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The short answer
Compare written treatment plans, not hospital reputations: ask each hospital for an itemised estimate covering the full course, then add travel, accommodation and a carer's costs for India. India's e-Medical visa gives 60 days from first arrival with triple entry, cannot be extended, and allows up to two e-Medical Attendant visas per patient. From the US, paying the hospital directly keeps the payment outside US gift tax, because the IRS excludes medical costs paid straight to the care provider.
Start with the treatment plan, then the money
When a parent in Nigeria is diagnosed with cancer, the first question families in the US ask is often where the treatment should happen. It is a clinical question before it is a financial one. The oncologist needs the pathology report, scans and staging, and the plan will depend on the type of cancer and how far it has spread. Get those documents first, in digital form, because every hospital you approach, in Nigeria or India, will ask for them before giving a quote.
Once you have a diagnosis on paper, ask each hospital you are considering for the same thing: a written plan for the whole course of treatment (surgery, chemotherapy cycles, radiotherapy sessions, follow-up scans), with an itemised estimate and what is excluded. Comparing two plans line by line is the only fair comparison. A cheaper headline price that leaves out drugs or follow-up is not cheaper.
What a cancer bill is made of
| Cost line | In Nigeria | In India |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis and staging | Often already done; repeat tests if the hospital asks | Hospital may repeat biopsy review and scans on arrival |
| Surgery | Surgeon, anaesthesia, theatre, admission days | Usually quoted as a package; check what the package excludes |
| Chemotherapy | Drugs per cycle are often the largest line; check whether drugs are bought separately | Drugs per cycle, day-care charges |
| Radiotherapy | Depends on which centres have working machines and waiting lists | Number of sessions sets the length of stay |
| Travel | Transport to the treating city, sometimes repeatedly | Flights for the patient and carer, airport transfers |
| Accommodation and living | Lodging near the hospital for the carer | Weeks or months of rent and food for two people |
| Follow-up | Local scans and reviews | Return trips, or a local doctor to follow the Indian plan |
The single biggest variable is the length of stay. A plan that needs six chemotherapy cycles three weeks apart means four months away from home, and in India that means four months of rent, food and a carer away from work.
Treatment in Nigeria: paying from the US
Treating at home keeps the patient near family and avoids visa and travel costs, but families should ask practical questions: does the hospital have the drugs in stock or will they need to be bought from a pharmacy, is the radiotherapy machine working, and how long is the wait? Ask for the consultant's full name and Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria registration details.
Check whether your parent has health insurance through an HMO accredited by the National Health Insurance Authority. The NHIA lists its accredited HMOs on its site, and its home page says enrollees generally pay a 10% co-payment on drugs. Cancer care may be limited or excluded under a given plan, so ask the HMO in writing what the plan covers for this diagnosis before treatment starts.
- Pay the hospital's corporate account, named on its invoice, not a staff member's personal account.
- Ask for a receipt for each payment and an updated statement after each cycle.
- If drugs are bought from an outside pharmacy, pay the pharmacy against its invoice and keep the batch details.
Treatment in India: the visa and the logistics
India's e-Visa site sets the rules for medical travel. Eligibility depends on nationality, and the site says only nationals of countries listed on the e-Visa website can apply, so confirm that the patient's passport is on the list before you plan dates. The terms on the official page, as at October 2026, are:
- e-Medical Visa for the patient: 60 days from the date of first arrival in India, triple entry, non-extendable and non-convertible.
- e-Medical Attendant Visa for carers: same 60-day, triple-entry terms; only two attendant visas are granted against one patient's e-Medical visa.
- Apply online at least 4 days before arrival and up to 120 days ahead.
- A letter from the Indian hospital on its letterhead is needed, showing the tentative admission or treatment date and the patient's name, nationality and passport number.
- The fee is country-specific; the portal shows it when you apply.
The 60-day limit matters. If the plan runs longer, the family will need to plan return trips or ask the hospital what it advises, because the e-Visa cannot be extended. Ask the hospital's international patients office how it takes payment, what deposit it needs on arrival, and who to contact if the estimate changes mid-treatment.
If you are considering the US instead
Some families look at treatment in the US. The State Department's visitor visa page says applicants travelling for medical treatment should show a diagnosis, a letter from the US provider and proof that the costs will be paid. US hospital prices are usually far higher, so this route tends to make sense only for specific treatments.
A worked comparison
The figures below are an example only, to show how to lay out the comparison; your quotes will differ.
| Line (example, US dollars) | Lagos plan | India plan |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment estimate (full course) | 11,000 | 14,000 |
| Flights, patient and carer | 0 | 2,400 |
| Accommodation (about 90 days) | 1,000 (carer lodging) | 3,600 |
| Food and local transport | 500 | 1,800 |
| Carer's support or lost income | 900 | 900 |
| Total | 13,400 | 22,700 |
In this example India costs $9,300 more. Whether that is worth it depends on what the Indian plan offers that the Nigerian one does not, such as a shorter waiting time or a treatment not available locally. Ask both oncologists that question directly.
US tax: pay the provider directly
The IRS instructions for Form 709 say payments for medical care are excluded from gift tax when the payment is made to the care provider, and that you need not file Form 709 to report them. Medical care covers diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease. The exclusion does not apply to amounts later reimbursed by the patient's insurance. Money sent to a relative to pass on is a gift to that relative instead, and counts toward the annual exclusion, which the IRS gives as $19,000 per person for 2026. This is information, not tax advice.
What to check first
- Collect the pathology report, scans and discharge summaries in one shared folder.
- Get written plans and itemised estimates from at least one hospital in each country.
- Check the patient's HMO cover in writing.
- For India, confirm e-Visa eligibility and the 60-day limit against the treatment timeline.
- Agree among siblings who pays which invoice before the first payment is due.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme account holds US dollars and naira side by side, so you can keep the treatment fund in dollars and use Swap when a naira invoice is due; the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. Each payment can carry a verifiable receipt through VerifyDoc.ai for the family record. For bills at home, see paying Nigerian hospital bills directly and paying for a parent's surgery.
Questions people ask
Can a Nigerian get an Indian medical visa online?
India's e-Visa is open only to nationals of countries listed on its e-Visa website, so check the list on indianvisaonline.gov.in before planning. If eligible, the e-Medical visa needs a letter from the Indian hospital.
How long can my mother stay in India for treatment on an e-Medical visa?
The official page says 60 days from first arrival, with triple entry, and it cannot be extended. Plan the treatment timeline around that.
Is paying my father's cancer treatment a taxable gift in the US?
The IRS excludes medical costs paid directly to the care provider from gift tax and says no Form 709 is needed for them. Money given to a relative to pay the bill is a gift to that relative.
Does NHIA insurance cover cancer treatment in Nigeria?
Cover depends on the plan and the HMO. The NHIA lists accredited HMOs; ask the HMO in writing what it covers for the diagnosis before treatment starts.
Sources
- Government of India: e-Visa, e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant visa terms · accessed Oct 2026
- IRS: Instructions for Form 709 (2025), educational and medical exclusions · accessed Oct 2026
- IRS: Frequently asked questions on gift taxes (reviewed 23 Jul 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- National Health Insurance Authority: accredited HMOs · accessed Oct 2026
- US Department of State: Visitor visa · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.