China Health Insurance
Pacific Prime is Asia’s leading health insurance intermediary, and has served over 120,000 clients in 130 countries. Equipped with a wealth of expertise, our award winning team of experienced and qualified advisors provide specialist insurance solutions including medical insurance and travel insurance to expats in China from our Shanghai and Beijing offices.
We have created a guide to provide you with an overview on health insurance in China as well as to show the differences between public, private and international health care in Shanghai, covering the strengths and weaknesses of each system. You can click the download button below to access the FREE PDF.
Healthcare in China
The healthcare sector in China is growing at a rapid rate, and spending is projected to increase from $357 billion in 2011 to $1 trillion in 2020. The rapid expansion of the healthcare sector is fueled by several reasons, including continuing urbanization, income growth, and the aging population, which has led to further demand for chronic disease (e.g. diabetes) treatment.
Due to a variety of factors, the quality of medical care is continuously improving in China, especially after the Chinese government started allowing foreign entities to invest in private hospitals in 2012. However, expats seeking treatment in China will likely find that the quality of healthcare varies significantly between institutions. This, combined with an imposing language barrier, may make it hard to navigate around the country’s public healthcare system.
Most expats opt for treatment in private or international hospitals to receive care that is on-par with the level of care provided in many Western countries. However, fees charged in private and international facilities are often very expensive, and sometimes even more expensive than the fees charged in the US. Therefore, expats are advised to secure private medical insurance in China to offset these potentially high costs.
Travelling to China?
If you are a tourist visiting China and do not have international health insurance, you are highly recommended to secure travel insurance for minimal in-patient coverage or short term insurance for a more extensive range of customizable benefits.
Cost of care for expats in China
It is not uncommon to pay 1,200 to 1,500 RMB to visit a general practitioner at a private or international hospital in China. Usually, you will have to pay significantly more for specialist appointments. Many expats choose a China based medical insurance plan so that they can receive coverage for treatment at these facilities without breaking the bank.
Health insurance plans in China
For more information on the insurance plans we have on offer, you can have a look at the health insurance plans page. You can also compare plans with our free online health insurance comparison tool, or talk to a member from our expert team of advisors.
