Most comparison sheets are built for one procedure. That works until your case touches two specialties, or you're comparing a hospital that quotes everything with a clinic that quotes only the surgeon. This sheet is built differently: a core that stays the same across specialties, and modules you add for dental, cosmetic, orthopedic, bariatric, fertility, eye and regenerative care. Copy the tables into any spreadsheet, with one column per provider.
How to fill it in
Use four codes in every cell, and nothing else:
- I = included in the quoted price;
- E = excluded (billed separately, or your responsibility);
- ? = the quote doesn't say;
- n/a = doesn't apply to this case.
Add a price beside any E item once you've got one. The rule that makes the sheet work: a “?” is never treated as included. Clinics differ in how much they write down, and the cheapest quote is often the one with the most question marks. If you're deciding whether to ask for an itemized or bundled price in the first place, our guide to itemized versus all-inclusive quotes covers the trade-off.
Part 1: the core rows (every quote)
| Row | What to record |
|---|---|
| Quote date and expiry | When it was issued and how long it's valid |
| Quote status | Range only, record-reviewed estimate, or post-consultation plan |
| Who reviewed your case | A named clinician, or a coordinator |
| Diagnosis or goal assumed | In the provider's own words |
| Procedure(s) proposed | Exact names, not package labels |
| Treating clinician and facility | Names you can verify |
| Anesthesia or sedation | Type, and whether its fee is inside the total |
| Devices or implants | Brand and model, or “to be decided” |
| Pre-treatment tests | Which ones, and where they're done |
| Inpatient nights | Number included and the price of an extra night |
| Medications and supplies | What's provided at discharge |
| Follow-up visits in country | Number, and the expected date you're cleared to fly |
| Follow-up after you return | Remote visits, coordination with a home doctor |
| Records provided | Operative or treatment report, in your language |
| Complication and revision policy | What is covered, for how long, and where |
| Currency and payment terms | Currency, deposit, refund conditions, payee name |
| Total quoted | As written |
| Total after adding E items | Your normalized figure |
Several of these rows come straight from public health guidance. The CDC Yellow Book (2026) advises medical travelers to understand which services are included in the cost, and to check whether follow-up happens at the same facility. It also suggests getting copies of overseas records in English and notes that some providers charge substantial fees for follow-up. The NHS treatment-abroad checklist (reviewed 2023) adds exchange rates, a possible extended stay and return trips as costs to plan for. For the currency row, our guide to currency and transfer fees when paying a foreign clinic explains what to ask.
Part 2: specialty modules
Add only the module or modules that fit your case. Each one replaces the vague “procedure” row with the items that actually move the price in that field.
Dental module
| Row | What to record |
|---|---|
| Teeth or arches treated | Tooth numbers, or upper, lower or both |
| Imaging | Which scans are included |
| Extractions and grafts | Number assumed, or pending imaging |
| Implant system | Brand and model |
| Temporary and final restorations | Material of each, and when delivered |
| Number of trips | And the gap between them |
The FDA advises implant patients to ask for and keep the brand and model of their implant system (FDA, 2021). That's why it gets its own row.
Cosmetic surgery module
- Each operation and treatment area, listed separately
- Single-stage or staged plan
- Implant type and manufacturer, if any
- Garments, drains and post-operative supplies
- Touch-up or revision terms
Orthopedic module
- Exact operation (for example, total, partial or revision joint replacement) and side
- Implant manufacturer and product line
- Physical therapy sessions in hospital and after discharge
- Blood-clot prevention medication after discharge
- Mobility equipment
Bariatric module
- Pre-operative nutrition and psychological assessment
- Staged-diet plan and dietitian visit before departure
- First supply of supplements
- Months of follow-up included
Fertility module
- What one “cycle” covers: monitoring, medications, retrieval, lab work, transfer
- Embryo freezing and storage, and storage fees after the first period
- Genetic testing, if offered
- Cost of a later frozen transfer
Eye surgery module
- Exact procedure and whether it's for one or both eyes
- Pre-operative screening tests
- Post-operative visits and medications
- Enhancement or retreatment policy
Regenerative treatment module
- Product name, source and processing lab
- Regulatory approval for your condition, with a reference number
- Clinical trial registration, if described as research
- Number of sessions and the cost of repeats
The FDA says the only stem cell products it has approved are cord-blood-derived blood-forming stem cells for blood-production disorders (FDA, current as of 2024). So the approval row matters more here than the price row.
Part 3: the summary block
Under the columns, add four lines for each provider:
- Number of “?” cells. This is your measure of how complete the quote is.
- Normalized total. The quoted price plus every priced E item.
- Trip estimate. Flights, lodging and a companion for the expected stay.
- Open clinical questions. Anything the providers disagree on.
If the open clinical questions line isn't empty, sort out the plan before you sort by price.
An illustrative filled-in example
Here's how a few core rows might look for two dental quotes. The providers and answers are invented to show the method.
| Row | Clinic A | Clinic B |
|---|---|---|
| Quote status | Record-reviewed estimate | Range only |
| Who reviewed the case | Named dentist | ? |
| Imaging | I | E (priced separately) |
| Implant system | I (brand named) | ? |
| Final restoration material | I (stated) | ? |
| Number of trips | 2 | ? |
| Count of “?” cells | 0 | 4 |
Clinic B may still end up cheaper, but at this point you can't know. The four question marks become the four questions you send back. Once they're answered, the normalized totals can be compared.
Common mistakes with comparison sheets
- Filling cells from the clinic's website instead of your written quote. Websites describe typical packages, not your case.
- Treating “?” as “I”. This is the mistake that makes incomplete quotes look cheap.
- Overwriting old figures. Keep the history, so you can see what changed and when.
- Adding rows only for some providers. Every provider gets every row, even if the answer is n/a.
- Sorting by price before the plans match. If the providers propose different treatments, the sheet can't make them comparable.
Where to keep the sheet, and who sees it
A comparison sheet can easily become a second medical file. Keep it to prices, inclusions, dates and questions, and store records, imaging and photos separately. If you share the sheet with a companion or a family member helping you decide, share a copy without identifying details or health information. Before you send the sheet, or any part of it, back to a provider, remove the other providers' prices unless you deliberately want to use them in a negotiation. Clinics don't need to see each other's terms in order to answer your questions about their own.
Keeping the sheet useful
Send the “?” list back to each provider as a single message, so the replies are easy to file. Save every reply with its date. When a provider updates a price, add a new column rather than overwriting the old one. That way you can see how the quote moved. For a simpler three-column version focused on checking facts and payment terms, see our 3-provider comparison sheet. For what to send so the quotes are worth comparing at all, see the intake checklist by specialty.
Want help getting medical quotes?
Send the specialty or procedure, your location, and the records you already have. We can help you organize the intake and identify what providers need before a quote is worth comparing.
Start on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
How do I use this comparison sheet?
Put one provider in each column, fill the core rows for every quote, then add only the specialty module that fits your case. Mark each cell I for included, E for excluded, ? if the quote does not say, or n/a. Price the E items and send the ? items back as questions.
Why not just compare the totals?
Because quotes include different things. A low total with many unknown cells may cost more once excluded items are added. The sheet's normalized total, which is the quoted price plus every priced excluded item, is the figure to compare.
What if my case involves two specialties?
Add both modules. The core rows stay the same, so a case that combines, for example, dental and cosmetic work, or orthopedic and rehabilitation needs, still fits on one sheet.
Should unknown items be treated as included?
No. If a quote does not state that something is included, treat it as unknown and ask. Assuming unknowns are included is the most common way a cheap quote turns out to be expensive.
What should I do when providers propose different treatments?
Record the disagreement in the open clinical questions line and resolve it before comparing prices. Quotes for different plans are not comparable, however carefully the rows are filled in.