When COVID-19 Leaves You Uninsured, “MDsave Is the Real Deal.”

Meet Pam.

“My husband and I have lived overseas for over 35 years, but we're currently stuck in the United States because of COVID. We're insured in Turkey, but we're uninsured in America. And so we’ve been trying to navigate that. Getting things done medically in America has been quite a big shock for us.”

Finding MDsave.

“The first thing I needed was a mammogram—and don't get me started on why people should just be able to order their own mammograms and get the report themselves, but that's another issue! It turned out that I was going to have to pay to see a doctor just to get an order for [a mammogram], and then the hospital the doctor referred me to wanted close to $1,000 for a mammogram. I thought that was absolutely ridiculous! So I just started Googling ‘inexpensive mammograms’ or ‘low cost mammograms’ and eventually I found MDsave. It saved me hundreds.”

A Repeat Customer.

“Later, when I went to see my doctor for a physical, she found a heart murmur and ordered an echocardiogram. So this time, I didn't even look at what the hospital was charging—I went straight to MDsave to see if they offered echocardiograms. Sure enough, since I’m currently living in the Chicago area, there were quite a few options available; I ended up choosing Vista, which [has a location] only about 10 miles from my house.” 

A Streamlined Process for Exceptional Care.

“Vista is really the people’s hospital. I’d seen on some of the MDsave materials that I’d be refunded if I didn’t get my care and they’d help if I was accidentally billed or anything, but Vista was a very, very good partner. There were absolutely no problems whatsoever. I was called back for my mammogram within seven minutes of arriving at the hospital. That’s how fast my MDsave voucher made the process; they just said, ‘Oh, yes, we already have you in the system. Here’s your bracelet, come down the hallway…’ You know, I was in and out in 20 minutes! And I had a very similar experience with both the mammogram and the echocardiogram. It was seamless, and it was way easier than going through the normal hospital process.”

“The Real Deal.”

“I’ve looked through the MDsave website to see what [other procedures] are offered, so I can make sure I always go there first in the future. And I did extensive research online and couldn’t find anything close to MDsave, especially when it came to prices and ease of service. It’s just unique.

I’ve posted about [MDsave] on Facebook and told all my friends—I’m really waving the [MDsave] flag here! Because this is the real deal—it’s real hospitals and real doctors, but just at only a tenth or so of the cost.”

How Healthcare Differs: Turkey vs. the United States

“America is just so different from Turkey. For example, getting a physical in Turkey takes two full days; you go in there, having fasted beforehand, and they do all your blood work. Then, because they know that you have a full day of testing ahead and that you've been fasting for your blood work, they give you a complimentary breakfast! Afterwards, you have a concierge who goes with you from station to station, and you have an EKG, a mammogram, a breast ultrasound, an abdominal ultrasound, you meet with a nutritionist, you see a dentist, you get a full gynecological exam. It takes two entire days, but it only costs about $700.

Ultimately, American healthcare is the best once you’re diagnosed—but the diagnostic process is a mess. I just hope that one day we can get to a place where everyone, in every country, has healthcare—at least the basic necessities. But for now, [MDsave] is helping everybody be able to afford care. And for that, I’m extremely thankful.”