Checklist
Choosing a medical travel facilitator in India: a checklist
Ten questions to ask, each traced to the public NABH standard it comes from.
A reader's guide to a public NABH standard, not a NABH product or endorsement. Last checked .
01
What this checklist is
A medical travel facilitator is the agency that arranges a patient's hospital appointments, travel, stay and paperwork. In India, these agencies can apply to be empanelled by NABH, the national board that accredits hospitals and other care providers. Empanelment means being admitted to an approved list after an assessment.
The assessment uses a public document, the NABH Empanelment Standards for Medical Value Travel Facilitators, 2nd edition. Its foreword says it has "7 Sections with detailed checklist of 43 objective elements". The sections cover general information, patient help, management, staff, money, quality and records.
This page turns the parts of that standard a patient can check into ten plain questions. It is a reader's guide to a public standard. It is not a NABH product, and NABH has not reviewed or endorsed it.
02
Why it matters
For a patient abroad, the facilitator is often the first contact with Indian care. It suggests the hospital, quotes the cost and may handle the money. If that first contact is vague, trust is lost before the patient lands.
India has written down what a good facilitator must hold on paper. A patient abroad can ask for the documents it names, which turns a sales call into a check.
Empanelment has limits. It assesses how an agency runs, not any hospital's clinical results, and it is not a ranking. Questions about the treatment itself belong with the treating doctor.
Written answers slow the first conversation. In my judgement the delay is worth it. I would weigh a vague answer on charges or hospital choice most, because that is where a patient's interest and an agency's income can pull apart.
03
How to use the checklist
Ask each question and expect the answer in writing. Each line names the place in the NABH standard it comes from, by section and element number.
Will you give me a detailed written quote for my package?
The standard asks whether the facilitator gives "a detailed quotation of the package cost as per the requirement of the patient".
NABH MVTF standard, 2nd edition: Section V, Financial Management System, element 1.A
Does the quote include costs for the person travelling with me?
It asks whether the quote includes the "cost incurred for the attendants". An attendant is the family member or friend who travels with the patient.
NABH MVTF standard, 2nd edition: Section V, element 1.B
What is your own fee, and who pays it?
The standard says the facilitator "shall explicitly and transparently share the facilitation service charges" with all parties before the work starts. It also asks for written guidance on settling service charges.
NABH MVTF standard, 2nd edition: Section V, element 2.A; Section VI, element 3
How do I pay, and to whom?
The standard says the facilitator "must notify patients that cash payment for any services is not acceptable".
NABH MVTF standard, 2nd edition: Section V, element 2.B, note
Which hospitals do you work with, and do you have an agreement with each?
The standard says the facilitator "must possess MOUs with all the empaneled hospitals". An MOU, or memorandum of understanding, is a signed agreement.
NABH MVTF standard, 2nd edition: Section I, General Information and Access, element 9
How do you choose a hospital for me, and can I choose another?
The standard asks for written rules on suggesting a hospital, using points such as scope of services, cost and accreditation, and a rule for fair shares between hospitals. It says patients may choose "the desired hospital of his/her choice" at any time during screening.
NABH MVTF standard, 2nd edition: Section VI, Medical Travel Quality Improvement, elements 1 and 2
Who will speak my language?
The standard asks which staff speak foreign languages and who the translators are. When a translator is hired from outside, it asks for a signed agreement.
NABH MVTF standard, 2nd edition: Section IV, Human Resource Management, element 2.C
Who follows up with me after I return home?
The standard asks for "Follow up services upon return" and a written plan for them. NABH says the plan covers follow up after the patient goes home, including contact between the local doctor and the treating doctor when needed.
NABH MVTF standard, 2nd edition: Section II, Patient Assistance, element 8
How do I make a complaint, and what happens to it?
The standard asks for written rules on complaints, a set complaint form, and "root cause analysis and corrective and preventive action" within a set time. Root cause analysis means finding why something went wrong, not only fixing the one case.
NABH MVTF standard, 2nd edition: Section VI, elements 5.A, 5.B and 5.C
What does your service not cover?
The standard asks for written guidance on the agency's liabilities and for a disclaimer policy. Ask to read both before you pay.
NABH MVTF standard, 2nd edition: Section VI, elements 7 and 8
A referring doctor should ask to see the written guidance itself, not a summary. The standard also asks for an internal audit at least twice a year and a management review at least once a year. (Section VI, elements 9 and 10)
04
How to check empanelment
- Ask the agency for its NABH empanelment certificate. Check that the name on it matches the agency you are dealing with.
- Read how NABH describes the scheme on its programme page.
- Search NABH's directory of organisations. NABH says the site is new and "some information may be temporarily incomplete or inconsistent".
- If you cannot confirm the agency there, write to NABH at helpdesk@nabh.co, the address printed in the standard.
Why each question matters is set out in the field note Choosing a medical travel facilitator: what NABH empanelment checks
A facilitator that answers all ten questions in writing is showing a patient abroad the standard India has published. That is how trust is earned before anyone travels.