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While the standard of care was top notch, my 2 day stay in a Bali hospital costs much more than I expected.
I’m sitting in the emergency room of the Siloam Hospital in Kuta Bali and the Doctor is telling me I need to be admitted due to my chest infection/bronchitis, low oxygen level combined with my diagnosis of living with heart failure. None of this is a surprise.
What is a surprise is 2 days later when I check out and get the final bill. OUCH!
Let Me Explain.
Room Costs Are Variable Once I agree to being admitted, an “administration” person comes with a large display book with lots of pictures of the different rooms that are available.
The top of the range appeared to be a private room with full private bathroom and a sofa that converted into a sofa bed for your partner to sleep on if they want to during your admission.
Next was a private room with private bathroom but no extra bed.
Then it moved to private room with shared bathroom and then shared room and shared bathroom.
We elected for the private room and private bathroom but no sofa as Pauline would continue to stay at Bali Ginger Suites & Villa, a short 15 minute taxi ride.
The cost for the room was 2,156,000 Indonesian rupiah which seemed pretty good value.
The actual cost will turn out to be very different!
Unexplained Bali Hospital Costs Maybe I’m naive or a bit simple but I was about to get a big shock.
I’m used to medical costs being quoted and being “inclusive”. A visit to a specialist is a certain price which includes the nurse, costs of minor supplies, the receptionist, the specialists office etc all being in the quoted price.
X Rays, blood tests and medications are extra and expected to be charged.
I’m about to find out that the system in Bali is very different to what I’m used to.
You get charged for everything – including oxygen!
You Get Charged For Everything! 2 days later and I’m feeling better. The infection is under control according to the blood tests. My oxygen levels have improved as well and while I don’t feel great, I do feel better and ready to check out.
Happily the Doctors agree I can go, so now it’s just a matter of finalising the amount due. It’s time to find out what Bali hospitals cost in reality.
Another friendly admin person arrives with my itemised bill for payment.
4 pages of costs
Some big numbers. like the room cost per day, lots of smaller numbers. I mean lots of smaller numbers but the certainly add up.
Charges include
Each and every Doctor visit Daily nursing fees Blood test fees Xray fees Medication fees Nebuliser mask fee Nebuliser hose fee Syringe fee Daily oxygen fee (I was on 24/7 oxygen for 2 days) It goes on and on and on……….
The total bill is over 29 million rupiah. $2750 AUD, $1900 USD. Amounts will change depending on the exchange rate.
I have submitted the paperwork to our insurer and expect to be reimbursed, but we did have to pay upfront.
Bali Hospital Costs Compared to Western Costs When you compare hospital costs in Bali to those in Western countries like Australia or the United States, you’ll find that Bali’s medical expenses are still quite reasonable—if not outright cheap.
It’s a relief to know that healthcare here doesn’t come with the hefty price tag many of us are used to back home.
That said, it’s important to be aware of how the payment system works. In Bali, you’re usually expected to pay upfront for any medical services you receive.
This means that, even though costs are lower, you’ll need to cover the bill on the spot and then file a claim with your insurance provider later. Based on my personal experience, the average daily cost for staying in a hospital in Bali hovers around 15,000,000 rupiah.
While that might sound affordable compared to Western standards, it can add up very quickly, especially if you’re unlucky enough to require a few weeks of treatment.
It’s also crucial to remember that this figure doesn’t include any major surgical procedures. If surgery is required, the costs can skyrocket, and what might have initially seemed manageable can quickly become overwhelming.
So, while Bali offers reasonably priced medical care compared to the West, it’s important to be financially prepared, particularly for emergencies or more intensive treatments.
Can Your Insurer Be Charged Directly? I initially thought that the hospital could charge my insurer directly, which would have made things so much simpler. But every time I tried to bring this up, I was met with the same response: “No, you’re a private patient, and you need to pay upfront.”
It was frustrating because I wasn’t sure if that was entirely accurate. I kept getting mixed messages, and it left me feeling uncertain about the process.
To be honest, I’m still not 100% sure whether that’s the official policy or just how that particular hospital handles things.
I noticed there seemed to be a few people in the payment section who were managing to have their insurance billed directly, so clearly it is possible. However, the process appeared much more complicated than I expected, and no one was willing to walk me through it.
If I ever find myself in a similar situation again, I’m definitely going to push harder to get the hospital to charge my insurer directly.
There has to be a way, and I’m determined to find it next time. It’s worth fighting for because paying upfront, especially for extended treatment, can put a real strain on your finances.
Here is a link to Siloam Hospital if you need to get in touch. As with all busines sin Bali, a lot of communication is done on WhatsApp. The main website is – https://www.siloamhospitals.com/en/ WhatsApp here
An alternative hospital for tourists/expats is BIMC and you can find them here – https://bimcbali.com/ WhatsApp here
Have you ever been hospitalized overseas? Did the hospital bill your insurer directly, or were you expected to cover the costs and claim them back later?
I’d love to hear about your experience! Please share your story in the comment section below—I’m curious how others have handled similar situations.
To find out what I thought about the standard of care I received at the Siloam Hospital, check out my post – Seeing A Doctor In Bali
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