I have serious symptoms but can't find care in my state — and I'm worried I can't afford to travel for a diagnosis. What are my options?

Research from GoodRx, for example, shows that about 1 in 3 Americans live in a “healthcare desert,” or a place with inadequate access to healthcare infrastructure. The 120 million Americans who live in the 80% of counties without adequate access to care may lack primary care doctors, hospitals, emergency services, pharmacies or low-cost health centers.

What happens if you have troubling symptoms and live in one of these areas, so you can’t get help locally?

Let’s say, for example, that Alexandria is experiencing vision problems that come and go, muscle weakness, a loss of coordination, fatigue and random numbness. She’s concerned these may be signs of a serious illness, but doesn’t live near specialists.

Alexandria is considering traveling for a diagnosis, as her symptoms are potential signs of multiple sclerosis, but she’s worried about the cost since she can’t get the diagnostic care she needs locally. What options does she have?

See if your insurance can cover the cost of care

If Alexandria has health insurance, her policy may cover care in a different location if she can’t get the right help locally. However, this isn’t always the case, as eligibility for out-of-state care can depend on the policy and the circumstances.

“You’ll want to ask your physician for a referral to a specialist or medical center with the appropriate expertise,” Blaine Rogers, a medical malpractice and insurance bad faith attorney at Davis Levin Livingston, told Moneywise.

Rogers advised that you must “contact your insurer before scheduling care to make sure the provider is in network. If the insurer denies medically necessary out-of-area care because there is no local provider, you can document the denial and think about appealing it.”

In some very limited cases, Alexandria’s insurance might pay for the costs of traveling to get essential care. For example, if Alexandria has coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), she may be able to get reimbursed for costs of going to a VA facility or other approved location.

However, most people don’t get reimbursement from insurance for transportation, hotels, or lodging when they need out-of-state medical services. So this approach could still leave Alexandria with substantial unreimbursed expenses.

Consider traveling abroad to a place where care is cheaper

Since Alexandria lacks the care she needs locally, she also has the option to travel to a place that may offer more advanced care and be less expensive than locations in the United States.

“Whenever local care cannot cover a certain medical condition, a legitimate option to consider is to go to an accredited hospital abroad,” Nick Peplow, founder and lead coordinator of Thailand Care, told Moneywise.

Peplow said that if Alexandria is considering this option, she should “get a written quote directly from the hospital as well as a video consultation with the specialist treating you before you travel there. Also, she should check and compare at least two or three accredited hospitals and their written quotes within the country of choice before deciding to travel. That way, she can avoid overpaying.”

Medical tourism is common, with places like India welcoming an estimated 700,000 patients annually who travel for medical care at rock-bottom prices. With medical tourism, Alexandria could save 20% to 50% or more on care costs.

Other options

If going abroad isn’t in the cards and her insurance won’t pay what she needs for out-of-state diagnostic care, there are some other options.