My previous question was looking for it only in Greater Taipei. Really grateful for the recommendations I got. But it appears most big hospitals are too expensive or I have to wait for a month or two or more. So now I am thinking I should be willing to go anywhere. Ideally, I want to just walk in without reservation and get the comprehensive health checkup, but of course, waiting for a few days is fine. The location doesn’t matter. I am willing to go to small cities in the southern Taiwan.
For most of these tests you will need a big hospital. smaller hospitals will not have MRI machines. Cost will probably not change much, but waiting times could be shorter.
look up the major hospitals in Taichung or Kaohsiung, they might be able to help.
see for example the Taichung veterans hospital: https://www.vghtc.gov.tw/PageView/ContentView?WebMenuID=c9e53f38-ca11-41e3-8029-57d267b29404
you could get some of these tests with NHI for cheaper, but it will include making appointments seperately for each one.
you will need to call and ask, but i believe that it wont be a problem. all the tests that are related to blood work, stool and urine samples etc. can be done on the spot. the x fags, sonography etc require more coordination.
pls note, usually the test center will ask you to come back to go over your results with a doctor, so if you do it in Taichung , it will mean 2 trips.
the package deal is a service that is meant to help you do all the checkups at once, and save you time and hassle. they charge you extra for this convenience.
if you have time, you could schedule appointments with these specialists yourself and save money (but spend more time).
in other words, you schedule an eye doctor separately to check for glaucoma, and make a separate appointment with internal medicine for blood work and another one with a gastric expert for the endoscopy etc…
you just go to the doctors, say you would like to be checked since you have certain symptoms, or family history, and they will schedule you the appropriate tests.
the cost will be the cost of a doc visit and nhi co-pay, so you will spend less money, but you will spend more time.
Generally speaking are the NHI docs the same as the package deals? The government covered ones can be hugely hit and miss. The pay ones tend to be far superior, but it gets expensive fast! How about those package deals? Do they just run you trough quick, or generally have good thorough doctors that check the body more than the computer screen?
i did the one at the Adventist hospital in Taipei.
they take you through the regular hospital facilities and doctors, but you do it all at once and without lines.
everyone was attentive, nice and with good attitude towards me as a patient, but i have no way of evaluating their expertise.
Is there a public list of medical procedures which are copaid by NHI? Like, teeth cleansing is copaid, so it’s very cheap in Taiwan. Endoscopy without anesthesia is copaid, whereas anesthesia during endoscopy is not.