This may sound a bit silly, but it's a piece of advice I give out to all of my expat sisters and brothers.
For everyday medicine, Russian medical facilities are, in general, quite more advanced and "civilized" than many expats will believe. The caveat is, when approaching medical staff in Russia, it helps to have a decent understanding of the language, and a decent understanding of what you actually need. Rule of thumb: if the place advertises, it's probably OK. I've had a root canal done by a Russian dentist, and it was done well -- for about 200 USD, including the "top-end" anaesthetics. (In Seattle it would have cost me 2000 USD.) Compare that to the monthly fee for an insurance plan, and you understand that pay-by-go can be a much more financially sound option. I mean, how often does one need a root canal? When it comes to emergency medical coverage, your main "insurance" is your foreign passport. Trust me -- if, God forbid, you get into an accident or something -- your foreign passport will open doors at any Russian clinic, since they know that sooner or later, you'll be able to foot the bill. Your "registration" tells them where you live. Or at least they think so. If you choose my route, then ALWAYS have your passport on you. Seriously. And GO FOR CHECKUPS. They cost 500-1000 rubes, and I've been lax on this myself recently, so I thank the original sender of this thread for reminding me. I hope I haven't "jinxed" myself by giving this advice (tfoo-tfoo-tfoo!), but I've been here for 5 years, and I simply don't sweat it. Russian medicine is on the same level as Russian physics, or military aviation... not too shabby. Until, -Alex
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