A cheaper treatment abroad can become very expensive when you discover what the advertised price didn't include.
1. The Provider's Credentials
Confirm the provider's professional registration and the facility's accreditation directly with the relevant authority in that country — not just what the clinic's own website claims.
2. Whether Prior Authorisation Applies to You
If you're hoping for reimbursement from your home healthcare system under Directive 2011/24/EU, confirm with your home country's National Contact Point whether your specific treatment requires prior authorisation before you travel — this can determine whether you're reimbursed at all.
3. The Total Price, Not Just the Headline Figure
Ask explicitly whether the quoted price includes the consultant fee, anaesthetist fee (if relevant), pre-treatment tests, and follow-up care, or whether these are billed separately.
4. What's Included in the Treatment Itself
Get a written, itemized description of exactly what the treatment includes — not just its name, since the same treatment name can mean a materially different scope of care between providers.
5. Additional/Unexpected Charges
Ask specifically what happens, and who decides, if the clinician determines additional treatment is needed once you're already there.
6. What Medical Documentation You'll Need to Bring, and Take Home
Confirm what records or referrals you need to bring for the treatment to proceed, and what documentation you'll receive afterward — this documentation is also what you'll need for any home-country reimbursement claim.
7. How Reimbursement Actually Works, If You're Relying on It
Understand that reimbursement under EU cross-border healthcare rules is generally capped at what the treatment would cost at home — not necessarily the full amount you pay abroad.
8. Medication and Follow-Up Prescriptions
Ask how any post-treatment medication will be prescribed and whether it can be filled once you're back home — prescription recognition across borders isn't yet fully seamless everywhere in the EU.
9. Devices, If the Treatment Involves One
If the treatment involves an implant or medical device, confirm its regulatory approval status and get the specific product/model documented in writing.
10. Quality and Safety Oversight, and the Complaint Procedure Before You Need It
Confirm which national authority regulates and inspects the facility, and whether there's any publicly available inspection or quality record. Also ask what the provider's formal complaints procedure is, and confirm your home country's National Contact Point can direct you to the right escalation route if something goes wrong — establishing this before treatment, not after, saves significant time if you need it.
What This Means Practically
- Get every one of these confirmed in writing before you commit to travel or payment — a verbal assurance isn't something you can act on later.
- Contact your home country's National Contact Point early — they can help you verify several of these points independently of the provider.
- Keep every document generated at each step — this becomes your evidence file if anything needs to be disputed later.