How packages are built
Most hospitals sell checkups as a ladder. The bottom step is a short basic check. Each step up adds more tests, more doctor visits and more imaging. The names change from one hospital to the next, but the idea is the same.
FV Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City is a clear example. It offers three full programmes called Standard, Extensive and Executive. It says you can do them at the FV Clinic in the Bitexco Financial Tower in District 1 or at the hospital in District 7. It also says that the Standard and Extensive programmes take about three to four hours, while the Executive programme takes about four to six hours.
Vinmec, which runs hospitals across Vietnam, uses different names. Its health screening page lists five comprehensive packages: Standard, Advanced, Complete, Premium and VIP. It also says it offers separate screening packages for the heart, hormones, reproductive health, joints and certain cancers.
Sources: FV Hospital, health check-up programmes page; Vinmec, health screening and check-up page (archived 1 August 2024).
What is usually inside
FV's test list gives a sense of what a checkup can hold. It names a general practitioner visit, an eye check and a body composition scan. It also names visits with a cardiologist and an ophthalmologist, plus tests such as a resting heart tracing (ECG), a chest X-ray and an ultrasound of the belly. The longer programmes hold more of these.
The blood and urine work is long. FV lists a full blood count, kidney and liver tests, a cholesterol panel, blood sugar over time (HbA1c), uric acid, thyroid and vitamin D. It also lists hepatitis B and C screening, and tumour marker tests. You get an individual medical report at the end.
At the top of the ladder, the extras grow. Vinmec says its screening uses lab tests, imaging such as ultrasound, X-ray, CT and MRI, and endoscopy of the digestive tract to find problems early. Which of these sit in which package differs, so ask for the tier's own list.
Read the full test list for each tier before you compare prices. Two packages with similar names can hold quite different tests.
Sources: FV Hospital, health check-up programmes page; Vinmec, health screening and check-up page (archived 1 August 2024).
Add-ons and extras
Hospitals let you build on top of a base package. FV lists optional packages for dental care, a dietician, urology for men, and gynaecology for women. It prices the gynaecology package by age band, and one version includes breast cancer screening.
It also lists single add-ons. Examples include a mammogram, bone density scan, stress test, 24 hour heart monitor and a CT scan of the heart. These cost extra on top of the programme price.
Add-ons are where a bill grows. If you only want one extra, ask for it by name and ask for the price in writing.
What to ask before you book
A short list of questions saves money and a second visit. Use these when you call or email.
What exactly is included? Ask for the test list for the tier. Check that the doctor visits you want are in it, not offered as add-ons.
How long does it take? FV says up to six hours for its top programme, so plan the day. Ask if you must fast and which medicines to skip that morning.
Which sites and languages? Some hospitals run more than one site. Ask where your package is done, whether the staff speak English, and whether the report comes in English.
Are there limits? Some tests suit some people and not others. If you are pregnant, may be pregnant or have a health condition, tell the hospital before you book so it can plan the tests with you.
What is the total? Get the full price, including add-ons, in writing. Prices vary by hospital and change over time, so this guide gives no figures.
Sources: FV Hospital, health check-up programmes page; Vinmec, health screening and check-up page (archived 1 August 2024).
Rules and paperwork
A checkup you ask for yourself is different from a checkup an employer or school asks for. Vietnam's Circular 32/2023/TT-BYT, issued by the Ministry of Health on 31 December 2023 and in force from 1 January 2024, sets out the rules. It covers checks that people request for themselves, as well as periodic checks and checks for work or study. It applies to Vietnamese citizens and to foreigners who live and work in Vietnam.
The circular says checks must happen at a licensed medical facility. It says a check that does not cover every specialty is concluded for those specialties only, with no overall health grade. In short, a custom package gives you test results, not always a full health certificate.
If you need a certificate, ask for it before you book. The circular says an adult certificate uses Form No. 01 and is valid for 12 months from the day the health conclusion is signed. It also says individual certificates are normally handed over within 24 hours of the end of the check. A certificate issued abroad is accepted only where Vietnam has a recognition agreement with that country, and it must be no more than six months old.
This guide explains what public sources say. It is not medical advice. Ask a doctor which checks suit you.