Universal Health Care And The Cost Of Medicine in Ukraine
How much are you paying for medical care in your country? If it’s America, it’s not cheap. Sometimes, the medical care isn’t worth the co-pay. I’ve been to different doctors in Ukraine many times over the years for general checkups. I have found medical care among the best anywhere.
Just like in America, there are good doctors and those who are questionable at best.
Why is it when you are diagnosed with a serious illness, the best advice is to get a second and third opinion? It might be because not all doctors are created equally. It just makes sense.
Ukraine is no different when it comes to finding the best of the best. That’s the first key to great medical care in Ukraine. Just like in America, the big cities offer better medical care than most small towns.
Asking for a recommendation from friends is the best way to start looking for a qualified and experienced doctor in Ukraine. Of course, there’s the Internet. However, the Internet should never be trusted before doing thorough research and a visit. Nor should a friend’s recommendation be treated as gospel until you’ve met and spoken with a medical professional.
The universal health care system in Ukraine is free of charge. That’s the official policy. However, all Ukrainians make a payment to someone at some point.
A typical office visit might cost a Ukrainian nothing. Sometimes a cash payment is made for certain procedures. Most of the time a payment of just a few Grivna will do.
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For dental work, you can compare prices to Mexico. As many of you know, Americans often travel to Mexico for dental work. Prices in Ukraine are close to just 10% of what you might expect to pay in The United States.
A simple example might be a root canal. The cost here will set you back something close to $40. Yes! Forty U.S. Dollars.
An implant with the most modern technology and materials will cost less than $500. Yes! That’s five hundred U.S. Dollars. A zirconia crown or cap will set you back something close to $200. Yes! That’s two hundred U.S. Dollars.
You might be asked to bring your own cotton swab and alcohol for that flu shot. Although we never have. For women giving birth, you might be required to pay upwards of $100 depending on the room you request if you are staying in the hospital for a day or two. However, the universal health care system is supposed to deliver your baby for free.
The health care system is undergoing many changes in Ukraine. The cost of medical care today is extremely reasonable compared to America.
Over the past fourteen years, I’ve met many doctors. Most on a social basis. We live in a town with a population of close to 500K. Not so small. Not too big. The nearest big city is two and a half hours away with a population of close to 2M. There are two types of medical care in Ukraine. Public and private.
Although most of the public medical services are offered in older facilities, they are clean and organized. Most of the medical equipment I’ve seen is relatively modern and well maintained. Most of the private facilities are located in new or newly remodeled buildings and are well equipped with modern devices and professional staff.
Most public and private facilities offer online scheduling. In fact, the government of Ukraine has continually improved public facilities with new computers and training. For a country that lacks needed resources, like unlimited budgets, Ukraine does a good job of offering professional medical care.
Private medical services are located everywhere throughout the city. We have seen dozens of new private facilities open up over the past fourteen years. It’s great to see a city grow and be able to offer advanced medical services.
There are blood testing services available here too. Just make an appointment online. Any test you get in America, is available in Ukraine.
My wife and I get a blood test annually. Cholesterol, blood type, blood sugar, PSA. The facilities offer packages with a variety of blood tests as well. Together, we pay close to $50 for both blood panels.
Flu vaccines are available through pharmacies for less than $15 each. They do not require a prescription and getting the shot is a simple process as well. We get our flu vaccine every year by the end of October. This year, our vaccines come from France. When you go to a public facility. There’s no charge when the shot is given.
There are pharmacies located on just about every street corner. Prices are extremely reasonable and many are open 24 hours.
From my experience, most over the counter and prescription drugs cost less than half the price you would expect to pay in American pharmacies. Most prescription drugs don’t require a doctor’s written prescription in Ukraine. Most antibiotics and asthma treatments are readily available just by shopping at your nearest pharmacy known in Ukraine as an “Apteka.”
My advice to anyone considering extended stays in another country is simple. If you require a great deal of medical care for any reason, stay home.
If you are a healthy individual at any age, living in another country can offer many benefits! Remember, as an American, you can live in Ukraine for up to six months a year in three month intervals without a visa. Rent is inexpensive. You might even save some money living in Ukraine as opposed to where you live now!
