Care that requires a hospital stay. It might include treatment for a serious illness, major surgery, and childbirth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Inpatient vs
Inpatient vs
outpatient care
As an expat, you don’t know what’s around the corner. You may have an accident or become seriously ill and need a stay in hospital. But you may also require access to minor and routine medical treatments while you’re overseas. This is why having international health insurance that covers in-patient and out-patient care is so important. Understand the difference and what it means for you.
What is the main difference between inpatient and outpatient care?
- Inpatient care is given when someone stays in hospital – even for just a single night.
- Outpatient care, sometimes called ambulatory care, can be provided in a clinic, a doctor’s surgery, a hospital or other care settings, but the main difference is that it doesn’t require a hospital stay.
What determines if you need inpatient or outpatient care?
It largely depends on whether you need constant medical monitoring by doctors and nurses that can only be provided during a hospital stay. So, for example, 24-hour care, intensive care, major surgery and recovery from major surgery can only be given on an inpatient basis. You might also need inpatient care for a serious acute or chronic illness, such as cancer or kidney disease.
Outpatient treatment can be safely provided without you needing to stay in hospital overnight. So, for example, it might include minor surgery like removal of cataracts or moles, minor diagnostic tests like blood tests and X-rays, and physiotherapy.
Some treatments might be provided on an inpatient or out-patient basis depending on the circumstances. You might be able to receive chemotherapy or dialysis treatment as an outpatient, for example.
There’s also a third category – day patient care. If you’re treated as a day patient, you’ll be given a hospital bed while you recover from your treatment, but you won’t stay overnight.
What are examples of outpatient care?
Types of outpatient care can include:
What are the costs for inpatient vs outpatient care?
Not surprisingly, inpatient care costs more than outpatient care.
It has to take into account the cost of all the equipment needed for a hospital stay, as well as hospital admin, pharmacy costs and paying the salaries of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Expats could find themselves paying considerable hospital bills for essential treatment out of their own pocket if they don’t have international health insurance.
However, outpatient care is not necessarily cheap and costs could soon add up, especially if you need several treatments. Again, you’ll need to meet these yourself if you don’t have a health insurance plan that includes outpatient care.
Plan
Bronze
Silverlite
Silver
Gold
Annual limit for out-patient treatment
No limit
US$5,000 (option to
extend up to US$10,000)
No limit
No limit