Scheduled admittance
Family Medical, the French Hospital, and SOS follow the Western system of appointments—your doctor will refer you to the relative department, and you can arrange hospital admittance according to your schedule and the urgency of the procedure to be performed. If you are already registered with one of these institutions and they have processed your insurance, you may be admitted with only your passport. Otherwise, proof of insurance or a cash deposit is necessary.
Proof of insurance is accepted in lieu of payment; if you must pay any bills yourself cash and major credit cards are accepted.
Emergency admittance
Emergency services operate on a first-come, first-serve basis, so it is not necessary to call in advance when visiting an emergency room. In a perfect world, one would arrive at the emergency room with one’s passport and proof of insurance on hand. However, medical care will not be refused to you due to lack of documents.
Family Medical, the French Hospital, and SOS all have 24-hour emergency services in English. In emergency situations, if you are taken to a local hospital, you can expect the staff to be proficient in English, though not to the degree of the international facilities. In the case of an accident, you may be treated first at a local hospital and later transferred to the facility of your choice. When possible, police will route Western accident victims to one of the international facilities.
