Best International Health Insurance for Expats in Beijing
Expats in Beijing have several excellent international health insurance options to choose from. The top providers include Cigna, William Russell, GeoBlue, AXA, Allianz, and Bupa. These companies offer flexible plans with a range of coverage levels, global networks, and added benefits like emergency evacuation and mental health services.
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Choosing the right provider depends on your coverage needs and whether you require global protection or just local coverage within China. Many expats also prefer to exclude the US from coverage to reduce costs. Each insurer mentioned has experience working with expatriates and offers tailored plans suited for life in Beijing.
This blog post will guide you along! We will introduce you to the 6 best global insurance options in Beijing and their offered plans. We’ll also introduce you to the top expat communities in Beijing, the best activities for expats in Beijing, and what family life is like there for expats.
We highly recommend learning about the healthcare system in China and what expatriates typically do for medical insurance in Beijing as you prepare to select your chosen plan.
You may also want to read our blog posts about travel insurance in China and living abroad in China as an expat.
Top Health Insurance Providers for Expats in Beijing
Cigna Global, Bupa, William Russell, GeoBlue, AXA, and Allianz Care are the 6 best expat health insurance providers in Beijing, China. Each has several plans to choose from, flexible benefits, and years of experience in the industry. We’ll introduce each provider below.
Be sure to also read our blog post about the top international health insurance providers for expats in China, as well as in Shanghai and in Shenzhen.
Cigna Expat Health Plans in Beijing
Cigna Global is one of the top expat health insurance providers in Beijing, China because they offer comprehensive coverage, a broad global network, and excellent customer service. In addition to their health plans, they offer evacuation and crisis assistance and health and wellbeing services.
Here are the core expat medical coverage plans Cigna offers in Beijing:
- Silver: This plan offers standard benefits of inpatient and daypatient coverage, full cancer care, and more.
- Gold: This plan is a more comprehensive choice with inpatient maternity coverage added to its core benefits.
- Platinum: As the most comprehensive plan that Cigna offers, the Platinum plan has an unlimited annual limit and offers mental and behavioral health care coverage paid in full.
- Close Care: This is an affordable plan designed for members who only need coverage in their country of residence and their country of nationality, rather than across the globe.
Bupa Medical Insurance Plans in Beijing
Bupa has over 38 million customers of health insurance in over 190 countries. Bupa China is their representative office in China that is committed to providing exceptional coverage to expats in Beijing and beyond. Bupa offers 24/7 medical help, direct billing, an extensive network, and more.
Bupa’s Beijing health insurance plans offered for expatriates are:
- Major Medical: This plan is designed for sudden unexpected emergencies and major medical expenses with an annual limit of USD $3,174,200.
- Select: This plan is a basic plan with region coverage in China instead of worldwide. It offers health screenings and wellness check coverage with a limit of USD $1,587,100.
- Premier: This plan adds to the Select plan with coverage for vaccinations, dental, and optical care. The annual limit is USD $2,380,600.
- Elite: As the most comprehensive level of coverage, Elie adds maternity care, dental, and optical care to its coverage benefits with an annual limit of USD $4,764,300.
William Russell Coverage Options in Beijing
William Russell is a customer-centric international health insurance provider in Beijing. Their health insurance plans include benefits for inpatient and outpatient care, emergency evacuation and repatriation, cancer treatment, mental health care, wellness services, dental care, and maternity care.
The medical coverage plans offered by Willam Russell in Beijing, China include:
- Bronze: This plan has an annual limit of USD $1.5 million.
- Silver Lite: This plan has an annual limit of USD $1.5 million.
- Silver: This plan has an annual limit of USD $2.5 million.
- Gold: This plan has an annual limit of USD $5 million.
GeoBlue International Health Plans in Beijing
GeoBlue is another of the most comprehensive medical insurance providers in Beijing for expats. Their key coverage types include primary and preventative care, professional services, inpatient hospital services, ambulatory and therapeutic services, prescription drugs, and global travel benefits.
The medical insurance plans offered to expatriates in Beijing by GeoBlue are:
- Xplorer Essential: This plan offers comprehensive coverage worldwide, including in Beijing, China. Coverage excludes the United States.
- Xplorer Select: This plan offers very similar coverage to the Essential plan, but it adds coverage when you travel to the United States.
- Xplorer Premier: This is the most comprehensive option for expats in Beijing with unlimited maximum benefits for both annual and lifetime medical expenses.
AXA Insurance for Expats in Beijing
AXA’s international health insurance in Beijing, China offers expatriates virtual doctor services, mind health support, easy online access to claims, prompt repayments from claims, 24/7 personalized support, and more. AXA has 55 years of experience and more than 95 million clients.
The global medical coverage packages offered in Beijing by AXA include:
- Foundation: This basic plan includes inpatient care, emergency care, medical evacuation and repatriation, cancer treatments, testing, and optional outpatient care.
- Standard: This plan includes all the above benefits, plus dental care and a higher annual maximum limit.
- Comprehensive: This plan has all the above benefits, plus outpatient, chronic conditions, and vision benefits and a higher annual maximum limit.
- Prestige: This plan adds maternity care and annual health check benefits, plus a higher annual maximum limit.
- Prestige Plus: This is the most comprehensive plan with all previously mentioned benefits and a maximum annual limit of $8,000,000.
Allianz Global Insurance Plans in Beijing
Allianz offers exceptional international health insurance for expats in Beijing, China. Allianz’s plans include top-of-the-notch customer service and concierge services, a vast global network, and coverage for chronic health conditions.
The core medical plans offered in Beijing for expatriates include:
- Diamond Care: This plan includes coverage for inpatient and daypatient care, oncology, medical evacuation and repatriation, and more.
- Diamond Prime: The Prime plan includes the same benefits as Care, plus emergency treatment outside the area of coverage, nursing at home, and more.
- Diamond Plus: Plus is the most comprehensive, with all the benefits of Care and Prime plus coverage for psychiatry and psychotherapy.
Popular Expat Areas in Beijing
Among the top Beijing expat communities where foreigners love to live are:
- Chaoyang District
- City Centre
- Chaoyang Park
- Sanlitun
- Lido and Wangjing
- Dongzhimen
- Wangfujing and Dongdan
- Dongcheng District
- Shunyi District
- Xicheng District
You can read more about the top Beijing expat communities in our blog post written all about them!
Things to Do in Beijing for Expats
Beijing is a dynamic city with so much to do! Expats love to visit:
- The Great Wall
- Temple of Heaven
- The Forbidden City
- Summer Palace
- Lama Temple
- Olympic Stadium
- Panjiayuan Antique Market.
Read more about the best activities for expats in Beijing here! You can also look into our post about family life in Beijing for expats.
Beijing vs. Shanghai: Expat Life Compared
When comparing the lifestyle of expatriates living in Shanghai vs in Beijing, you may find the cost of living to be slightly lower in Beijing. Both cities have a high quality of life, low crime rates, and a great support network from the local expat community.
If you’d like a deeper dive into a comparison between Shanghai and Beijing for expats, you’ll want to read our post all about it. The post compares the cost of rent, food, and entertainment, quality of life, crime rates, access to healthcare, activities to do, and the expat communities of both cities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an expat buy health insurance in Beijing?
Expats living in Beijing may be able to use China’s universal healthcare coverage plan for medical insurance, but this is not offered in every region of China. Expats in Beijing can also choose to buy their own private international health insurance plan from an international provider.
Can foreigners get free healthcare in Beijing?
Foreigners in Beijing may be able to access China’s free healthcare system if they are permanent residents of Beijing and have proof of their permanence. If not, you can get private medical insurance from providers such as Bupa, Cigna, AXA, William Russell, and Allianz.
Conclusion
Cigna, William Russell, GeoBlue, AXA, and Allianz are among the top six international insurance options available to expats in Beijing. If you have questions about these providers or their plans, you can contact us or review their plans online.
If you’re looking to compare their quotes, you can contact us or use our quote generator.
If you found value in this article, you’ll also want to read our posts about the best places to live in China and the best places to live in Beijing.
If you happen to be moving from China to Dubai, this article can be a guide for you.
Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).
Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.
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