What a second opinion actually costs in India — and what you get for it

"How much is a second opinion?" is a fair question with an unsatisfying short answer, because the price depends on which of two quite different things you are buying. One is a written assessment of your records, read by a senior specialist who never speaks to you. The other is a live video consultation. They cost different amounts for good reasons.

Below is what each one costs, what is included, and — more usefully — what the cheaper end of the market tends to leave out.

What does an international written second opinion cost?

For patients outside India, the price is US$100, flat. That covers a senior Indian specialist reading your actual records — imaging, pathology, operative notes — and writing you a signed opinion on whether the diagnosis and proposed treatment are sound, with answers to the specific questions you ask.

Three things are worth being precise about. It is delivered within five working days from the point your records are confirmed complete. It requires no travel and no video call — the entire process is document-based. And nothing is charged until a coordinator confirms your records are sufficient for a meaningful review; if the panel concludes they are not, you are not charged. The US$100 is the whole price: no consultation fee, no per-page charge, no upsell built in.

What it is not is a consultation. It is a records-only preparatory assessment — not telemedicine, not a diagnosis, not a prescription, and not a doctor–patient relationship with the reviewer. Whether that is enough for your question is the subject of a separate guide on when a records-only opinion is enough and when you need to be examined.

What does a second opinion cost inside India?

For patients within India, a second opinion takes a different form: a video teleconsultation conducted under the NMC Telemedicine Practice Guidelines, with the specialist having read your reports before the call. There are three tiers:

₹3,500 — Standard. A consultant, a 20-minute video consultation, reports reviewed beforehand, a verbal opinion and a short written note.

₹5,500 — Senior consultant. A senior, department-level consultant, a longer consultation, and a full signed written opinion with a follow-up message.

₹7,500 — Subspecialty / complex. A subspecialist for complex or rare cases, a longer consultation including an imaging re-read, a full signed written opinion, the option for a family member to join, and follow-up messages.

The domestic consultation is available in English, Hindi{{, and other languages — confirm which}}. Payment is taken only once a slot is confirmed. It is not for emergencies — in an emergency, call 112 or attend your nearest hospital.

Why is there a price difference at all?

A live consultation costs more than a written review because it costs the specialist more — scheduled time, a two-way conversation, and the ability to ask you questions the file does not answer. A records-only written opinion is cheaper precisely because it is bounded: the reviewer works from what you send and nothing else.

Neither is "better" in the abstract. A clear question about a specific scan or pathology result is often answered perfectly well on paper. A situation where the history matters, or where you need to talk something through, is better served by the video consultation.

What do the cheaper options leave out?

Very low-cost or free "second opinions" advertised online are usually one of three things: a lightly reworded summary of the report you already have, a lead-generation step designed to route you into a specific hospital, or an assessment by someone whose identity and registration you cannot verify. The number to watch is not the fee. It is whether you are told the reviewing doctor's name, qualifications and NMC registration number, and whether the service earns anything from where it sends you next.

On the second point, the arrangement here is deliberate: the specialist is paid the same regardless of what they recommend, and Healing Tourist receives no referral fee or commission from any hospital or surgeon for treatment that follows. That firewall is the reason the advice is not shaped by where it might send you.

When are you not charged?

For the international opinion, if the panel concludes your records are insufficient for a meaningful review — or that no specialist available can properly assess your case — the fee is refunded in full and you are told why. For the domestic consultation, payment is only taken once a slot is confirmed. In both cases the intent is the same: you should not pay for a review that cannot actually be done.

If what you are weighing is whether the second opinion is worth having at all, our guide on why a second opinion changes the plan more often than people expect is the better place to start. Healing Tourist is a facilitator, not a healthcare provider; the specialists on our panel are independently registered practitioners.