Disclosure: If you choose to book a checkup through a link in this post, I may receive a small referral commission at no additional cost to you. I only share resources I’ve personally used and genuinely recommend.
If you have been caught out with the changes to health insurance and blindingly expensive medical care in the United States, this post is for you.
Or maybe it’s not something you need right now — but it’s one of those things you’ll be very glad you tucked away for later. For yourself. Or for a friend, partner, parent, or coworker who suddenly finds themselves stuck with the horrendous health insurance crisis in the U.S.
Last year, I had the most comprehensive medical checkup of my life.
Not over months.
Not across multiple different medical offices.
Not with surprise bills showing up later.
It all happened in one single day — at one of the most advanced hospitals I’ve ever seen — and it cost less than what I now pay before my U.S. insurance even starts helping.
And no… it wasn’t in America.
A Quiet Healthcare Breaking Point
Until the end of 2024, I had what Americans would call “decent” insurance. Last year it changed and became terrible. This year? It basically became unusable.
But let’s talk about last year because that’s when this all happened. In 2025 my deductible jumped to $5000, after which the insurance company only covered 60%. Diagnostics — bloodwork, ultrasounds, imaging, biopsies had I needed one — were no longer covered. Routine women’s reproductive care stretched from yearly to once every three years (which… makes zero medical sense).
Suddenly:
- Bloodwork went from a $40 copay to $219–$400 per 6 monthly draw.
- A thyroid ultrasound out-of-pocket was $460
- A Pap smear, formerly covered by insurance now ranged from $272–$375 in the off years.
- A mammogram now ranged from $251 – $473 out of pocket in the off years. (2025 was an off year)
- Prescription co-pays got ridiculous too.
Preventative medicine — the very thing that keeps us healthy — quietly became inaccessible.
That’s when medical tourism stopped being theoretical and became practical.
What Medical Tourism Is (and isn’t)
Medical tourism isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about going where healthcare systems are designed for efficiency, prevention, and outcomes — especially for international patients.
Countries like Turkey have built entire medical ecosystems around this idea. Everything is streamlined. Physician-driven. Precision-based. Essentially geared toward the American market (we are the only ones who don’t have universal healthcare, so tend to be the biggest consumers of medical tourism) they created state-of-the-art hospitals and medical facilities, using the most high-tech equipment and employing the most highly trained medical staff.
And that’s how I found myself at Memorial Hospital Bahçelievler in Istanbul — a globally recognized, JCI-accredited hospital. (The international gold standard for patient safety and quality of care). And, I have to say, the most high-tech, modern and frankly, luxurious hospital and medical center I have ever seen, anywhere in the world.
Why Memorial?
There are other options, but Memorial’s reputation is exceptional — not just locally, but worldwide. Their outcomes and success rates are higher than average, and significantly higher than many comparable U.S. institutions. Many of the physicians trained at places like Harvard and Johns Hopkins. Some regularly teach in the U.S.
They created a checkup program designed around preventative medicine — getting as much meaningful baseline data as possible, before something goes wrong.
Within the professional traveler and travel influencer networks I kept hearing about everyone going to Memorial in Istanbul for incredible medical care. I checked with my own doctors in the U.S, both of whom were stunned by the scope of testing. Both said “We could never order all of this here.” One of them already knew about Memorial and was emphatic that I should go.
So I did.
Plan A
The Memorial Hospital Group offers multiple different checkups specifically divided between men and women. The regular checkups are the Essential Female and Essential Male checkups. These take one full day to complete, with you visiting multiple specialties. Next there is an Advanced Female or Male checkup, which takes on more scope and requires two full days to complete. Finally they offer a Premium Female/Male checkup which takes 3 days. They also have a comprehensive suite of cancer checkups.
I initially booked the Essential Female checkup. This encompassed a comprehensive series of lab tests, plus gynecology, cardiology, radiology, surgical medicine, bone density testing, ophthalmology (hello new glasses prescription!) and a visit with an internal medicine doctor at the end.
But then the unthinkable happened.
If you are a member of my Glam Italia Newsletter, you’ll already know that out of nowhere my best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer on April 30th last year (2025). 28 days later she was gone.
It was horrific on every level, but even more haunting because Melissa had been looking amazing. Glowing skin, glossy hair, toned, healthy. In fact, while we were running around Albania together 6 months prior, I told her I had never seen her look so fantastic. There was no sign, no telltale warning that she was terminally ill. No greying of the skin, no physical decline.
I started worrying about a stealth cancer sneaking up on me too, and ultimately had Memorial Hospital change my checkup from an Essential Female Checkup to their Fundamental Oncology Checkup For Women. Allowing for the fact that every year millions of people are caught off guard by late cancer diagnoses, as had Melissa, I wanted to get proactive. They say cancer detected early is more treatable, less invasive and easier to heal from.
The Day That Changed How I Think About Healthcare
Choosing Memorial’s Fundamental Oncology Checkup for Women still feels like one of the most empowering things I’ve ever done.
In a single day, I experienced the ultimate in health diagnostics, moving seamlessly through:
- Extensive bloodwork
- Dermatology
- Ophthalmology
- Gynecology
- Cardiology
- Multiple ultrasounds
- Mammogram
- Full thorax CT
- Internal medicine review
All coordinated. No waiting around. No confusion. No stress.
An interpreter stayed with me all day. (Although almost everyone was fluent in English)
Even transportation was arranged door-to-door. And food was provided at the hospital’s tremendous restaurant, where healthy, delicious, real foods are prepared by a chef. The food here is fantastic.
You end the day at an appointment with an internal medicine physician who, completely un-rushed, reviews every result in detail. They are able to prescribe medications, recommend treatment, schedule surgery if needed. The hospital is set up so that if something bad is found, or if there is treatment you want to do there, they can get you in within a couple of days.
Precision medicine. No waiting.
With this intense amount of information in front of her, the Internist had an almost complete picture of my total health, all the info, ultrasounds, CTs – everything telling her a much more complete story.
She did order a couple of prescriptions which were delivered to me 10 minutes later at the cost of $5 each.
All reports were translated into English to take to my doctor at home.
I’ve never experienced medicine like that.
** They offer multiple different cancer checkups including genetic/hereditary cancers. You can check them out here.
And the hospital itself…
Memorial Bahçeliever is the most luxurious hospital you have ever seen. It looks more like a luxury hotel than a hospital. The huge reception area has an LED waterfall and a piano playing, so instead of stark, anxious hospital vibes it radiates Four Seasons luxe.
There was intentional psychology behind this. The architects designed the hospital with an environmentally conscious approach and an understanding of the positive effects of green spaces on human health and psychology. The public areas of the hospital are full of living, green, non-allergenic plants. Meanwhile the building itself is eco-friendly and energy efficient. The artwork, LED waterfall, piano music, lighting and overall design were created to de-stress patients, calm nervous systems and promote healing. I’ve never seen anything like it. A hospital intentionally designed to reduce stress and support healing.
Then There’s The Staff
I also want to talk about the staffing at Memorial.
They have masses of administrative staff members, all nicely dressed, professional, well groomed, calm and happy. They embody the philosophy that by being calm, friendly and measured, you in turn make the person you are speaking to feel calm. The nursing and medical staff were the same.
One thing I noticed was they all looked healthy. I didn’t see harried, stressed out, overworked and exhausted staff, instead everyone looks happy. It’s easy to have faith in a medical system when the enormous staff working there all look like the picture of health you want to achieve.
The Cost Reality (this part is hard to ignore)
When everything was converted from Turkish Lira, my entire day of care came in just under $1,000.
Let that land.
For context:
- That’s less than piecing together just a couple of these tests at home
- And adding airfare and hotel still cost far less than what I now pay annually just to access care. And cost way less than my medical insurance deductible.
And yes — all in one day.
On top of that, even though I arrived to Istanbul two days before my checkup and was leaving for a beach trip to the Mediterranean Coast a couple of days after, Memorial still provided transport (in a Maybach no less!) from the airport to my hotel and a few days later hotel to airport. They also provided transport to and from the hotel to the hospital.
The airport transfers were worth €50 to €65 each way. An Uber from the hotel to the hospital would have cost around €35-€40 each way.
My friend and I stayed in a very nice hotel in the Sultanahmet neighborhood (a bit touristy but walking distance to everywhere) and I think each of our rooms for 5 nights + traditional Turkish breakfast cost us $250 or thereabouts.
This one-day checkup abroad cost vastly less than accessing the same care at home — details here if you’re curious.
And yes — all in one day.
More Than Just Healthcare
Istanbul is modern, vibrant, safe, and beautiful — one of the most visited cities in the world.
Many people combine these medical checkups with travel in Turkey or Europe. We spent 5 days in Istanbul and then another 5 or 6 days at the beach in Antalya.
Turkey is also famous globally for Beauty Tourism – think everything from nose jobs to facelifts to boob jobs, every kind of plastic surgery. Also all your injectables and laser treatments, hair transplants – it’s all huge there. The doctors are amongst the most brilliant in the world. And the cost is way lower than the U.S.
A $30,000 deep plane facelift in America runs from $4000 to $7000 in Turkey.
The same Botox that runs from $10 – $16 per unit in the United States averages around $3 per unit in Turkey, and the needle is wielded by a master injector. Even things like hair extensions are a fraction of the price.
People also come to Turkey for Dental Tourism. Again amongst the best in the world but at a fraction of the cost. The same crowns that cost me $2000 each in America cost $285 in Turkey. I was told if I wanted to upgrade to the better quality ones, the cost would be $350.
Whether you build a checkup around some of these other things or not, the value is still just undeniable.
Why I’m Sharing This
Obviously this is not Italy travel content, but since I had my checkup last year almost everyone I’ve told about it has wanted to go do it themselves.
I’m going back later this year — not because something is wrong, but because this is what preventative medicine should look like.
Also, dollar for dollar, it will cost me drastically less than my co-pays and now $8500 deductible in the U.S.
The Internal medicine doctor told me I won’t need another cancer check up for 10 years (unless I get symptoms of something) but suggested I do the math and see where I’m better off coming to Istanbul for regular medical care. It turns out, I am.
If you’re curious, Memorial offers a range of checkups for men and women, from essential to advanced. And if it’s useful, I’ve included a link below where you can explore their programs directly.
No pressure. No urgency.
Just an option worth knowing exists.
👉 Learn more about Memorial Hospital’s one-day preventative checkups here
Sometimes the smartest healthcare decision… is simply looking beyond our borders.
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