| Any foreigner who comes to China without medical insurance is mad. A mate of mine was driven into a truck in one of those wonderful white taxis and the taxi company basically washed their hands of him. His medical bills for a series of botched operations were London prices. How's four hundred pounds a night to stay in a Shanghai hospital for starters? Complete rip off. The only way is if you know a doctor personally, and this really means "if your wife's family has a good doctor contact". If not, check the evacuation clause on your expat medical insurance. Ring the company up. At the slightest need of hospitalisation you should be on a plane to Bangkok or Singapore where the treatment is better and cheaper. Best hope your company uses SOS International, who are the best for China. My insurer does. Phew. They have access to PLA planes if necessary, as well as military hospitals. Good if you get sick in the middle of nowhere. In 1992 a friend of mine was evacuated to Hong Kong from the absolute middle of nowhere and it cost 70k US. Impressive eh? 35k of that was a special medical flight in an air ambulance with a doctor and nurse flown in from Beijing to join the patient. I use a London insurance broker and she gets me the best deals for global expat medical insurance. I won't post her name or the firm I'm with because this is not an advert. Premiums went up 20% this year. Ouch. I suppose you've notice WorldLink are getting sued for negligence? Can't say I'm that interested in going to see "expat" doctors who charge London prices in China. The trick is getting a doctor who actually cares not one that's motivated by Hong Baos. |
Living Cost in Shanghai - Medicine