What It's Really Like Getting an MRI, X-Ray and Treatment in Italy as an Expat
The first place I went to was in Jesi — a clinic called Myolab.
It was an amazing place. It felt more like a physiotherapy and recovery centre than a typical clinic — plenty of rooms, a swimming pool, all the equipment you'd expect, and classrooms running things like yoga and Pilates. All of that information is on their website, which I'll link here. Myolab website https://kosgroup.com/it
The appointment I'd booked was for an ultrasound. I knew I needed some kind of imaging — an MRI or an X-ray — but wasn't sure which at first. I wasn't too worried about the X-ray side of things, so I went for the ultrasound first.
They charged me €80 plus €2 tax — €82 in total. I booked online, and the appointment started right on time, which made the whole thing feel very efficient.
During my scan, the specialist dictated his notes straight into his computer. By the time I got back to reception, the report was already printed and waiting for me along with discs of the images.
Genuinely brilliant service. Based on what he saw on screen, the specialist suggested I get an MRI and an X-ray also. I had no idea how much that would cost or where to go, so he recommended a clinic in Ancona and kindly called ahead for me. He checked availability, booked the appointment, and confirmed the price on the spot. I knew exactly what I'd be paying before I confirmed the appointment.
I drove down to Ancona, and again the appointment started right on time. First the MRI, which took around 20–30 minutes, then straight into the X-rays.
Ancona Hospital website https://www.policlinicoabano.it/
The total cost for the MRI, the X-rays, and both being reported on and analysed by a doctor plus everything saved to a USB came to €146. Genuinely hard to believe. The place itself was spotless and really well run — I couldn't fault it.
There was a bit of a wait between having the scans done and getting the results, because one of the specialists was away over the weekend. I called on the Monday, but they wouldn't give me results over the phone — you have to collect them in person, since everything comes as printouts and a USB. When I drove back, it took about two minutes to give my name and pick everything up. Unbelievably efficient.
One thing worth flagging: everything is in Italian, no English versions of the reports at all — although staff on site do speak English.
Because of my situation as a non-resident running low on Schengen days, I knew that if I needed surgery or extended recovery, I wouldn't have the visa time to stay in Europe for it. So there was always going to be a point where I had to head back to the UK. As soon as my leg felt safe enough to drive on (even though it wasn't strong enough to walk on properly), I headed back to England.
Luckily, I have private health insurance through my employer in the UK so I started the process of getting a referral — which meant calling my GP.
Honestly, getting the referral letter from the GP was the hardest part of this entire process. The number of phone calls and forms was unreal. I was told at one point they'd had too many forms that day and to call back tomorrow. Then told I could only fill the form in during the morning because otherwise they run out. Four days later, a doctor called to ask if I needed a referral (yes, which I'd already stated on the form), then told me to call back after 2pm to confirm where to send it, which was just my email, which they already had.
Since then, I've had one consultation through Bupa with a specialist. His advice: he can't operate until I'm able to straighten my leg fully, since recovery after surgery is much harder without that range of motion first. So the plan is some fairly intense physio, then a follow-up in three to four weeks to reassess whether I'm ready for surgery.
The health system in Italy was brilliant, and private healthcare in the UK has also been genuinely good. If I could have stayed in Italy and had treatment there, I honestly wouldn't have hesitated. The facilities are excellent, and easy enough to find and research online — reviews, details, etc are all online. Everyone I've spoken to who's used healthcare in Italy has been impressed.
I am looking at claiming back the costs for the scans as well as my crutches, which I bought myself from Amazon, from my travel insurance.
On a smaller note — someone mentioned a service called Doctors in Italy to me. Doctors in Italy website https://www.doctorsinitaly.com/
They did a video consultation with them for a general virus, which cost around €40. They prescribed a few things, including antibiotics, and the prescription came through by email which could be taken to any pharmacy in Italy. They didn't need everything on the prescription, but picked up what theu did need — antibiotics came to under €10 (I'll confirm and update this post once I've double-checked).
All in all — genuinely impressed with the whole experience.
If you have any questions, get in touch through the website, or drop me a message — and if you're not already subscribed to the newsletter, that's where I'll be sharing more updates like this as they happen.
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