Before scheduling, the following steps must be completed: 

• You must complete the required intake forms 
• You must prepare and send your medical records (our team will guide you on where to send records) 
• The clinic will medically review your case and create a personalized treatment plan 
• The clinic will work to get you a cost estimate for care 
• You must pay the full estimate (we will guide you on how to do this) 
• After the estimate is paid, the clinic will schedule your appointment 

If you are only here for a short time, we will unlikely be able to complete the full process before you leave. The length of the process varies greatly depending on which medical records are available, the specialty and treatment you want, appointment availability, etc. If you are experiencing an emergency, we recommend seeking emergency care. For minor issues, primary care and urgent care services are available with a self-pay deposit.

If you are having a medical emergency, please contact your local emergency room or primary care physician. The International Patients Program is not for emergency or urgent care.

The International Patient Program is for specialty care only. If you qualify for the program and need primary care while you are in the United States, you may schedule with one of our primary care providers/Urgent Care locations and pay the self-pay deposit to receive care.

An interpreter will be supplied free of charge during all medical appointments. If you need added resources such as a list of services that can help with record translation, we recommend you reach out to our Interpreter Services department.

Please first review the qualifications to make sure the program is right for you. The Intake form and Pre-Anesthesia form must be fully completed before the process can be started. To complete the forms, open them in your browser, fill out all the sections, hit print and select the print to PDF, and then attach the saved PDF files and email cccat@uw.edu. If you prefer, you can download and print the forms and either scan the completed forms or take a picture of the completed forms and attach them to the email. If you have concerns about using email, we can provide a fax number to send your forms to instead.

To get a complete and accurate estimate, several steps must occur: 

• You must complete the required intake forms 
• You must prepare and send your medical records (our team will guide you on where to send records) 
• The clinic will medically review your case and create a personalized treatment plan 
• The clinic will work to get you a cost estimate for care

If you would like to get a general idea of what services may cost, we recommend using the MyChart Estimator tool.

1. Open the MyChart Patient Estimates Tool.
2. On the bottom right of the page, under 'Guest Services,' select 'Create Estimate.' 
3. Select the location you would like to be seen at. 
4. Review the disclaimer and accept to continue. 
5. If you know what Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes are used for the procedure you would like, you can search that way. If you need help finding CPT codes, ask your current provider. Otherwise, find the procedure(s) or visit type under 'categories' you think you may need. 
6. For 'Choose your insurance,' select 'Skip this step.' 
   You should see an estimate for the service selected. 
    
7. An additional Frequently Asked Questions section is available regarding this tool. 

The International Patient Program will provide you with an estimate without the discount included. We will collect the full estimated amount for the treatment plan. Any discounts will be applied post- service. Any overpayments will be refunded once all services are completed. In case of any underpayments, Patient Accounts and Support Services will bill accordingly.

Take a look at the UW Medicine Lodging Options page to see your options near UW Medicine, including short-term housing options.

Once your appointment is scheduled, we can provide you with a letter confirming your scheduled appointment. UW Medicine does not provide visa invitation letters. Please check with the U.S. consulate or embassy in your country or visit the U.S. State Department website for more information.

The International Patient Program is for non-U.S. Citizens only. If you are a U.S. citizen, including a dual citizen, you are not eligible for this program.

No. Financial assistance does not cover expenses such as travel, food, and lodging.

Refer to Financial Assistance Frequently Asked Questions

As the first step, complete the International Patient Program intake forms before applying for financial assistance. Completing the International Patient Program intake helps with next steps. Appointments cannot be scheduled until the cost estimate has been paid in full, or it has been determined that the patient qualifies for 100% financial assistance. Please visit our financial assistance website for more information.