medical aid/insurance

[renato]

Well I’m two months away from arriving in China. It’s slow boat...

Right now I’m unsure whether or not I’ll be taking out a medical aid contract for the duration of my stay in China. And don't ask how long that will be. It'll be what it'll be.



Now I have Medical Aid cover in South Africa but only because i know i can milk the bastards for physio, acupuncture and chiropractic sessions.

Has anyone had experience with MA's in China? Either a contract you took out with a local Chinese company or one of the international providers who cater for travellers? Please share your thoughts.

Thanks

[Chicken]

Renato,

Shaolin Temple is in Henan Province. In the last 5 years, what can only be described as a major f***-up in Henan Province medical system lead to an estimated 300,000 innocent Henanese people contracting HIV.

Basically, they asked the villagers to donate blood plasma. The Chinese are prissy about their blood... so the authorities came up with a scheme to take their blood, take out the plasma, put what was left in a big pot, and then put what was in the big pot back into the villagers.

They think that 170,000 people got HIV this way, and a further 130,000 got HIV from receiving transfusions of plasma and blood from the same pot.

Now since this problem is not expanding... its probably fair to say they've got it under control. But what else are they doing that falls foul of what we in the Western world consider to be a rudimentary standard of health care? Its not just about: do the hospitals look right? are they clean? with the right equipment? and are the doctors and other staff appropriately trained? Tthere's evidently a lot more to providing the integrity of medical services as we are used to in the West.

For this reason... I advise you to get yourself a good international travel health insurance policy... one that will airlift you out of China if the need be, and that once you are there you concentrate on staying fit and healthy... which means eating well, training within your limits and not taking major risks with your physical person. As soon as you think you have a health issue, get on a plane back to where you can get the "rest-assured" health care appropriate for your condition.

Bottomline take nothing for granted, especially with the Chinese Healthcare System!

Chicken
PS. I am not aware of any Chinese Medical Insurance. Insurance as we know it is in its infancy in China... I know for a fact that Jardines are just starting to offer the types of insurance that we Westerners consider normal, in the major cities, i.e. Guang Dong, Shang Hai, Beijing.

[doc]

I can assure you, from a professional standpoint, and from a patient viewpoint, Chinese hospitals are scary. Especially in Dengfeng. I have stories that I have yet to write.

Chicken's points should be well heeded. Make sure that you have international quality insurance, with medical evacuation provisions. The main hospital on Wangfujing street in Beijing is very good, the hospital in Zhengzhou is ok, the one in Dengfeng is not one that I'd ever like to find myself in. If you have minor illnesses, they'll do. Something serious, and your best bet is to get to Hong Kong or Bangkok. (I'd prefer Bangkok).

More than likely, your international insurance won't work in China. Fees are not that expensive, though, once they see you as a foreigner, the prices can "change".

I wouldn't take out a contract with a "local Chinese company". Period. A good international policy, from an outside country, is the best way to go. Not having insurance is risky; if you get really sick, you're best bet is to get out, and get to another country. You'll need health insurance; you won't be able to afford a serious hospitalization.