Getting Medical Care in China
Public hospitals are cheap and good but run in Chinese; international hospitals speak English at 3-5x the price. Here's how a visit works, how to buy medicine, and a verified directory of English-friendly hospitals by city.
The short version
Your decision tree is simple. Life-threatening: call 120 (or go straight to any ER — they take walk-ins). Need English and willing to pay: international hospital, ¥1,000+ per consultation, foreign insurance often billed directly. Minor issue and on a budget: a public hospital costs a fraction of the price with comparable medical quality, or skip the hospital entirely and ask a pharmacist. Bring your passport everywhere — it's required for registration — and expect to pay before treatment, not after.
Public vs international hospitals
| Public hospital | International hospital | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Chinese; international departments of top hospitals have some English | English-speaking doctors and staff |
| Cost of a visit | ¥10–300 registration + low fees | ¥1,000–2,000 consultation; a simple cold can run ¥3,000+ |
| Waiting | 2–5 hours, crowded, queue-jumping is normal | 30 min–2 h with appointment |
| Payment | Pay-first at each step; Alipay/WeChat Pay or cash | Foreign cards accepted; many bill your insurer directly |
| Medical quality | Often excellent — top public hospitals are the country's best | Western-style service and facilities |
A middle path worth knowing
Most top public hospitals run an international or VIP department: same senior doctors, some English, calmer queues, at roughly a fifth of private international prices. Peking Union in Beijing, Huashan in Shanghai, and West China in Chengdu all work this way. If your problem is real but not an emergency and you want quality without the ¥1,500 consultation fee, this is the option most expats actually use.
How a hospital visit works
- Register (挂号 guàhào)
Front desk or self-service kiosk, passport required. Pay the registration fee (¥10–300) and pick a department — Internal Medicine covers most traveler complaints; Emergency for urgent cases.
- Wait for your number, see the doctor
Consultations are brisk — often 5–10 minutes. Have your symptoms pre-typed in the translation app, plus any medication names and allergies in Chinese.
- Pay, then test
If the doctor orders blood work or imaging, you pay at the cashier first, then go to the testing area. Results usually come back the same day; you carry them back to the doctor yourself.
- Pay again, then collect medicine
Prescriptions are filled at the hospital pharmacy after payment. Keep every receipt — they're your insurance claim.
Skip the hospital: pharmacies handle the small stuff
- Find the green cross
Pharmacies (药店) are everywhere — chains like Dashenlin, Neptune Star (海王星辰), and Tongrentang. Most open 8am–10pm; some run 24 hours.
- Show, don't say
No appointment, no paperwork. Type your symptoms into the translation app, point at the body part, and the pharmacist recommends something. Ask for Western medicine (西药 xīyào) if you'd rather not get herbal remedies.
- Pay and go
Common medicines run ¥15–80. Useful names: ibuprofen 布洛芬 (pain/fever), Smecta 蒙脱石散 (diarrhea), loratadine 氯雷他定 (allergy), 999感冒灵 (cold), 创可贴 (band-aids).
Insurance claim paperwork — collect before you leave the hospital
Ask for all four
Also
International and English-friendly hospitals by city
Common questions
Choosing care
Is it safe to use a public hospital?
Medically, yes — China's top public hospitals are among its best institutions, and a CT scan that costs $1,000+ at home runs $25–40 here. What you're paying for at an international hospital is English, comfort, and shorter queues, not better medicine.
What if it's a real emergency?
Call 120, or get to any emergency room — they accept walk-ins and treat first. Note that 120 takes you to the nearest public hospital; if you specifically want an international one, call that hospital's own 24/7 line, as most run their own ambulances.
What if I don't speak any Chinese at a public hospital?
Pre-type your symptoms in the translation app, bring hotel staff if you can, or pick the hospital's international/VIP department. Downloading a medical dictionary like Pleco before the trip helps with drug names.
Money
Will my travel insurance cover treatment in China?
Most policies do, but you'll usually pay upfront and claim later — hospitals don't wait for insurer approval. Collect the four claim documents (itemized bill, medical records, prescriptions, diagnosis certificate) before leaving.
What if I can't afford the hospitalization deposit?
Contact your insurer first (some arrange guarantees), then your embassy — they can't pay but can help coordinate with family. Hospitals generally won't discharge until the bill is settled, so escalate early rather than late.
Can I refuse traditional Chinese medicine?
Yes. Ask for Western medicine (西药 xīyào) and simply decline TCM prescriptions — no one is offended.