Before you send anything
Take twenty minutes to gather what you'll need. Cancelling in a hurry, by voice note or a quick chat message, is how people end up without proof of when they cancelled.
- The cancellation policy you actually agreed to. Use the version attached to your quote or confirmation, not whatever is on the website today.
- Every payment receipt, with the date, amount, currency and method.
- Your booking confirmation, showing the reference number and the dates reserved.
- A list of every related booking: flights, lodging, recovery house, transfers, interpreter, travel insurance.
Then decide whether you are cancelling or postponing. Some providers treat a postponement more generously than a cancellation, for example by keeping the deposit as a credit. Ask before you commit to one or the other, and make sure any credit has an expiry date and conditions in writing. If you haven't read the policy closely yet, the points in cancellation and rescheduling policies to check will help you understand it.
Step 1: Send written notice through the right channel
Use the method the policy specifies, usually email to a named address. If it doesn't specify, email the provider's official address and copy the coordinator you've been dealing with. A WhatsApp message can follow as a courtesy, but it shouldn't be your only notice.
Your notice should include:
- Your full name, date of birth and booking reference.
- The procedure and date being cancelled.
- A clear sentence: "I am cancelling this booking as of [date]."
- A brief reason, if it affects the refund terms, such as a medical reason or the provider changing the plan.
- A request for written acknowledgement and an itemised refund statement.
- A request for copies of your records (see Step 5).
Keep the reason short and factual. You don't need to justify your decision, but if the policy treats medical or provider-initiated cancellations differently, say which applies.
Step 2: Get a dated acknowledgement
Many policies refund different amounts depending on how far ahead you cancel. The date the provider records is what counts, so ask them to confirm in writing the date they received your cancellation. If you don't get an acknowledgement within a few working days, resend the notice and note that it is a second request.
Step 3: Ask for the refund in numbers
A reply that says "your refund will be processed" isn't enough. Ask for:
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Total amount received | Confirms they recorded every payment you made |
| Amount kept, and the policy clause for it | Lets you check it against what you agreed |
| Costs already incurred for you | For example tests run or services already delivered |
| Refund amount and currency | Exchange-rate changes can shift the amount that reaches you |
| Refund method and expected date | Tells you when to follow up, and whether you need to dispute |
If you paid in one currency and are refunded in another, or through a different method, ask who carries the conversion and transfer costs. How you paid affects your options here, which is one reason the choice in payment methods for medical tourism matters before you book.
Step 4: Cancel everything else, one booking at a time
Cancelling with the clinic doesn't cancel anything else. Work through each related booking separately, and get a confirmation for each.
- Flights. Check whether a credit is better than a refund if you plan to rebook. Cancel your companion's flights too.
- Lodging and recovery house. Note any deadlines for free cancellation. These are often sooner than the clinic's.
- Transfers, drivers and interpreters booked separately from the clinic.
- Travel or medical-travel insurance. Tell your insurer. Some policies have cancellation cover, but only if you notify them promptly and give the reason they need.
- Time off work, and any home appointments you'd booked for after the trip, such as a follow-up with your own doctor.
If a facilitator booked any of these for you, ask them for a written list of what they've cancelled and what is still active.
Step 5: Get your records back
By the time you cancel, the provider may hold more about you than you sent: questionnaires, photos, imaging, lab results from pre-op tests, consult notes and a written plan. Ask for copies of all of it. You may need them if you look for another provider, and your home doctor may want to see any new results.
In Colombia, the clinical record (historia clínica) is governed by Ministry of Health rules. Resolution 1995 of 1999 lists the patient among those who may access it, and allows the provider to give a copy to the patient or their legal representative on request (Resolución 1995 de 1999, Supersalud normograma). Ask in writing for a copy of your historia clínica and any results. Ask whether they can provide it in English. The CDC Yellow Book recommends English copies of overseas records for any later providers (CDC Yellow Book, 2026).
If you uploaded records to a portal, download your copies before your access is closed. For moving records between providers later, see how to transfer medical records internationally.
If the refund doesn't arrive
Follow up in writing, quoting the acknowledgement and the itemised amount, and give a reasonable date for a reply. Keep the tone factual. Then use the protections that come with how you paid.
Card payments: watch the clock
The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises calling your card company right away. It also says your rights depend on a written dispute reaching the issuer no later than 60 days from the statement on which the charge first showed. Once the issuer has your letter, it generally has 30 days to confirm receipt. The CFPB also suggests keeping copies of everything and noting the dates of follow-up calls (CFPB, reviewed 2024). Your card agreement sets out the details. Note that the 60 days can run out while you're still waiting for a promised refund, so check the statement date of the original charge as soon as you cancel. Card issuers outside the US have their own rules, so check with yours.
Bank transfers and payment apps
These are much harder to reverse. If you suspect the "clinic" was never genuine, the FTC's advice is to get in touch at once with the bank or service that sent the payment, tell them it was fraud, and find out if the payment can still be halted or pulled back. US residents can also file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (FTC, 2026).
If the provider is the one cancelling
Sometimes the cancellation comes from the other side: the clinician decides you aren't a suitable candidate, the facility can't offer the date, or the provider changes the plan in a way you don't accept. The same steps apply, with two differences. First, ask the provider to state the reason in writing. A provider-initiated cancellation often falls under different refund terms from a patient cancellation, so the reason matters. Second, ask whether they'll cover any costs their cancellation caused you, such as non-refundable travel. They may not have to, but the answer should be in writing either way. If a facilitator was involved, ask them to confirm in writing which party initiated the cancellation.
Keep a cancellation log
A simple table is enough: date, who you contacted, how, what they said, and any reference number. Add a row every time something happens, including for flights and lodging. If a refund is delayed for months, the log is what lets you pick up where you left off without searching through old chats.
If you might rebook later
Cancelling doesn't have to end the relationship. If you hope to go ahead later, with this provider or another, write down why you cancelled and what would need to change. Keep the quote, so you can compare a future one with it. Save any new results in your own records file. A future provider will want them, and you won't have to repeat tests unnecessarily.
Cancellation steps to tick off
- Agreed policy version and all receipts gathered
- Written notice sent via the policy's channel
- Dated acknowledgement received
- Itemised refund statement with currency and date
- Flights, lodging, transfers and interpreters cancelled separately
- Insurer notified
- Copy of historia clínica and results requested
- Card dispute deadline checked against statement date
- Cancellation log started
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Start Booking on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
Is a WhatsApp message enough to cancel?
Use it as a courtesy, not as your only notice. Send written notice through the channel your policy names, usually email. Ask for a dated acknowledgement, because the recorded date often decides how much is refunded.
Can a Colombian clinic refuse to give me my records if I cancel?
Colombian Ministry of Health rules list the patient among those who may access the clinical record, and allow providers to give the patient a copy on request. Ask in writing, and keep a copy of your request. If the clinic is slow, follow up with a written reminder.
What if the clinic keeps more of my deposit than the policy allows?
Ask for the specific clause they are relying on, and compare it with the policy you agreed to at booking. If you paid by card, check your dispute deadline immediately. For US cards, the CFPB ties your rights to a written dispute sent within 60 days of the statement that first listed the charge.
Should I cancel or postpone?
It depends on whether you expect to go ahead with the same provider. Some providers handle a postponement more generously than a cancellation. If you're offered a credit, get its value, expiry date and conditions in writing before deciding.
Do I need to cancel my flights and hotel myself?
Usually, yes. A clinic cancellation doesn't cancel airline or lodging bookings. If a facilitator booked them, ask for a written list of what they've cancelled and what is still active.