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By Mike Fuhrmann

Seeing a doctor in the Dominican Republic could be hazardous to your pocketbook.

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There are good, private medical facilities in all tourist areas in the Caribbean country, Ottawa says. But here’s the bad news: you might be overcharged for treatment, some of which you may not even need.

In updated travel advice for the country, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Department says its embassy in the capital, Santo Domingo, has received reports from Canadians of “overcharging for medical services, variable pricing and unnecessary overnight hospital stays.”

Even basic medical services “can be very costly,” the department says, advising Canadians to ask about fees before undergoing any treatment.

“Beware of aggressive sales tactics of in-house resort doctors, who are often contracted out by private hospitals and try to sell you on their facility,” the department warns.

If travellers feel they’ve been overcharged after a hospital visit they should let hospital administrators know, “as some Canadians have successfully negotiated a reduction in their hospital bill.”