Your Head Is Not Made of Steel: It’s Fragile and Expensive

David, an American expat living in Beijing, was enjoying a weekend hike in the nearby mountains with friends. While descending a steep trail, he slipped on loose gravel and fell, hitting his head on a rock. The impact was severe, and David immediately felt dizzy and disoriented. His friends quickly called for emergency medical assistance.

David was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors performed a series of urgent diagnostic tests, including a CT scan and an MRI, to assess the extent of his head injury. The tests revealed a concussion and a minor skull fracture, necessitating immediate medical intervention and a few days of hospitalization for close monitoring.

Here’s a breakdown of David’s medical bills:

1. Emergency Medical Services (Ambulance): ￥3,000 (approximately $450)

2. Diagnostic Tests (CT scan, MRI, blood tests): ￥8,000 (approximately $1,200)

3. Hospitalization (5 days):

• Room and board: ￥10,000 (approximately $1,500)
• Nursing care: ￥3,500 (approximately $525)
• Medications (pain relievers, anti-inflammatories): ￥4,000 (approximately $600)

4.?Specialist Consultations and Follow-up Visits: ￥3,500 (approximately $525)

Total Medical Costs: ￥32,000 (approximately $4,800)

Fortunately, David had a comprehensive health insurance plan designed for expats. His insurance plan included the following benefits:

1.?Emergency Medical Services Coverage: 85% of costs covered, David paid ￥450 (approximately $67.50)

2.?Diagnostic Tests Coverage: 90% of costs covered, David paid ￥800 (approximately $120)

3.?Hospitalization Coverage:?

• Room and board: 80% covered, David paid ￥2,000 (approximately $300)
• Nursing care: 80% covered, David paid ￥700 (approximately $105)
• Medications: 85% covered, David paid ￥600 (approximately $90)

4.?Specialist Consultations and Follow-up Visits Coverage: 80% covered, David paid ￥700 (approximately $105)

Insurance Coverage: ￥27,200 (approximately $4,080)

Out-of-Pocket Costs for David: ￥4,800 (approximately $720)

Thanks to his comprehensive health insurance, David was able to cover the majority of his medical expenses. He ended up paying only a small portion of the total cost out of pocket, amounting to ￥4,800 (approximately $720), which significantly alleviated his financial burden.

This incident highlighted the critical importance of having robust health insurance for expats in China. Without insurance, David would have faced overwhelming medical bills, potentially endangering his financial stability. His experience underscored the necessity of being prepared for unforeseen health emergencies while living abroad.

Note: the scenario was a hypothetical case study based on the overall experiences of expats in China, and no real private individual’s information is shared.

About the author

I'm an insurance broker at Mingya Insurance Brokers based in Beijing, and my company works with multiple insurance companies in China providing insurance plans eligible for expatriates in China. Our insurance partners include AXA, Allianz, AIG, Bupa, Cigna, GBG, MSH, Medilink, Ping An etc.

I specialise on insurance solution planning for expatriates in China, particularly health insurance. I have been assisting expatriates in China with their insurance solution planning since 2018, as well as group insurance planning for corporates and institutions' foreign employees. Currently our clientele includes international schools, foreign enterprises, embassies and so on.

I was born in Beijing, and am able to communicate in fluent English and Mandarin. I held a financial advisor's license issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for 2 years, and I am currently holding an insurance broker's license issued by the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) since 2018.