Healthcare in China

Hi,

We have been living in China for about 3 years. We have never had private health insurance, but that is probably because our current employer provides a limited insurance for major accidents/ emergencies. All other medical is very cheap, so we don't feel the need to get private insurance. We have had a baby here, and we paid for the birth and all the prenatal appointments, by cash. I can't really speak for the difference between public and private sectors, but in general, hospitals are VERY different from those in our home countries (me = South Africa, husband = USA). It was a huge adjustment and challenging at times. We have a blog if you want to read more about our experiences. Here are some posts about our hospital experiences:

http://travelingwithjc.blogspot.com/201 … china.htmlhttp://travelingwithjc.blogspot.com/201 … story.htmlhttp://travelingwithjc.blogspot.com/201 … -days.htmlhttp://travelingwithjc.blogspot.com/201 … visit.htmlhttp://travelingwithjc.blogspot.com/201 … mares.htmlhttp://travelingwithjc.blogspot.com/201 … -boys.html

Sorry if none of this is relevant to you!
Catherine

Hi Julian,

The current healthcare system in China is a mixture of public and private institutions. The system is in great need of reform and is slowly changing to keep pace with the demands of Chinese citizens.

As an expatriate, you will immediately notice the difference in the kind of services available and when such services are available. A good example is having to go to a hospital to see a General Practitioner or another doctor for outpatient care. Standards of care and the facilities available vary greatly.

Foreign sponsored hospitals are ever more present in China. These High Cost Facilities (HCF) usually charge more for the care they provide but attempt to bring the quality of service, treatment and equipment available up to a standard more familiar with most westerners.

I would highly advise getting private medical insurance in the peoples republic of China and carefully reading over the small print terms and conditions when taking a package offering inpatient/emergency only care. If something seems to good to be true, it probably is.

There was a highly unfortunate incident here in Beijing recently where an expatriate was involved in a road accident and has been left comatose. His insurance did not cover this type of emergency care nor the repatriation costs to get him back to the US. Now his bereaved family have been left with a bill in excess of $200,000.

I would urge every expatriate to make sure they have appropriate medical insurance in the Peoples Republic of China. The numerous and traumatic incidents involving expatriates here in China leaves people and their loved ones at risk if not effectively covered. It's a risk not worth taking.

Also most of the outpatient facilities and services we take for granted elsewhere in the world are not included in most inpatient only packages here in China. Again, it's a matter of having someone sit down and walk you through the small print to ensure you have the coverage to fit your needs.

I hope this helps and as someone working in the insurance industry, please feel free to ask me any questions or let me know if there are any Health Insurance concerns I can help you or your friends with.

Best Regards

Daniel Pennifold

Healthcare within China.

All depends on where in China one lives. Major city hospitals are mainly up to date with all the care facilities ones used to within the western countries.

It is all a rush here though and no one ques nicely, but that's the norm.

My personal experience here is that I have no expat health insurance, and I recently had a very bad heart attack, and where we live in central China, the towns are small, but I felt very comfortable with the local doctors and nurses, even though they shit themselves as I was the only foreigner to go to their hospital, but I was given the best treatment and care I would of obtained anywhere within the EU. and for a full 11 days within the ICU which was nice and clean and staff very nice and helpful 24-7, incl daily scans and CT scans, and gallons upon gallons of IV meds it only cost me 12,000 rmb, equivalent to around 1,200 UK pounds, and I think that's very good.

Question is would this of cost me the same in health insurance, and I have heard, health insurance only covers so much of the total cost not 100%, and is not 100% you will get the cover and I presume your interrogated at the same time.

BUT off me it is 100% YES all expats whom visit any foreign country MUST obtain full health cover, I am fortunate though I live here permanently. So I do what all locals do.

intlmedics wrote:

Healthcare within China.

All depends on where in China one lives. Major city hospitals are mainly up to date with all the care facilities ones used to within the western countries.

It is all a rush here though and no one ques nicely, but that's the norm.

My personal experience here is that I have no expat health insurance, and I recently had a very bad heart attack, and where we live in central China, the towns are small, but I felt very comfortable with the local doctors and nurses, even though they shit themselves as I was the only foreigner to go to their hospital, but I was given the best treatment and care I would of obtained anywhere within the EU. and for a full 11 days within the ICU which was nice and clean and staff very nice and helpful 24-7, incl daily scans and CT scans, and gallons upon gallons of IV meds it only cost me 12,000 rmb, equivalent to around 1,200 UK pounds, and I think that's very good.

Question is would this of cost me the same in health insurance, and I have heard, health insurance only covers so much of the total cost not 100%, and is not 100% you will get the cover and I presume your interrogated at the same time.

BUT off me it is 100% YES all expats whom visit any foreign country MUST obtain full health cover, I am fortunate though I live here permanently. So I do what all locals do.

If you only paid that amount in central China well done to you and you were very fortunate. You are certainly not the average. It is not worth the risk though, if there were complications and the cost had risen in excess of £100,000 as has been the case for a number of expats would you have still been ok financially or would insurance that costs as little as £1500 a year and covers up to $8 million have been more preferable?

Health Insurance can cover all the costs if you choose the right package. Unless your costs exceed the total annual allowance which is generally between 8-12 million USD. Insurance packages are to an extent Bespoke and can be tailored to your needs.

The largest and most reputable Health Insurance providers offer Inpatient only cover for under £2000 a year for expatriates. Considering in the example I gave where costs can easily spiral out of control, especially in an emergency where you might require more complicated surgery and don't have a choice of which hospital the ambulance takes you to, it's always better to be covered.

I am living in Kaifaqu of Dalian City. Free Trade Zone Clinic is good to me. They have general practitioner, acupuncturist, dermatologist, dentist, and gynecologist too. It provides all different kinds of blood tests, ultra-sound, X-ray and CT scans. Results come out quickly too. Their natural treatment such as acupuncture, physical therapy and Chinese herbal tea are very good to health.

Here is the telephone number: 158-9815-8503

Lucy

I'm just coming up to the end of my first year in Shanghai.  My employer provides very good health insurance which includes pre existing conditions.  And for me, thank god it does! 

I had breast cancer 5 years ago and took a risk moving here.  After long discussions with my UK oncologist, I decided to take the risk.  And then found a new lump after I'd been here 4 months. 

The first place I went was sort of like a UK GP practise.  It didn't inspire my confidence when I saw McDonald's university (!) was in the same building.  The waiting room/reception area was fine.  Very similar to the standard of an NHS (free) surgery in the UK.  The doctor was less confidence inspiring.  She found the lump and referred me for an ultrasound.  The doctors practise had an ultrasound machine.  However the room was small, cramped and dirty.  I wasn't convinced the radiographer (was she a radiographer?  The GP referred to her as a doctor?) knew what she was doing. 

When I went back in to see the GP after the ultrasound, she told me the doctor (the woman who did the scan) thought it was OK, no cancer.  But there was no evidence, since the computer wasn't working to print off the results.  ????????  The GP also wanted to do a tumourectomy on me in the surgery, again, something I hadn't heard of despite 5 years of cancer treatment. 

Needless to say, I didn't go back there.

My next port of call was United Family Hospital.  While I attend there regularly for my check ups, I don't think the quality of healthcare is equal to that which I receive in the UK.  My insurance doesn't cover all of the cost, I pay 20%, which would be unheard of at home in the UK but I'm happy to do it for the peace of mind it provides. 

Ultimately, my experience is that very expensive health care in China is not of the standard of free health care in the UK.

I think you answer depends on your situation.  I am here teaching at Tianjin University from an organization at my home university in America.  This organization provides membership in the SOS clinic system, which is excellent and has a branch in Tianjin.  I have also used Tianjin Central Hospital 1 for medical tests and two visits to the emergency room, and another Chinese hospital not up to the quality of No. 1.  Lack of sanitation and cleanliness bothers me a bit in the Chinese hospitals.  I have also used a private Chinese physical therapy hospital, which was excellent. I think in China, you get what you pay for.  The more it costs for medical services, the higher quality medical care one obtains.

Hi! I'm working as a doctor in China in a private healthcare company. Healthcare system here, in China, differs greatly from what I have seen before. I am not sure but I suppose they do not have private insurance. Commonly they have a kind of a social card to which each month some amount from the salary is transferred, it works like a debit card, you got some money on that card and if you need to stay in the hospital you will pay by this card. What I can say from my experience is that here in China they have rather good facilities but they do not know how to use them correctly. I can not explain why but very often their diagnosis are ridiculous, as well as treatment strategy.

Okay.. You are in China and you are worried about health services. After 20 years here, when country hospitals were basic dumps with MRI machines in sheds out back I realised that these people had got it right. The most important thing is diagnosis. Speedy diagnosis even better. At that time they were not so good at fixing things but now, 20 years later there is absolutely no reason why a standard Chinese hospital is not going to provide better care than any good hospital overseas.
Speaking the lingo helps.
The system is incredibly efficient. A skin cancer diagnosis is a ten day turnaround. MRI's, once taken are sent directly to your doctors pc in his office. You don't need the pictures. Complete blood tests are generally same day.
The costs are very good. Even better if you subscribe to the national health / retirement system over here. By the way, you should be subscribing to this if you are paid in RMB and your employer is registered here. If not you can sue them. The employment burea will ream them out.
Frankly speaking you would be incredibly stupid subscribing to a private health insurance system here in China. If your emplolyer provides this, then don't worry about it but my experience of private health here in China and again in the rest of the world is you are going to get sold what that health provider can provide and not neccessarily what you actually need. .Bottom line is to avoid it like the plague.
Get on line and check out what you problem you have and learn yourself the solutions. Then throw these at your surgeon. If he tells you you are stupid I strongly suggest you get up and walk out. You know what is best for you.
If the specialist keeps on pushing one form of treatment ask him if he actually does the other forms you are looking at.. Chances are he does not.

The doctors in China are generally all in the hospitals.. You propably know this already. When you check in you tell them the specific problem you have and they will ask you if you want an average specialist or a special specialist. The great thing about the guys here is they love it when you actually go through all the options. They love getting patient feedback.

Or you can ignore my comments.. Been under the knife here 3 times and going under it again tomorrow..

Julien wrote:

Hi,

how does the healthcare system work in China ? Is it efficient ?

What are the main differences between public and private sectors?

Is it recommended to purchase private health insurance in China?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience !

Julien