Booking advice for medical travel is spread across many topics: verification, quotes, deposits, cancellation, payment methods, travel and follow-up. This page pulls those topics into one list for the moment just before you pay. It is built around proof. For every item, ask yourself: could I show this to someone else? If the answer is no, mark the item as open.
Work through it in order. The early sections decide whether the later ones matter at all.
How to use this checklist
Mark each item Have, Partial or Missing
"Partial" means you have a verbal answer or a vague message. Treat Partial as Missing until the answer is written down.
Send all your open items in one message
A single written list of questions is easier for a clinic to answer completely than a stream of separate chats, and the reply becomes part of your record.
Pay only when the stop-signs section is clear
Some gaps can be closed after a deposit. The items in the final section cannot.
Section 1: Who is treating you, and where
- Treating clinician named. Proof: a full name in the quote or confirmation, not just the clinic brand.
- Clinician registration checked. Proof: your own search of Colombia's ReTHUS registry. The Ministry of Health (MinSalud) explains that ReTHUS lets the public check whether a health worker has met the legal requirements to practise, and it can show disciplinary sanctions.
- Facility named, with an address. Proof: the place where the procedure happens. This is not always the consultation office.
- You have spoken with the treating clinician. Proof: a consultation, video or in person, with the person who will treat you. If that person is someone other than the consulting doctor, see our guide on booking when the surgeon is not the doctor you consulted.
For a fuller method, the verification chain guide walks through clinician, facility and service checks one link at a time.
Section 2: What exactly is being booked
- Recommendation status stated. Proof: the clinic says in writing whether the plan is final or depends on an in-person exam, tests or imaging.
- Scope described. Proof: the procedure or treatment, plus any combined procedures, listed by name.
- What could change after arrival. Proof: a written answer to "what would make you change the plan or the price once you examine me?"
- Risks and aftercare discussed. Proof: notes from the consultation, or written material the clinic sent you.
A provisional plan is not a reason to stop. It is a reason to confirm, in Section 3, what happens to your money if the in-person exam changes things.
Section 3: The money
| Item | What "Have" looks like |
|---|---|
| Itemized quote | Professional fees, facility, anesthesia, materials or devices, tests and follow-up shown separately, or clearly stated as bundled |
| Exclusions | A written list of what is not included |
| Quote validity | An expiry date, and what happens to the price after it |
| Currency | The quote currency and the currency you will pay in, named explicitly |
| Deposit and balance | The deposit amount, when the balance is due and how it is paid |
| Refund and change terms | What is refundable, transferable or kept if you cancel, if the clinic cancels, or if the clinician changes the plan |
| Follow-up costs | Whether follow-up visits and complication care cost extra |
The last row matters more than it looks. The CDC Yellow Book (2026) notes that some overseas facilities charge substantial fees for follow-up care on top of the base price. It advises confirming what the price includes and whether follow-up happens at the same facility. For the refund and change row, our guide to cancellation and rescheduling policies lists the specific terms to look for.
Section 4: How you pay
How you pay decides what you can do if something goes wrong. Check these before sending any money:
- Recipient matches the provider. Proof: the account or payee name matches the clinic, hospital or a facilitator you have a written agreement with.
- No pressure toward one payment method. The US Federal Trade Commission (2026) warns never to send money to anyone who insists on one specific method, such as bank or wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment apps or gift cards. It also notes that credit cards offer more protection and let you dispute charges.
- You know your dispute window. For US credit cards, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2024) says a written billing-error notice must be sent within 60 days after the charge appeared on your statement to protect your rights.
- Receipt requested. Proof: a receipt naming you, the amount, the currency, the date and what the payment is for.
Our guide to payment methods clinics accept compares the options in more detail.
Section 5: Travel and recovery
- Travel dates come from the clinical schedule. Proof: the procedure date and expected follow-up visits in writing, before any nonrefundable travel.
- Return flight can move. Proof: fare rules you have read, or a return not yet booked.
- Recovery address chosen with recovery in mind. Proof: you know the route from the clinic to the bed, and how you will get to follow-up visits.
- Local emergency contact. Proof: a phone number for the treating team that works after hours.
- Insurance terms read. The NHS treatment-abroad checklist (2023) advises getting suitable travel insurance and telling the insurer you are travelling for treatment.
Section 6: The home side
- Home clinician informed. The CDC (2026) says the plan for handling complications should be agreed with your doctor at home as well as the treating clinician abroad.
- Records promised in a usable language. The same CDC chapter advises asking for copies of overseas records in English to give to whoever handles follow-up.
- Time off and support at home arranged. Proof: leave that can stretch, and someone available for the first days after you return.
Keep the evidence where you can find it
Each item above produces a document, a screenshot or a written reply. Save them as they arrive, with names that say what they are, such as "quote v2, 14 Oct" or "refund terms email." When the clinic sends a revised version of anything, keep the old one too. If there is a disagreement later about the price, the date or what was included, you will want to show what you were told and when.
Section 7: Stop signs, where you do not pay yet
Do not pay while any of these is true
The NHS checklist lists warning signs to think hard about before booking: a hard sell, missing information, pressure to decide quickly, no discussion of possible complications, and no mention of aftercare. Add to that: you cannot get the treating clinician's name, the payee does not match the provider, or the refund terms exist only as a verbal promise.
If a stop sign appears, you do not have to cancel. Ask for what is missing and wait. A provider who refuses to put basic terms in writing has told you something useful about how a problem would be handled later.
What this list does not do
Ticking every box does not make a procedure safe or right for you. That is a clinical judgment for qualified clinicians, ideally including a second opinion from your own doctor. The checklist only makes sure the booking side is documented well enough that you can follow the plan, change it or step away without losing track of your money or your records.
The Takeaway
Pay when every item is something you can show on paper and none of the stop signs apply. Until then, the most useful thing to send the clinic is your list of open items, not your card number.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need every item checked before paying a deposit?
Not always. Some items, such as final travel bookings or recovery lodging details, can sensibly come after a deposit. The stop-sign items, along with the clinician, facility, scope, price and refund terms, should be settled first.
Is a WhatsApp message enough as written proof?
A message is better than nothing, but key terms such as price, exclusions, refund rules and the clinician's name are safer in a formal quote, confirmation or receipt. These documents can be shared with an insurer, a card issuer or another clinician if needed.
What if the clinic will only accept a bank transfer?
Some legitimate providers do prefer transfers, but you have fewer ways to get the money back than with a card. Ask whether other methods are possible. Confirm that the account name matches the provider, and be especially cautious if anyone pressures you to pay quickly or only one way.
How do I check a Colombian clinician's registration?
Use the public citizen search in Colombia's ReTHUS registry. According to the Ministry of Health, a search confirms whether the person is authorized to practise and also surfaces sanctions from ethics tribunals. Search for the clinician who will actually treat you.
Does finishing this checklist mean the clinic is trustworthy?
No. It means the booking is documented and your options are protected. Quality of care, candidacy and risk are clinical questions, so discuss them with the treating team and, ideally, with your own doctor.