China Expat Health Insurance

China Expat Health provides a medical and health insurance consultancy service to expatriates living in China. 

Newly arrived expats in China have a lot of questions and concerns about health care and medical insurance — and so they should.  One of the big differences between China health care and the US system has to do with the notion of inpatient care and outpatient care.  You’ll find that in China, out-patient care can be a lot cheaper than it is in the US — but choices are abound and quality varies widely.

‘Inpatient’ refers to emergencies. If you are admitted to the hospital for one night or more for life saving treatment, you are an “inpatient”. All of the procedures you undergo, including the transport, are considered inpatient procedures.

‘Outpatient’ procedures involve visiting a hospital or clinic for non-emergency treatment. This kind of medical attention does not always require hospitalization. 

Example: John takes a spill at school and fractures his wrist.  That same day, his dad Bob has trouble with stomach ulcers.  They go to the hospital together.  Johnny is treated on an ‘inpatient’ basis.  He’s x-rayed, wrapped in plaster and released that night.  Bob sees his doctor to get tests and a diagnosis.  The doctor’s visit, diagnostic tests and prescription are all ‘outpatient’ procedures. A month later, Bob is admitted to the hospital for a surgical procedure and will have to spend 2 nights there under observation. The hospital stay, surgery and associated expenses are all considered ‘inpatient’ procedures.

Expatriate Considerations:

1. Hospitals in China have gotten better – and more expensive. We used to be quite skeptical about international healthcare policies that covered outpatient care because it was so cheap — and of questionable effectiveness – in China. Nowadays the major cities in China offer international-style clinics for outpatient care that rivals (or surpasses) US HMOs. Unfortunately, the advances in care have been accompanied by advances in pricing.

2. Chinese inpatient care still doesn’t make the grade for many people. Prescribing, diagnosing, bandaging and setting in plaster, are one thing – surgery and other sophisticated procedures are a different story. If you don’t have confidence in Chinese hospitals, you will want a policy that includes medical evacuation, medical travel, and choice of hospital and doctor. These features are expensive, but if you (or your firm) have invested in health insurance, you can choose the doctor and hospital anywhere in the world for your outpatient procedure.

3. Does it cover me internationally? Expect to pay 100% – 300% more in premiums for policies that include coverage in the US. However, many international health insurance policies include (or offer) provisions for emergency cover in the US.

We pride ourselves on being able to present and introduce the best health and medical insurance options available for expatriates, also including, travel, property, liability/indemnity insurance.