Services for International Patients

Thank you for considering Seattle Children’s for your child’s care.

Seattle Children’s provides care to infants, children, teens and young adults for complex or rare conditions. We are consistently ranked among the best pediatric hospitals in the United States, and offer the most advanced inpatient and outpatient diagnostic, medical, surgical and rehabilitative services.

Seattle Children's does not have availability in all programs to provide services to those outside of our primary area of service due to high volumes of patient requests.  When reviewing international requests, we assess many factors, including the availability in our clinical programs and whether the care is uniquely provided by Seattle Children’s.

International Patient Services

Seattle Children’s International Approval team can help you:

  • Learn about our services and programs.
  • Identify doctors to meet your child’s unique needs.
  • Estimate medical costs, upon clinical acceptance.
  • Provide information on financial assistance or make payment arrangements.
  • Facilitate appointments, including consultations and follow-up care.

We can also help with communication between doctors, patients and family members in Seattle. To provide the best care for your child, we will begin by carefully reviewing your child’s medical records.

Pre-payment of the estimated cost of care from a government agency or the patient/family is required in most cases before non-emergency services are scheduled unless the patient Is enrolled with an insurance plan contracted with Seattle Children's or, if clinical acceptance criteria are met, the patient is eligible for financial assistance.

Seattle Children's offers financial assistance for medically necessary services that require Seattle Children's specialized clinical expertise. Learn more about and find applications for financial assistance at Seattle Children's.

Financial assistance does not cover elective care, services that are not medically necessary for a patient to receive at Seattle Children’s (e.g., care otherwise available in a patient’s home country or surrounding area that Seattle Children’s is not uniquely situated to provide), services that have been denied because insurance coverage requirements have not been satisfied, travel costs, housing, food or transportation. 

Request Treatment at Seattle Children’s

To request treatment at Seattle Children’s:

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Where do I send my child’s medical records?

    Medical records can be attached to the international patient intake form or emailed to ComplexAuths_OOR@seattlechildrens.org.

  • Do you accept medical records in a foreign language?

    No. All medical records must be translated into English before you send them.

  • Do you provide interpreter services?

    Yes. We will provide an interpreter at each of your medical appointments at Seattle Children’s. You will not be charged for interpreters.

  • Can you help us to get U.S. medical visit visas?

    We are not able to assist with the visa application process. However, once financial clearance is complete, we can provide you with a letter stating that you have appointments scheduled at Seattle Children’s. 

  • Can you help with a hotel and local transportation?

    Yes. We can help with transportation, places to stay and other logistic or living arrangements.

  • Do you provide telemedicine consultations for second opinions?

    Seattle Children's is currently unable to support international virtual visits due to both capacity constraints and physician requirements  to practice where they are licensed.

  • Who is considered an international patient?
    • Any patient living outside the United States for majority of the year, regardless of citizenship status, is considered an international patient.
    • International patients include the following scenarios:
      • A patient who is a U.S. citizen living or working abroad.
      • A patient who is traveling or has traveled to the U.S. to obtain medical care.
      • A patient requesting non-emergency medical care while temporarily in the U.S. as a visitor or tourist.
      • A patient who is an international exchange student requesting non-emergency medical care for a condition already present before arrival in the U.S.