The 6-Step Process
Start 6–8 weeks before your trip
Dialysis centers fill their visiting patient slots quickly, especially during peak travel season. Starting early gives you options. Starting late means you're calling centers two weeks out, finding everything full, and scrambling. Build the dialysis search into the very first step of trip planning — before flights, before hotels.
Use DaVita, Fresenius, and independent center locators
DaVita and Fresenius are the two largest dialysis networks in the US — both have patient transfer programs that allow you to receive treatment at their centers in other cities or states. Internationally, they operate centers in many countries as well. Start with their online locators, then check for independent centers.
- DaVita: davita.com — look for "Traveling Patient" program
- Fresenius: freseniuskidneycare.com — "Guest Patient" program
- Independent centers: search "[destination city] hemodialysis center"
Verify the center before you contact them
Not every center that appears in a search result is reputable or equipped for your needs. Before calling, check: Is the center licensed? Do they have reviews from other visiting patients? Are they affiliated with a known network? For international centers, are there English-speaking staff?
Ask these specific questions when you call
- Do you accept visiting or guest patients?
- What dates and times are available during my travel window?
- What documentation do you require from my home center?
- What is the cost per session for self-pay patients?
- Do you bill Medicare or insurance directly, or is it self-pay only?
- What type of dialyzer and dialysate do you use?
- Can you accommodate my current prescription?
Get your home center involved
Your home dialysis center needs to send your medical records, current prescription, and treatment summary to the visiting center. This usually takes 1–2 weeks. Some centers require direct center-to-center communication — your home center's social worker or charge nurse typically handles this. Start this process as soon as you have a confirmed visiting center.
Get everything in writing and confirm 48 hours before
Once booked, get a written confirmation of your appointment dates, times, and cost. Save the center's direct phone number. Call 48 hours before your first treatment to reconfirm. Things change — staffing, equipment — and you want to know before you're sitting in a waiting room in another country.
Why MAVTG Does This For You
This process works — but it takes time, it requires fluency in medical terminology, and when you're calling centers in another country, language and time zones add friction. On dialysis days when energy is limited, spending four hours on hold with a center in Cartagena is not how you want to spend your afternoon.
MAVTG handles the research, verification, and coordination. We know which centers in which cities have strong track records with visiting American patients. We speak the language of the booking process. You tell us where you want to go and when — we find the center, verify it, and hand you a confirmed appointment.