Getting Started

Every year patients from outside the country, outside Arizona and out of network choose Dignity Health Arizona for their care through our Destination Medicine program. So we are experienced with how to coordinate and navigate all the billing and financial and insurance challenges. And we do it with compassion and humankindness.

Getting started with billing and financial matters

We’re ready to help as you prepare to access coordinated, compassionate care. So we offer these suggestions to help you put together what you need, to make your travel preparations easier.

• Request a referral from your physician
• Check to see if Dignity Health is in-network with your health insurance – We can still see you even if we are out-of-network.
• Request an estimate – If you have questions about costs associated with your care and your visit, your destination medicine navigator can help you get an estimate and answer questions about financial assistance.
• Request approval from your health insurance provider – Check with your insurance company about coverage and pre-authorization requirements.

Whether you are coming from another part of the state or nation, or another country all together, knowing what to bring can be a challenge. So we offer these suggestions to help you put together what you need, so you can keep your focus on working with us to address your medical concerns.

What to pack

Here are some items that will help you feel at home throughout your stay:

• Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing, plus a robe or sweater
• Comfortable footwear that can easily be taken on and off
• Personal care products, toiletries, and sunscreen
• Eyeglasses, hearing aids, dentures, canes, walkers, crutches and other assistive devices
• A favorite pillow or blanket if you think you might struggle with sleep
• Pen and paper, for taking notes, writing notes and to help you remember questions
• Earplugs, earbuds and your favorite music
• Smartphone and charger
• Books, magazines, playing cards, and games

What to leave behind

You may want to consider leaving the following items at home:

• Valuables including sentimental or precious jewelry
• Large amounts of cash (ATMs are available and most establishments accept credit cards)
• Expensive technology

Please bring any registration forms or medical records, reports, and imaging that have not yet been sent to us including:

• Complete medication information
• Your insurance information or Medicare card
• Your prescription drug insurance card and preferred pharmacy name and address
• A copy of your living will or advance directives

Transferring medical records

To ensure the best possible medical care, it is often important for our physicians to see your prior medical records. The process of helping us gain access to your records doesn’t have to be difficult. All you have to do is request the release of your medical information from your current providers. Please provide your medical records to us in English.

Dignity Health’s Destination Medicine program was originally designed with international patients in mind. And we have been hosting patients from other parts of the world for years. So we are well-prepared to make accessing world-class care and humankindness easy and efficient every step of the way.

You will work with a destination medicine navigator familiar with international patient coordination who can provide support with arranging appointments, making travel and lodging arrangements, with questions about billing and insurance, community resources, banking options, and worship services.

Embassy-sponsored patients

There is a specific, multi-step process that must be followed for embassy-sponsored patients.

1. Letters of Guarantee (LOGs) are sent from the embassy to the medical facilities to cover hospital and physicians costs
2. The hospital financial counselor will consolidate the bills and forward them to your embassy
3. Embassy will require and receive medical reports regarding patient care
4. If patient requires additional care—besides that which has received approval—the embassy will need to be informed
5. Approval or denial of care is at the discretion of the embassy
6. If patient has been approved for transplant, no requests are necessary for additional care

Support Services

For our international patients, we offer a range of support services, dedicated to meeting the needs of you and your family. Our support services address needs caused by differences in language and culture. You can count on our Destination Medicine team for support before you arrive, during your appointments and after your return home.

Language Assistance

Dignity Health is pleased to offer on-premise language assistance services and certified interpreters for the following languages:

• Arabic
• French
• Spanish

With advanced notice, we can also provide support for more than 50 languages not listed.