Before you start

Employer group medical cover, or a private policy
Vaccinations appropriate to India
A doctor and hospital identified before you need them

Step-by-step

1
Confirm what your employer's group cover includes
Check room-rent limits, per-condition sub-limits, maternity cover and dependant inclusion. Consider a top-up if the sum insured is low relative to a private admission.
Via employerWho: YouFirst month
2
Get vaccinated before you arrive
Typhoid and hepatitis A are the baseline; others depend on circumstances. Some courses need weeks, so start at home.
In personWho: You
3
Identify your hospital and check the cashless network
Apollo, MIOT, Fortis Malar and Sankara Nethralaya are among the major private options. Know which is nearest, which is in your insurer's cashless network, and the drive time — which in the monsoon can change dramatically.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
4
Take heat illness seriously from March to June
Chennai's heat is humid, which makes it considerably harder on the body than dry heat at the same temperature. Hydrate far beyond thirst, avoid the middle of the day outdoors, and know the signs of heat exhaustion. May is the peak.
In personWho: You
5
Prepare for post-flood disease in November and December
After the north-east monsoon, dengue and leptospirosis both rise. Wading through flood water carries a real leptospirosis risk — doctors here prescribe prophylaxis after significant exposure. If you have waded and then run a fever, say so explicitly.
In personWho: You
6
Filter your water and be careful in the first weeks
Use an RO filter for drinking water — every household here has one — and let your system adjust before eating widely from the street.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Insurance policy documents and cashless card
Vaccination records
Prescriptions, with generic names rather than brand names
Passport, required at hospital admission

Things most newcomers don’t know

Chennai's specialist care is genuinely world-class, because medical tourism built it.

The city receives a very large share of India's international patients, and the resulting concentration of cardiac, orthopaedic and ophthalmic specialists exceeds what a city this size would otherwise support. Sankara Nethralaya and Apollo's specialty institutes draw patients from across Asia and Africa. For a resident it means genuine choice at low cost.

Source: community-reported

Leptospirosis after the November floods is the risk nobody warns about.

Wading through flood water — unavoidable on some days in the north-east monsoon — carries a real risk of leptospirosis from contaminated water entering through cuts or mucous membranes. Local doctors prescribe prophylaxis after significant exposure. Mention flood-water contact explicitly if you develop a fever.

Source: community-reported

Humid heat is harder on the body than dry heat at the same temperature.

Chennai in May combines high thirties with high humidity, which prevents sweat evaporating and defeats the body's main cooling mechanism. Someone who has coped with 45°C in Delhi can struggle at 38°C here. Adjust expectations and hydration accordingly.

Source: India Meteorological Department

Room-rent sub-limits break Indian health policies more than anything else.

Many group policies cap the daily room rent payable, and exceeding it causes the insurer to proportionately reduce every other charge on the bill.

Source: community-reported