Chapter 08 of 14
Health and insurance
What a doctor costs, how to talk to one, and the four questions to ask an insurer.
What a doctor actually costs
| Where | One consultation |
|---|---|
| Local clinics and hospitals | 300,000 to 1,200,000 VND |
| Vinmec | around 1,200,000 VND |
| Family Medical Practice | about 2,200,000 to 2,900,000 VND |
Checked 2026-08-02
Family Medical Practice is the most expensive by a wide margin. What you pay for is a Western-trained doctor and a consultation entirely in English with no language gap. For something frightening or complicated some people decide that is worth it. For a stomach bug it is a lot of money.
Talking to a doctor here
Write your symptoms and any medical words down before you go in. Many doctors here read English far better than they hear it. A word that gets a blank look when spoken is understood instantly when written.
Ask why, for every test. Ask what each one costs, what it is looking for, and whether it can wait for the result of the first. Some clinics order a full set at once when a single test would have answered the question.
Pharmacies will try to sell you the expensive version. Pharmacists here can sell a lot without a prescription. Walk in knowing what you want.
Insurance: the boring page that matters most
Travel insurance is for a trip. It covers accidents, sudden illness, cancelled flights and lost bags. Expat health insurance is for living somewhere, and covers check-ups and ongoing conditions too. Three months here, travel insurance is usually right. If Da Nang is becoming home, the second one is.
| Type | Rough cost |
|---|---|
| Travel insurance | from around 1.50 USD a day |
| Monthly traveller health plans | around 35 to 60 EUR a month |
| Expat health insurance, basic | from around 50 USD a month |
| Expat health insurance, mid tier | around 3,200 USD a year at age 35 |
| Expat health insurance, the full kind | up to around 5,500 USD a year |
Checked 2026-08-02
The four questions to ask before you buy
- Am I covered riding a motorbike in Vietnam, and under exactly what conditions? Many policies exclude motorbikes completely. Many others cover you only if you hold a licence Vietnam recognises, which most foreigners here do not. Get the answer in writing.
- Does it cover a medical flight home, and up to how much? That flight is the expensive part, not the hospital bed.
- Do you pay the hospital directly, or do I pay and claim it back? Ask which hospitals in Da Nang they pay directly.
- What happens if I am outside my home country for more than a few months? Some travel policies quietly stop working once you have been away too long.
We are not recommending one insurer. Your age, your health and how long you are staying change the answer completely.