Healthcare for Foreigners: Clinics, Public Hospitals and Insurance
China Field Notes · by Daona · 9 min read
China's large public hospitals are busy, efficient and often excellent — once you understand how the visit works. Most foreigners end up using three kinds of care: the public hospital's general clinic, its international department, and private international clinics. Knowing which to use, and how you will pay, is most of the battle.
The first time a foreigner walks into a major public hospital, the scale is striking: hundreds of people in the registration hall, self-service machines, departments over several buildings. The process, though, is highly standardised, and much of it now happens on your phone. And you have alternatives.
This issue explains each option, how insurance fits in, and what to prepare. It is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 120.
| Public, general 普通门诊 | Public, intl / VIP 国际医疗部 / 特需 | Private intl 私立国际 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Mainly Chinese | English usually | English standard |
| Waiting | Longest | Shorter | Shortest |
| Consultation | Short | Longer | Longest |
| Price level | Lowest | Higher | Highest |
| Basic insurance | Covered at designated hospitals | Often not, or partly — check | Generally not, unless designated |
| Direct billing | Rare | Some | Common |
Public hospitals are graded; the largest are tertiary (三级医院), top tier 三级甲等 (Grade 3A), with the widest specialist range.
International and VIP departments are units inside some public hospitals: English-speaking staff, longer appointments, higher fees, the same specialists, labs and imaging.
Private international hospitals and clinics offer family medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics, dental and some specialist care, priced accordingly. We don't recommend particular providers; check your insurer's network.
① Register (挂号) via the hospital's WeChat account, mini program or app, or a city platform — in Beijing, the "International Service Beijing" mini program (WeChat or Alipay, English option) books through Beijing 114. Use your passport. Unsure of department? Ask the information desk (导诊台) or choose general internal medicine.
② Check in at the department desk or kiosk; watch the queue screen.
③ See the doctor. Have symptoms, onset and current medicines ready, in Chinese via a translation app.
④ Pay before tests and medicines — machines, window or phone. Alipay and WeChat Pay are widely accepted (Issue 04).
⑤ Tests, often in other buildings; results on the app or printed.
⑥ Return to the doctor with results if needed.
⑦ Pharmacy (药房) to collect medicines.
Keep the outpatient record (门诊病历), receipts, reports and itemised charges for insurers. Patients with a fever are often sent to a separate fever clinic (发热门诊) first.
Basic medical insurance (基本医疗保险). Legally employed foreigners generally join social insurance (社会保险). Rules vary by city. In Shanghai, enrolled foreign employees get a medical insurance card from a community affairs service centre and the same reimbursement rates as local employees; at designated institutions the insured portion is settled in real time.
Basic insurance does not cover care outside the designated network, every drug or service, or deductibles and co-payments. Many international departments are outside it in whole or part.
Checking a commercial plan (商业健康保险)
· Direct billing network — no paying upfront
· Outpatient cover, often weaker than inpatient
· Dental, maternity, mental health, chronic conditions — limits and waiting periods
· Evacuation and treatment outside China
· Claims documents: record, itemised receipts, fapiao or official receipts
Paying upfront. Without direct billing, pay at each step and claim later. Inpatient admissions usually require a deposit.
Emergencies. Dial 120. Emergency departments (急诊) are open 24 hours. Keep your address in Chinese on your phone. Some international clinics run 24-hour lines; several cities' 12345 hotlines offer English.
Pharmacies (药店) sell over-the-counter medicines. Prescription medicines (处方药), including antibiotics, need a prescription from a doctor in China; many pharmacies and apps offer online consultations. A foreign prescription is generally not used for dispensing — bring it as information.
Bringing your own medication
Official Shanghai guidance, citing the National Medical Products Administration: a small amount for personal use is allowed. Narcotic and Class I psychotropic drugs: only up to the single-prescription limit, with a medical diagnosis certificate and ID. Carry prescriptions and records, keep original packaging, declare if in doubt. Some medicines legal at home are controlled in China — check with the Chinese embassy or consulate first. Mailing has separate rules.
Work permit medical. Work and residence permit applications usually involve a medical examination, commonly at a designated International Travel Healthcare Centre (国际旅行卫生保健中心). Your employer or the authority will say where. It is a regulatory check, not your health care.
Mental health. Public hospitals have psychiatry and psychology departments (精神科 / 心理科); private clinics in large cities offer counselling in English. The national 12356 psychological assistance hotline has covered all provinces since May 2025, mainly in Chinese. Check whether your employer offers an assistance programme.
Language. Install a translation app with voice and camera modes; save your blood type, allergies, conditions and medicines in Chinese.
The Shanghai government's worked example: an employed foreigner admitted to a tertiary hospital for appendicitis.
| Step | ¥ |
|---|---|
| Total bill | 17,000 |
| Less deductible (1,500) and non-covered items | −3,000 |
| Eligible for reimbursement | 14,000 |
| Paid by basic insurance (about 85%) | 11,900 |
| Patient's share of eligible amount | 2,100 |
Illustrative. 17,000 − 3,000 = 14,000; 14,000 × 85% = 11,900; 14,000 − 11,900 = 2,100. The ¥3,000 is the combined deductible and non-covered figure implied by the source. Rates vary by city, year, hospital level and type of care.
On these figures the patient also bears the deductible and non-covered items — which is why a commercial top-up plan can still matter.
"Public hospitals don't treat foreigners." They do. Register with your passport.
"The international department is a different hospital." Usually a unit of the same hospital, with the same specialists and labs.
"My basic insurance covers the VIP clinic." Often not, or only partly. Check first.
"I can buy antibiotics over the counter." They are prescription medicines.
"My home prescription works at any pharmacy." See a doctor in China.
Your healthcare checklist
☐ Nearby hospital and international clinic identified; WeChat accounts followed
☐ Passport and insurance card kept together
☐ Medical insurance card obtained, if employed and enrolled
☐ Commercial plan checked: network, outpatient, dental, maternity, evacuation
☐ 120 and your address in Chinese saved
☐ Allergies, conditions, medicines written in Chinese
☐ Personal medication in original packs with prescriptions
☐ Receipts, records and reports kept for claims
☐ Reply START for the First Week in China Checklist
Rules as of October 2026. This column provides general information, not medical, legal or insurance advice. In an emergency, call 120. Check coverage with your insurer or local medical insurance bureau.
China Field Notes · by Daona