Become a Patient

Thank you for considering Houston Methodist’s leading-edge clinical care, advanced technology and exceptional patient experience for your health care needs. Our Global Health Care Services team is here to help make the process as simple as possible.

If you are an international patient traveling for care, we highly encourage you to work with the Global Health Care Services team to arrange appointments, coordinate your experience and make the most of your treatment at Houston Methodist. Our team has extensive expertise navigating the complexities of international medicine. We are here to assist you and your loved ones so you can concentrate on getting the care you need.

Step 1: Prepare Your Medical Records

Our team members will ask you or your local physicians for all medical records relating to your condition, including recent imaging tests, such as CT (computed tomography) scans, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans and X-rays. Your records must be in English. If your doctor cannot provide English copies of your medical records, you must have them translated by a certified medical translator. (Third-party, fee-based translation services are available upon request.)

Step 2: Request an Appointment

Whether your medical records are ready to be shared with our team or not, you can request an appointment online or by phone. One of our team members will contact you in your preferred language to learn more about your condition and what kind of care you need. In addition, our medical director for Global Health Care Services will review your case to help determine which of our specialists will be the best choice for your care.

Step 3: Arrange Payment for Your Care

In order to provide you with medical services, we must receive payment in advance or an authorization from your insurance provider or sponsoring embassy for those services. Our dedicated financial coordinators will explain this process to you to ensure you understand what your care will cost and what expenses, if any, you may be responsible for paying.

Learn more about paying for your care.

Step 4: Connect With Your Patient Liaison

Once we schedule your appointment and arrange for payment, you will work with our patient liaison team for support and language interpretation, if necessary. 

Houston Methodist is one of the few U.S. health care systems offering our international patients a dedicated team of liaisons that will support you while you are here. This allows your liaisons to better support both you and your loved ones during your care. Your patient liaison will speak your language and will help you navigate your journey at Houston Methodist.

Learn more about our support services and language assistance.