International Services
SunState Medical Specialists is at the forefront of cancer care and other challenging conditions. We are committed to providing world-class healthcare with a focus on our patients.
World-Class, Personalized Cancer Care in the U.S.A
- Quick, simple and paperwork-free referral process
- Complimentary review of cases within 48 hours
- Patient navigators for support along the treatment journey
- Communication with patient’s local medical team
- Secure, same-week tele-consultations for new patients
- Access to clinical trials, research and clinical excellence
- Cost-effective treatments for non-insured or insured patients with limited coverage
- Concierge patient services
Over the years, we have established fruitful, working relationships with physicians and hospitals throughout Latin America and the Caribbean for seamless access to quality health care. Our physicians highly respect and support the local physicians in these countries. Our core international team will keep doctors abreast of their patient’s case, and they can expect physician-to-physician communication, as well as complete medical records and summary reports for follow-up when the patient returns to continue care with their local medical team.
Our services are conveniently located throughout Florida including Miami, Aventura, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Coral Springs, Coconut Creek and Boca Raton
Case review and/or Referring a Patient
As part of our global outreach, we have a program for a prompt complimentary review of your case. We estimate that your case is reviewed between 24-48 hours. In this preliminary review, our specialists provide their opinion based on medical records you provide. The following are the minimum requirements for patients to submit via e-mail to international@sunstatespecialists.com
- On Subject Line: Please review my case: patient’s full name.
- In the body of the e-mail: Your full name, relationship to the patient, patient’s full name, date of birth, country of origin and current diagnosis. Please type: I request you to review this patient’s case.
- Summary of history/timeline of how the patient was diagnosed, treated and recommended treatment(s) with dates/physician(s) details.
We need to know the patient’s medical history. You will need a copy of medical records, as this helps us better understand the patient’s needs. The more we know about a patient’s case, the more efficiently we can make recommendations. Please attach the following.
- Pathology report – this is the report where patient had a biopsy and cancer was diagnosed. If it is a recurrence case, please provide original pathology report and the recurrent pathology report.
- If any of the following treatments were done, please provide:
- Surgery: surgical or operating notes and Surgical Pathology Report (this would be the report provided to the patient after the surgery’s specimen was sent to the lab).
- Chemotherapy: medical oncologist’s report with details of chemotherapy administered to patient – name of medications/chemotherapy, how many cycles, which cycle patient is currently on, etc.
- Radiation Therapy: radiation oncologist’s report with details of radiation therapy received.
- Diagnostic report(s) – these are reports of diagnostics such as CT, MRI, PET CT, Bone Scan, Mammogram, Ultrasound, etc. Please provide before and after reports. If our specialists need images, we will request them.
- Please advise if the patient has insurance with international coverage or is uninsured, as this guides us when we are sending the appropriate cost(s) information.
- Please advise if the patient is interested in a teleconsultation with availability dates/times. We will review our specialist(s)’ availability and send details of appointment(s) and cost(s). If the patient will use insurance for this, please send a front and back copy of the patient’s insurance card.
Please note that without this basic documentation, the specialists are not able to provide their opinion.
We will confirm receipt of the information. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledging receipt within the same day, we will not receive it.
We will provide an opinion within 24-48 hours. We will include logistics details and the cost of treatment(s) recommended, should the patient decide to travel for treatment to one of our centers. This does not mean that the patient has to get treated with us for us to provide a complimentary opinion. Over the years, most patients have asked for this information thus we include it upfront with our specialist’s opinion.
If the specialist(s) need a more in-depth consultation or further test(s), in order to determine treatment recommendation(s), we will provide this information as she/he may need a teleconsultation on our secure platform, which can be either via telephone or Zoom call.
International Team
Across our U.S. centers, you can find world-renowned doctors with expertise in cancer and other challenging diseases. We are affiliated with specialists across the United States who work together to give you the best possible care experience.
Learn more about or search for a physician here.
Tricia Hart - Patient Coordinator
Our team is ready to assist patients with all details of their journey.
We understand the needs of international patients and families. Our International Team will welcome you and assist with scheduling your appointments, insurance verification, travel and hotel accommodations, medical visas, and any other issue that may come up. With many years of experience dealing with patients from abroad, our International Team will be your point of contact and will help you navigate through all details to ensure that your experience is as comfortable as possible.
Please contact us for referrals, questions or information.
Financial and International Insurance Info
At SunState Medical Specialists, we treat our patients, not just their cancer. If you’re worried about your insurance and how much of your treatment it will cover, our International Team will be able to answer questions and provide support.
An international patient is a patient who is not a citizen of the United States, even if they speak English and do not require interpretation.
1. International Self-Pay Patient: A patient who is does not have health insurance is called a self-pay patient, meaning that the patient will pay for treatment(s) and services.
Our International Team will provide patients with cost details for a discounted bundled package, flat fee, for services they are expected to receive. These bundled packages will reflect a self-pay discount. All international patients make payment prior to receiving the services. There are no payment plans. All of our charges are provided in U.S. dollars.
There are three payment options:
- Wire transfer prior to the first appointment. Wire transfers from abroad usually take up to 1-2 weeks to clear. Please take this time into consideration. Funds must clear prior to starting treatment.
- We accept credit card(s): visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, American Express.
- Patients can submit payment using multiple credit cards. Patients can pay in person or call with credit card information for payment. Please note that the payor must advise credit card bank(s) in advance to travel that they will be using credit card abroad. If there are declines, treatment cannot start according to confirmed appointment(s) and this will delay the start of treatment.
- We accept U.S. cash. No money orders or checks accepted.
Currently, if you bring currency valued at more than $10,000 USD, you are required to fill out the Currency Reporting Form upon arrival. This includes foreign currency but does not include credit cards with limits greater than $10,000 USD. Learn more on the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s currency website.
The United States does not limit the amount of money you may bring with you, but your home country might. Check your home country’s laws about bringing money into the United States.
Once payment is made, the patient receives a receipt for all services paid. There are no further, unexpected fees from SunState Medical Specialists.
2. International Insured Patients: A patient who is insured by an international insurance/payor or third party administrator (TPA).
Prior to the patient’s visit, and depending on insurance, our International Team will verify insurance coverage and obtain patient benefits. This information will be shared with the patient. If a co-payment is required, we will provide the patient with the amount which will need to be paid prior to being seen by our medical team.
Some insurances request that the patient contact them directly in their home country and follow their protocol for accessing coverage in the U.S. They may request a referral from your local physician(s) for services or treatments in the U.S. The insurance determines the requirements, not SunState Medical Specialists.
We accept most insurances and work with third party administrators (TPAs). We are contracted with the following insurance companies:
- Axis
- Best Doctors
- Generali
- Cardea
- CMN Global Inc.
- Global Excel Mgmt. PPO
- Guardian Life PPO
- MD Abroad
- Morgan White International
- Olympus Managed Healthcare/ChoiceNet
- Quality Health Management
- Sanus Health Corporation
- Sagicor
- GMMI
- Aragon
3. Embassy or Government-Sponsored Patients: A patient who is sponsored, meaning their service and/or treatment(s) are paid by their country’s government/embassy. Arrangements are made in advance where all services are also paid in advance, prior to patient arriving to clinic for treatment.
Billing
After the patient receives services at SunState Medical Specialists, claims are submitted to the insurance company/TPA. After the claims are settled by the insurance company/TPA, any remaining patient responsibility is billed to the patient, if there is any.
Patients will be provided a consolidated billing statement after services have been rendered, if there is an outstanding amount due. This consolidated billing statement will include any outstanding physician charges and facility charges for services received at a SunState Medical Specialists facility.
Please contact us for questions or information.
Travel Assistance & Planning
Our team can assist patient with travel and concierge services.
We understand that traveling to a foreign country for medical treatment can be a stressful experience for patients, caretakers and family members. Our International Team is committed to making patient visits as seamless as possible.
We recommend the patient have confirmed appointments in order to make travel arrangements to Florida.
- Schedule flights, allowing enough time to accommodate travel delays
- Reserve hotels or temporary lodging with our corporate discounted rates
- Reserve a rental car, if desired or needed, with our discounted rates
Airports & Airlines
We have many locations throughout the U.S. For services in South Florida, the nearest airports are Miami International Airport, Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and/or Palm Beach International Airport.
Travel Insurance
Patient may consider purchasing travel insurance to protect belongings from theft or damage.
Visas & Customs
It is the patient’s responsibility to obtain the appropriate travel documentation. We will assist patients with visa support documentation for appointments and treatment(s) needed. We will provide invoices, and cost estimates of services to be received to assist with visa requirements or travel documentation. It is important for patient to let your Customs know that they are coming to the U.S. for medical reasons. This process takes time. We recommend allowing enough time to obtain a visa to travel.
Ground Transportation
Upon arrival to airport, we recommend taking a yellow taxi from the airport who are licensed to transport riders. We do not recommend Lyft or Uber at airport, as this is not the most convenient method at the airport. For outside of airport, we suggest it for its convenience and cost.
For transportation to and from centers, please ask our International Team for complimentary transportation service. Most clinics are less than 30-45 minutes from any of these airports.
We do not provide transportation to and from the airport to the hotel and vice versa, facilities that are not under SunState Medical Specialists such as doctors, radiology testing or hospitals, supermarkets and pharmacies.
Other Ground Transportation Service
Should patient need transportation to any other place; you can use the following services:
Yellow Cab – Dial 954 -777-7777
Download and use Uber application on your cell phone
Download and use Lyft application on your cell phone
Car Rental
Should the patient need to rent a car, we are able to extend a corporate, discounted rate via the following site.
Click here to utilize our corporate discount.
When asked for the corporate code, please use: GenesisCare – it will confirm as Radiation Therapy Services.
Car Rental companies that are under this discount include:
Language(s) Interpretation Services
Our International Team is bilingual, English and Spanish. However, if you need assistance with translation for other language(s), we are ready to assist you with whatever language is needed. A telephone interpreter service is also available for international patients and their families during their medical appointments. Please contact our International Team for more information.
Weather and Clothing
South Florida has sub-tropical weather year-round. It is important, therefore, to check the weather prior to arriving. This will help you determine what clothing to bring.
Visit The Weather Channel's website – and type in Miami, FL
Prior to Traveling – what to bring
Our International Team will assist patient with medical and travel preparations. The team will gather all medical records, however it is still important for patient to bring as much information as possible when traveling to our center for medical care. Recommended documentation includes:
Updated copies of your complete medical records, including results of all recent tests and your treating physician’s medical history report.
- Images on CD/films of any test(s).
- A complete list of any medications you are currently taking.
- Names, addresses and phone numbers of all your in-country treating physician(s).
- Updated passport and applicable visas.
- Please bring photo identification and health insurance card, if any.
After patient visit, our International Team will assist you with the following:
- Obtain copies of medical reports/films after consultations are completed
- Assist with prescription request(s)
- Facilitate communication with both local and abroad medical team
- Assist with finances and billing
Tips for Caregivers
A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. Helping your loved one through their journey is something they will treasure. We're here to support you as a carer, too.
Clinical trials
We continually challenge ourselves to find new and improved ways of treating illness and disease, while providing you with a better outcome.