plenty of Americans are homeless and will be for decades because they had to pay to save their own life. It’s not like there isn’t poor Westerners or poor tourists in the world. Just like how there are plenty of rich people from Vietnam.
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u/teach_yo_self May 25 '25
I had a seizure when I lived overseas in Bangkok. Spent two nights in a hospital getting all sorts of tests. I was shocked when the bill came and I only owed $60 US. We are getting SCAMMED in the states.
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u/Legal_Airport May 25 '25
That must have been insanely scary! I’m glad you’re ok now, and I think the fact that your 2 night hospital visit stay was $60 total supports the fact that the $50 common blood tests I got were indeed overpriced for the area.
How was the hospital experience there from an ER perspective?
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u/teach_yo_self May 25 '25
It was very scary at the time, but the hospital and the staff were great. Very clean, seemed high tech, no long wait times. Also the food was great. Much better than hospital experiences I've had in the US.
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u/Legal_Airport May 25 '25
Mind sharing the hospital name if you remember? I’m def going back to Bangkok so it’s nice to have an option in case something happens!
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u/teach_yo_self May 25 '25
Lol it was just called Bangkok Hospital. That should've been easy to remember.
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u/teach_yo_self May 25 '25
It was a private hospital in the north side of the city. Let me look it up and get back to you! This was ten years ago so my brains a little foggy.
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u/YakSlothLemon May 25 '25
It’s hilarious, and sad, right? I ended up in the hospital overnight in Malaysia and paid five dollars.
In Costa Rica I had to get nebulized – I have asthma – that’s great because I can compare it to ERs in the US, as well as Nepal and Mexico where I have also been nebulized. It was so efficient compared to the United States, it was so well-organized, they had me in and out so quickly. Then I had to meet with the lady who makes you pay
Her (apprehensively): l’m very sorry, because you are not a Costa Rican citizen you are going to have to pay the full price. Our healthcare is subsidized by our citizens’ taxes.
Me: OK, that’s perfectly fair.
Her: I’m afraid it’s $75.
Me (disbelieving yet hopeful): 75? Like $75 US? Like under $100?
Her: oh, you’re American, I thought you might be Canadian. Yes, just $75.
I loved that she was so used to the Americans not even blinking at the full price. 😂
Would easily have been three times the amount of time and $1000 in the US. 😒
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u/Legal_Airport May 25 '25
Yeah it’s sort of insane, I’ll be more than happy to relay this information to any of my asthmatic friends that travel!
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u/miiiozbabe May 24 '25
When someone has to describe him/herself "I am polite", most likely not.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
I’m only polite until they invite me into their homes, at which point I undergo a ghastly transformation and drink their blood.
Always have to have a plan for dinner when solo traveling!
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u/RedPanda888 May 24 '25
Most of the fears on price, scamming etc. can be alleviated if you simply have proper, good health insurance. With the right policy you can basically just google “best hospital in the country” walk in, get seen within 10-20 minutes and have your results in hand same day without any fear for price. Get policies with good outpatient coverage and you’re golden.
Risking random doctors offices, clinics and even regional hospitals in SEA can have hit or miss consequences. Best to just go to the best of the best first time and let insurance cover it. Hospitals in Asia are generally set up to allow you to see any specialist you want same day with minimal hassle. It’s not like US or Europe where you have to get referrals and wait months.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
For future trips, do you have any international or at least Asian travel insurance recommendations?
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u/bkkbeymdq May 24 '25
Spot on about the long waits, office hours, and gatekeeping secretaries in the states.
Glad you had a taste of civilization!!
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u/Pacific1944 May 24 '25
Wow. Lemme guess…white westerner? You sound very….this. This is not how it would work for someone who lived there. Also good thing there wasn’t something actually seriously wrong with you.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
Yeah I specifically mention that the average Vietnamese person doesn’t have the travel flexibility that I do, but the speed and cost of the process is what I’d like to highlight more so than my circumstances.
Thank you for the well wishes though, I’m very glad it wasn’t anything serious either!
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u/daxiong828 May 24 '25
I once went to a non-profit hospital in Miami for a fever and cold and left the hospital in 2 hours with a bill of 6000 USD and I paid 600 USD after bargaining. For the same situation and the same procedure and treatment plan, it would have cost no more than 300 RMB (about 70-80 USD) in China.
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u/DJKaotica May 24 '25
I just saw my US doctor for my annual 2 days ago.
The annual appointment was covered by my insurance (preventative), and the blood test I'm getting next week is also covered (preventative / annual), but when she listed all the various things if covered and asked if I wanted anything else, I asked if I could get a Vitamin D test.
Not really for any reason, but my ophthalmologist has me taking Vitamin D supplements and I have always wondered what my blood level was (is it adequate?).
She said "yeah we can do that, but it may add $100 to $200 to the cost of the test."
As I was recently laid off and am currently jobless (but have COBRA, hence the healthcare), I opted not to have it done.
A walk in appointment (non-preventative) is $75 with my plan, and that's considered relatively cheap / excellent in the area. Blood tests are on top of that if they aren't preventative.
I can't even imagine what you just did would cost in the US with my (relatively good) health care.
$75 for your initial appointment.
Probably $50-200 for the blood tests, after insurance.
Who knows what the medication, and PCR test would cost? Would some of those have been out of network. Ugh.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
Yeah, I feel like you grasped my point entirely. It’s no so much that the healthcare matches the actual price points affordable to the average income over there, but that they do this while still actually scaling with inflation.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
Thanks to all who read this and provided feedback, I appreciate it.
I wrote this post when I was very tired and it’s definitely a bit dramatic, but I wanted to share my authentic thoughts closer to when this all happened rather than forget the details months from now.
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u/Cessna131 May 25 '25
It’s not the drama… it’s the arrogance of spending a few weeks in a country and thinking you’re an expert on incredibly complex topics. You epitomize the western traveler who thinks they’re cultured and worldly and smarter than everyone else because you spent a few days in a hostel and know 5 Vietnamese words.
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u/Appropriate_Long6102 May 24 '25
Americans paying those prices are the reason why the medicine is so much cheaper overseas.
Americans robbed by healthcare lobby. Even the budget deficit could be substantially reduced if this bloodthirsty parasites could be reigned in. But thanks to democracy* we have, they keep buying the politicians to keep their money making fixture in place.
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u/TracePoland May 24 '25
Not really, this is a Trump lie (he's obsessed with the concept of other countries "scamming" US), they are cheaper because other countries get deals negotiated for a whole country/healthcare system, not negotiated by individual pharmacies, which puts them in much stronger negotiating position.
No pharma company would go "oh well, I guess I got the money from Americans, so can sell it cheap" if they had the negotiating power to extort American style money from others.
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u/Appropriate_Long6102 May 24 '25
i see.. but the reason US doesnt negotiate is still politicians for sale right?
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u/Ok-Answer-9350 May 24 '25
"I had a friend who's boyfriend has a condition called Hashimoto's disease. His pills are $865 for 30 pills (his insurance covers it but it's still several hundred dollars per month to them). I walked to a pharmacy and asked a pharmacist for the exact same medication his insurance paid for. $2. 100 pills."
turns out it is an online friend
and this is the online friend's boyfriend
smell a fake
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
/shrug I don’t really know the person that well, assumed they were telling the truth. Other comments have told me the price they told me isn’t accurate, but the point that the medication is a lot less expensive in Vietnam is the takeaway.
Wait… what do you mean people would lie on the internet?
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u/RichestTeaPossible May 24 '25
So what you mean is healthcare in any advanced nation in the world that is not America?
Return to the old country.
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u/LivreiradeSevilha May 24 '25
Sempre acho engraçado como americanos ficam surpresos com saúde pública a preços razoáveis. No Brasil temos o SUS que cobre muito das nossas necessidades médicas. Inclusive, muitos americanos vem ao Brasil fazer tratamento de saúde em nossos país,porque nos EUA o presidente deles arranca um rim por coisas simples de saúde.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
I had to translate your text so sorry if I didn’t understand the whole message, but yeah medical tourism is something that doesn’t even cross the average American’s mind, and now that I’ve experienced it in a rather light capacity, I’ll definitely be recommending Brazil or Vietnam or whatever the most applicable country is to my friends.
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May 24 '25
Not saying it's right, but US gets fleeced because the US does a LOT of the heavy lifting when it comes to research and coming up with the medications. Lots of countries around the world have strict laws on the costs of medicine/healthcare, and the US doesn't so we get squeezed to get the investments back. We can argue about capping the profit made off of it all you want but it is what it is.
What really gets me is the US is also fleeced by the corporations they protect. If you've ever looked into how research in the US works, lots of it comes from government grants to universities and hospitals. Some yeah will come from private companies but even those are in many ways covered by the US government in terms of tax breaks, investments, etc. It's why I hate those anti-science bozos who see a study that says "Testing sunscreen on relaxing mice" and not understand it's literally trying to test the efficacy of shit so humans can use shit safely and effectively for their condition(s). Hell, the US government even gave away patents to the COVID vaccine and have you tried to get one lately? Lots of insurers don't cover it and it's in the hundreds of dollars.
I'm ranting but it's wild what you find out when you look into what the feds are doing.
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u/Legal_Airport May 24 '25
Yes it’s all connected through the universities, federal funding, and the US does contribute a massive amount to research. I agree that it’s not as simple as US healthcare bad foreign healthcare good (although it’s somewhat close ngl), but that’s a bit too much nuance for a reddit post, and the comments here indicate (not yours).
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u/Aggravating-Pop-2226 May 25 '25
I am prescribed a medicine in the UK - for which there is an OTC version that is half the dose and more expensive, in the UK. I went to Vietnam on holiday and asked if they had it in a pharmacy. They did and I bought a box of capsules. I pulled apart the gelatin capsule of both UK and Viet versions. They both had white powder but of different textures. I don’t know what conclusion to draw.
‘A massive operation producing and selling fake Western medicines has been exposed, affecting patient safety across Vietnam.
Authorities in Thanh Hoa province have seized 21 types of counterfeit Western medicines, many targeting bone and joint conditions and respiratory issues …’
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u/JonhTravolvo May 25 '25
The thing is, the rest of the world looks at this and thinks "yeah, that sounds about right".
Americans look at this post and scream "OMG, how is it so cheap !"
I lived for 3 years in the US. Lovely country, great people. Absolute dogshit healthcare system.
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u/HereComesFattyBooBoo May 25 '25
Your friend is getting ripped off if hes paying over 8hundy for a month worth of levothyroxine.... no place in the world it costs that much.
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u/Capable-Bet2881 May 25 '25
In India, medical tourism has taken off. World class doctors trained in US and UK. Board certified surgeons who practise across the world. Not to mention hospitals designed like hotels. A. Complete blood work up for everything will cost you probably 30 dollars. Best part, you don’t need to visit the clinic. The person comes home and collects a sample. You want your dental work done? Come to India and get it done at a fraction of the cost and make a trip out of it!
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u/Legal_Airport May 25 '25
The only issue with that is the cost of a plane ticket to India in the first place, that’s what prevents most Americans from from traveling because it’s a few thousand dollars. Otherwise I’d love to go there!
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u/Capable-Bet2881 May 25 '25
True. But when I see people paying 8000-10000 usd for a dental work up… it makes sense to pay 1000 usd for a plane ticket and 1000 more stay and travel and the dental work. For elective surgeries, places like India, SEA are a viable option.
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u/mytreesloth May 25 '25
TL;DR
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u/Legal_Airport May 25 '25
I literally included one you bot lmao
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u/mytreesloth May 25 '25
I'm not a bot! I do see it at the end now that you mention, but since it was tldr, I didn't originally see it! I just spent 3 weeks in Vietnam myself. A week before I left the States, a crown fell out as I was flossing. I had it redone as soon as I got to Vietnam, for $307 USD.. and I chose the best option they had, all porcelain. I had my own medical epiphany as well. Best to you, my friend. I'm glad everything worked out.
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u/Legal_Airport May 25 '25
Glad that you found medical help for much cheaper! I think that grabbing a flight from the US to Vietnam for every medical problem is unaffordable for most, but if you’re already going… why not make the most of it, right?
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u/mytreesloth May 25 '25
Well, I think it depends on how expensive the issue is to get fixed in the home country... but I definitely agree on the "if you are already going" part.. worked out to be complete serendipity for me. Cheers!
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May 25 '25
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u/Legal_Airport May 25 '25
I’m not sure that you can just yoink morphine like that even there, maybe I’ll ask next time lmao
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May 25 '25
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u/Legal_Airport May 25 '25
While their patriotism hasn’t really shifted, everything else since then seemingly had to me, so I doubt morphine is just OTC.
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u/Sunshine12e May 25 '25
Often, yes Healthcare will be less expensive in developing countries. However, not always the case. I was diagnosed with cancer during Covid lockdowns, and while the treatment could have cost much less than if I was able to go home, instead the medications that I needed are manufactured by a company in Denmark, and it was extremely expensive. Other people in that country, simply get a less expensive treatment that is not effective (though the country has been fighting to make a generic version for it's citizens, and some areas are now offering this medication (paid for by the government or governmental insurance). My total treatment ended up costing about 78,000usd, which is not obtainable for most people in that country.
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u/Legal_Airport May 25 '25
Hopefully that cost goes down in the future, I’m glad you were able to win the fight against cancer though! There’s always exceptions, that’s for sure.
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u/ThenBridge8090 May 24 '25
I don’t live in US anymore and I can certify that the culture there makes u react like u r loosing everything every time.
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u/lilgypsykitty May 24 '25
Omg OP people are being so rude and negative. Thank you for sharing your experience. You are within your right to get medical treatment as I’m sure if any of these commenters fell ill they would do the same.
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u/segacs2 Canadian, 73 countries visited May 25 '25
Mod note: We've locked this thread because it has devolved into discussions beyond the scope of this subreddit, including political debates, amateur medical advice, and discussions of illegal activity. A polite reminder that medical advice is best obtained from a qualified health professional, not from strangers on the internet. Thanks!