Air Doctor Review: Is It Worth It?
Air Doctor is a digital health platform that connects travelers to trusted local doctors for in-person and video consultations. According to the app, they’re all about doing the hard work of finding and scheduling appointments with multi-lingual doctors so that digital nomads like us don’t have to.
But is Air Doctor all it’s cracked up to be?
At the end of the day, there is nothing more important than health. But, as remote workers with a long-term travel lifestyle, finding genuinely trustworthy practitioners who speak your language can be a huge challenge. That’s why we’re bringing you our experience with Air Doctor to break down exactly how it works and whether or not it's digital nomad-approved.
Quick Verdict: Is Air Doctor Worth it for Digital Nomads?
❌ Not ideal for: Medical emergencies or people traveling in more remote locations
📌 Better than other popular banking solutions? → Air Doctor is not a banking solution or a replacement for credit card insurance. However, it can be a helpful complement, especially when dealing with language barriers or avoiding long waits on the phone with insurers or embassies.
What exactly is Air Doctor?
Air Doctor is a web and phone app created to make accessing healthcare abroad easier for travelers, expats, and digital nomads. In the simplest terms, it lets users search their database of trusted medical specialists by location and need. Their network currently includes 20,000+ practitioners across 90+ countries, with more being added all the time.
The travel health app was created by frequent travelers after one too many instances of getting sick or injured when abroad (we can relate to that).
The digital nomad lifestyle is a great one, but we all know firsthand that sooner or later, you’re going to need medical assistance…and probably in a country where you don’t speak the language.
That’s what Air Doctor promises to solve. The multi-lingual app is available in ten languages to connect you with medical professionals who speak 21+ languages. They also partner with leading global travel insurers like World Nomads to simplify the medical claims process, which is a nice plus.
How Does Air Doctor Work?
When using Air Doctor, we really appreciated the simplicity. You can either download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or open up the web app on your laptop. Making an account is also pretty straightforward: you can just click ‘Log In’ and choose between signing up using your email or an existing Google, Apple, or Facebook account.
If you’re traveling with a partnered digital nomad insurance provider, you can also select them here. Doing this will adjust the rates that pop up later on to your after-insurance costs to avoid having to pay out-of-pocket costs and make a claim later on. Fully digital, cashless, and claimless!
From there, simply enter your location and select your specialty, e.g. dermatologist, ENT, or general doctor/GP. Immediately, a map showing nearby practitioners and their prices will appear. By clicking on a doctor, you can see information like their bio, languages, and reviews.
Air Doctor helps you book three types of consultations:
- Clinic: Appointments that take place at the practitioner's clinic
- At Home (Hotel): Visits from the doctor directly to your accommodation
- Video Consultation: Online consultations via video call
When we booked our video consultation, we found out that you can book an appointment up to three days in advance, and the doctor’s availability will be clearly visible at the top of the screen.
Choose the day you want to make an appointment, and you’ll be taken to a bookings page to choose a time slot and provide any necessary details. They are pretty fast, and we got our response from their practitioners within 45 minutes to confirm our appointment, and then…we were good to go! All that was left to do for us was to attend the consultation.
Key Features
Air Doctor is simplifying the process of finding healthcare as a digital nomad, and that's what makes us excited. Here are some of their key features:
Network of Trusted Practitioners
Air Doctor doesn’t just list medical professionals, they go one step further. Every doctor listed has gone through a comprehensive vetting process. Checking not only their medical license to practice and prescribe, but also whether they are reputable and highly rated. As foreigners looking for medical care in a new country, this is one of the most assuring things.
Access to Prescriptions Abroad
While other telemedicine providers are great for speaking with medical professionals back home, they typically don't have the authority to issue local, valid prescriptions in foreign countries.
With Air Doctor, you can find English-speaking doctors in your area. Or when searching for video call consultations, filter by practitioners able to prescribe in your current location. We all get to speak some English when traveling, so this is a huge plus.
Insurance Integration
Air Doctor partners with a variety of global insurance providers to offer travelers a seamless, fully digital, cashless, and claimless process. Essentially, this means no lengthy claims processes or out-of-pocket payments for anyone whose insurance provider is partnered with Air Doctor.
Even if your insurance isn’t partnered with Air Doctor, you can still use the service and file a claim later on.
24/7 Access and Availability
Not only can you use the app and make healthcare appointments at any time or day, but you’ll also be able to access 24/7 multi-lingual customer care, even if you haven't booked any appointment (our team speaks a few different languages, so that's super handy!).
Video consultations can also be booked around the clock with doctors anywhere in the world (it’s always 9 AM somewhere!).
Multi-lingual Healthcare Assistance
When looking for nearby healthcare professionals, you can filter by language to find a specialist that you can speak to without a language barrier. If there’s no one available locally, Air Doctor also offers video consultations in 90+ countries and 21+ languages.
Our Experience Using Air Doctor
Unfortunately for us (but luckily for you), we’re pretty experienced in getting sick abroad and we told a couple of stories in our newsletter. We also know the struggle of searching for English-speaking doctors on Google and attempting to make appointments in a foreign language all too well, and to be honest… Air Doctor is a way better option.
Searching is super easy thanks to the app’s clean and simple UX, and we loved being able to read reviews from other patients before booking. We’re also big fans of booking consultations directly through the Air Doctor app in your preferred language instead of spending painful hours attempting to translate web pages or speak a foreign language over the phone.
We found practitioners were quick to respond and confirm our appointments, and when we arrived, everything went as expected. It’s great knowing the cost upfront, and if your nomad health insurance is partnered with Air Doctor, then the process is even easier.
That being said, we wish that the Air Doctor network were just a little bit bigger. Covering 90+ countries is great, however, there are places where options are limited or not available at all. Air Doctor is best for looking for general doctors in big cities, but if you’re not in a major hub and need a specialist, then you might be out of luck.
Air Doctor vs Other Healthcare Apps for Travelers
At the end of the day, Air Doctor solves a problem: scheduling healthcare consultations in a foreign country. Using the app is completely free; payment for your consultation depends on whether your insurance covers the service, and if the doctor orders any additional diagnostic testing, such as bloodwork. The listed doctors are trustworthy, and it vastly simplifies the entire consultation process. This is why we think Air Doctor is a great app for digital nomads to know about and download.
However, Air Doctor isn’t a comprehensive healthcare solution. It's not intended to replace travel insurance but rather complement it - top nomad insurers like Genki and Faye are even recommending you download the Air Doctor app alongside your insurance app to access simpler healthcare abroad.
Air Doctor helps digital nomads avoid sitting in a hospital room as much as possible, and is not designed for medical emergencies. In an emergency situation, you should always reach out to your insurance provider and visit a nearby hospital as soon as possible.
Final Verdict
With video consultations, multiple languages, and pre-vetted doctors able to prescribe in your location, there’s no doubt that Air Doctor is a great addition to any nomad’s digital toolbox. It isn’t just for digital nomads either. We recommend it for any frequent traveler, from remote workers to solo travelers and travel-loving families.
Air Doctor is ideal for finding non-emergency healthcare abroad, and considering it’s free to download and provides otherwise difficult-to-access doctors who speak your language, we can’t find a reason not to get this app.
FAQs
Is Air Doctor available in every country?
Air Doctor lists practitioners in 90+ countries and counting, with access to video consultations from almost anywhere in the world.
Do I need travel insurance to use it?
You don’t need travel insurance to use Air Doctor. While they are partnered with a variety of insurance providers, you can also opt to pay directly for services if your provider isn’t a partner or you don’t have an active travel or health insurance policy.
How much do consultations cost?
Consultation costs vary widely by location, specialty, and doctor. Prices are clearly displayed when searching for a practitioner, and you can also sort results by price.
Can I speak to a doctor in my own language?
Air Doctor connects patients with multi-lingual practitioners for in-person or video consultations. Language availability will vary by location. However, Air Doctor does offer video consultations in 21+ languages.
Ready to download and get to traveling?
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