What treatment in China costs, and who pays

Prices we have found

• A health check-up package at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital: ¥711 to ¥1,269 (about US$100 to US$180), depending on age, sex and whether it includes a lung CT, as listed by Bowtie (see the hospital page).
• A CT scan in Shenzhen: HK$240, against about HK$2,000 at a private practice in Hong Kong (Asia News Network, Nov 2024).
• One American patient told Yicai Global his hip surgery in Shanghai cost about ¥30,000 (US$4,300), against the US$30,000 he expected at home.
• A visitor told Yicai Global her MRI at a Kunming hospital cost ¥486 (about US$70).

International departments cost more

Hospitals run international departments for foreign patients; Peking Union Medical College Hospital's has more than 200 single rooms and suites. A Caixin summary (Feb 2026) puts international departments at three to five times the regular price.

Insurance

IMTJ reports that 99% of private health insurance policies do not cover treatment abroad. Some international departments settle bills directly with insurers (HKU-Shenzhen with more than 30, Ruijin with 19), which helps only if your policy covers you in China. Ask your insurer in writing before you book: does my policy cover planned treatment in China, at this hospital, and will you pay the hospital directly?

Get the price in writing

Ask the hospital for a written quote for your case, with what it includes and what it does not. Most hospitals quote only after seeing your reports, which you send to the hospital, not to us.