I’m in my early 40s and haven’t plans to return to my home country in the near future, but at this age and stage, it would be wise to continue with semi-annual physicals. I’m near NTU hospital, which I’ve visited in the past, paying for whatever was needed out-of-pocket (I do not have an ARC, or NHI). What type of physician do I need to see, or how does one request a general physical exam, and what can we expect to pay for this? Many thanks in advance.
I go get an exam once a year. I don’t go to a doctor. I go to the facility who specializes in physical exams. They have nothing to sell they do not promote doctors and they do not promote hospitals. They just do physical exams. The place I go is very top quality here is an example of just a few of the exams I do and it takes only one half day for everything including results and seeing a doctor.
there is more information available in a few threads in the forum if you search.
Thanks tango. What are these facilities usually referred to as? Initial searches here for “physical exam” did not return the desired results.
Medical screening?
The oney I use is mjlife.com.tw but they are international.
Been going 8 years. First one was $13K, every year after is $6K. Incredibly thorough, clean, professional. The exams are endless. Much more detailed than I ever had back home.
Some people on this forum have used some local hospitals also am option.
I second that, the medical screening facilities in Taiwan are absolutely amazing. You go there and basically do a rotation of about 6-8 medical exam stations depending on which ones you’ve selected. Each takes about 20 minutes, and in the end a specialist sits down with you and goes over the results. It sounds a little weird to say, but honestly it’s almost fun 
If memory serves it’s about 10-15k for the basic exams that most people will select, but FYI you can also get a PET and full body cancer scans as well which might not be a bad idea. Adding those in, I believe I paid about 35k overall. Well worth it though as the exam revealed several tumors that I immediately had removed. And I do mean immediately, thanks to Taiwan’s incredibly expedient healthcare industry. Literally found the tumors and had them removed within 2 days. Shocking… I love Taiwan !
Brent, where did you go for your screening – mjlife?
I believe the one that I went to had 15 to 20 different medical stations. And they give you a full detailed report in both Chinese and English. I use that to track from year to year because it shows the last three years. Also useful for you and the doctor to review your history together.
I’m talking blood work, stool work, sonograms, bone density, chest x-ray, drinking the chalky taste and then they put you on a table and turn you up and down and check your stomach and esophagus, eyes, ears, much more than I can remember.
All sounds marvelous, tango 
. I suppose what I’m driving at is the need for a location, if you did this in Taipei. I do not read Chinese.
Getting a physical with a general practitioner is almost a joke. It basically ends up being a ‘you look young and healthy so what do you want me to look at’. Are you sure you want to pay for a cholesterol check? It’s not covered and very expensive (2000NT?). I really didn’t learn anything other than I likely wouldn’t drop dead in the next couple of days.
Care to expand? A general practitioner of course wouldn’t be conducting all the tests, but would merely be the first step in ordering the panel of tests to be performed. This, however, is Taiwan and I’m getting the impression that physicals, or medical health screenings, are conducted quite differently than the old start with the GP and proceed from there with the panels he or she orders.
It’s exactly what I said it was. Just a quick screening with no recommendations unless you noted an issue. She basically questioned why a 35 yr old would be interested in having a cholesterol check. A few years ago the Hep A/B vaccine was also considered unnecessary but the doctor ordered it after I insisted.
Consider it reactive vs proactive medicine. I think many doctors base their suggestions based on what they can get NHI to pay for and what would require out of pocket payments. I get the feeling that they just feel like they are wasting their time bringing up testing that probably wouldn’t find anything to most of their patients.
Well of course that’s not an approach we can possibly be in favor of. So essentially, you’re just supporting the other route to checking general health, through the screening services of mjlife.com.tw, or similar.
I would certainly not go the route I went which is why I described it as a joke.
The one I went to is located across from Taipei Main train station in the Xing kong mitsokoshi building on the corner. Elevator on east side of building takes you to the office.