From the USA to China for Medical Care: Insurance Gaps, Self-Pay Pathways, Costs, and a Decision Framework

Reading time: 18 minutes

In 2024, 27.5 million Americans had no health insurance at all (U.S. Census Bureau), and roughly 100 million Americans carried medical debt (KFF 2024) [1][3]. Behind these numbers sits a uniquely American medical system: the U.S. has the world’s strongest clinical resources — provided you can pay for them.

A typical employer-sponsored family health plan in 2024 cost USD $25,572 per year in premiums (KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey), of which the employee paid about $6,300 and the employer covered the rest [2]. Even so, the average HDHP annual deductible has crossed $3,000, and family OOP maximums commonly run $9,000–$18,400. In other words: you pay $25K in premium, and if you end up in hospital you may still owe another $9K–$18K.

Layered on top: network restrictions (in-network vs out-of-network), prior authorization, surprise billing (the No Surprises Act has helped but loopholes remain), and prescription drug pricing. Insulin, GLP-1 (Ozempic/Wegovy), targeted oncology drugs, CAR-T cell therapy — drug pricing has turned “I have insurance” into “I theoretically have insurance.”

This is why a growing number of U.S. residents are looking abroad: Mexico for dental, Turkey for hair restoration, India for cardiac, Thailand for gender-affirming surgery, Costa Rica for cosmetic — and increasingly Asia (China, Thailand, India) for complex internal medicine and oncology pathways.

China’s value to U.S. patients isn’t “better medical care” — top U.S. institutions remain the global ceiling for clinical quality. China’s value is: for self-pay patients, for patients with insurance gaps, for patients who can’t wait for or can’t afford specific advanced therapies — a cost-controlled, time-controlled, quality-verifiable path.

1. Where the U.S. system actually fails — it’s not the wait, it’s the money

Canada, the UK, and Australia have a queueing problem: free but slow. The U.S. is the opposite — fast but expensive. Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering are global gold standards, but their bills are global-level too.

Typical self-pay prices (2024):

Procedure	U.S. Private Self-Pay (list or cash price)
Hip replacement	USD $40,000–$80,000 (varies enormously by state, hospital, contracted rate)
Knee replacement	USD $35,000–$70,000
Spine fusion (single level)	USD $80,000–$150,000
Cataract (standard IOL, one eye)	USD $3,500–$7,000
Cataract (premium IOL, one eye)	USD $5,500–$9,000
CABG (coronary artery bypass)	USD $75,000–$200,000
Cardiac valve replacement	USD $150,000–$250,000
MRI (self-pay)	USD $1,000–$3,500 (regional variation huge)
PET-CT	USD $3,000–$8,000
Comprehensive checkup (incl. PET-CT)	USD $5,000–$15,000
Upper + lower endoscopy (with anaesthesia)	USD $3,000–$5,000
IVF, single cycle	USD $15,000–$25,000 (incl. medication)
CAR-T cell therapy (Yescarta/Kymriah/Carvykti)	List $400K–$500K + hospitalisation and complications (actual total often $700K–$1M+)
Proton therapy	USD $80K–$200K

The “in theory vs in practice” gap in insurance coverage:

Medicare (65+) covers most inpatient and outpatient care, but coinsurance is still significant and requires Medigap or Advantage supplementation; it does not cover planned overseas treatment [4].
Medicaid (low-income) varies enormously by state; no overseas coverage at all.
Commercial insurance (BCBS, UnitedHealth, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Kaiser) — network restrictions (must be in-network), prior authorization (insurers can deny many treatments), annual/lifetime maximums (ACA removed some, but coverage limits remain).
HDHPs give you low premium but high deductible — the biggest trap for chronic disease, cancer, and complex surgical patients: you must self-pay $3K–$10K before any reimbursement starts.
Uninsured: roughly 8.4% of U.S. adults (27.5 million) have no coverage and face full self-pay.

The real pain points:

Self-pay patient predicament: unemployed, self-employed, pre-Medicare retirees, ACA exchange high-deductible plans — no buffer in the face of major illness.
HDHP + OOP max recycling: cancer treatment may repeatedly hit OOP max in a single year, then reset every January 1.
Out-of-network fees: when in-network providers can’t take you and you need an out-of-network consult, the bill may not be reimbursed at all.
Prior authorization denials: CAR-T, proton therapy, certain targeted drugs, genetic testing, complex imaging — insurers can refuse.
Surprise billing: even though the No Surprises Act is in force, anaesthesia, radiology, pathology “behind-the-scenes” physicians can still generate unexpected bills.

2. Situations where “look at China” is a reasonable decision (U.S. edition)

The logic for U.S. patients considering China is fundamentally different from Canadian, UK, or Australian patients. You’re not escaping a queue — you’re recalculating cost and access.

Situations that suit a China pathway

🟢 Self-pay / high deductible / uninsured

You need hip/knee replacement, cataract, spine surgery, endoscopy, comprehensive checkup — but U.S. private self-pay pricing is unmanageable.
Your HDHP deductible is $7,000 and OOP max is $14,000; combined that’s more than a full-pay China trip ($15K–$22K including accompaniment and travel).
You’re an early retiree (60–64), pre-Medicare, COBRA is too expensive, ACA plans have crushing deductibles.
You’re stuck in pre-authorization, with the insurer repeatedly denying.

🟢 Specific advanced therapies unavailable, delayed, or unaffordable

CAR-T cell therapy: U.S. list price $400K+; even with insurance, complications + bridging + ICU bring actual total costs to $700K–$1M. China has six NMPA-approved CAR-T products, all-inclusive USD $160K–$220K (including hospitalisation and complication management) [12].
Proton therapy: U.S. $80K–$200K with long wait for authorization. China’s SPHIC (public) $30K–$50K; Heyou Pinnacle (private, proton + heavy-ion) case-by-case [13].
Certain NMPA-approved drugs not yet FDA-approved — relevant in a small number of cases.

🟢 Second opinion and plan confirmation

Your U.S. physician has given you a complex plan; you want an independent international perspective.
Note: U.S. second opinions are available domestically (Mayo, Cleveland Clinic both run international second-opinion programs). The reason to come to China is mostly different perspective (China has enormous volume in certain cancers — liver, gastric, nasopharyngeal) + cost differential.

🟢 Premium executive physicals and early-cancer screening

U.S. comprehensive checkup (with PET-CT): $5K–$15K, 4–8 week scheduling.
China comprehensive checkup completed in 3–5 days, USD $2,500–$4,500 (public IMD) or $5,500–$9,500 (private international), including PET-CT, high-field MRI, ultrasound, endoscopy.
Suited for middle-class, retirees, Asian-American families, corporate executives.

🟢 Chinese-American / cross-border families

Parents in China, you in the U.S. — bilateral care, bilateral reimbursement, bilateral remote follow-up.
Language, culture, family support are all closer at home in China.
Chinese hereditary cancers (nasopharyngeal, liver, gastric) — China’s treatment experience is among the world’s largest.

🟢 Expat / overseas residents / international insurance holders

Foreign nationals working in the U.S. with Aetna International, Cigna Global, GeoBlue, or IMG — these all have direct billing networks in China.
U.S. corporate expats stationed in or traveling to Asia-Pacific.
U.S. citizens splitting retirement between the U.S. and Asia-Pacific.

Situations that don’t suit China

Emergencies and critical illness — heart attack, stroke, major trauma, uncontrolled infection. Handle locally. Crossing borders is itself the medical risk.
Unstable patients who can’t fly long-haul — fit-to-fly must be assessed by your existing treating physician, not by us.
You’re already established at Mayo, Cleveland, MD Anderson, MSK, or Johns Hopkins with good insurance coverage — unless you have a specific reason (therapy access, second opinion), there’s no reason to switch paths.
Expecting “a miracle cure” — if a U.S. top-tier oncology center has called your case untreatable, “China must have something” is usually disappointment in waiting.
Price as the sole driver, with willingness to accept quality risk — Mexico (dental, cosmetic, bariatric), Turkey (hair, cosmetic), India (cardiac, ortho), Thailand (gender, cosmetic) may be cheaper for specific procedures. China’s edge is complex internal medicine, oncology, advanced therapies — not absolute lowest price.

3. Two systems in China — and a bridge that runs only one way

This is the part U.S. patients most often misunderstand. We need to be explicit.

Chinese hospitals fall into two distinct systems:

Public Tier-3A hospitals

Tier-3A (三级甲等) is the top rank in China’s hospital classification — equivalent to a major U.S. teaching hospital (Mayo Clinic Rochester, Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, Johns Hopkins Hospital).
Examples: Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Beijing), Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, Fudan-Zhongshan, Sun Yat-sen Memorial in Guangzhou.
Strengths: concentration of senior specialists, very high surgical volumes, can handle the most complex cases, costs are 30–50% of Chinese private international and 10–15% of U.S. self-pay.
Weaknesses: limited English in general wards (interpretation and accompaniment needed), queue logic built around domestic patient flow, inpatient wards utilitarian rather than hotel-grade.
The International Medical Department (IMD) is the dedicated bilingual channel inside top Tier-3A hospitals — Peking Union, West China, Ruijin, Huashan, Zhongshan all run IMDs designed for international patients.

Private international hospitals — more complex than you’d think from abroad

Examples: United Family Healthcare (Beijing/Shanghai/Guangzhou), Shanghai Jiahui International Hospital, Heyou Pinnacle Medical Center (Foshan-Shunde, founded by the founder of Midea Group with combined system investment of over RMB 10 billion), Concord Medical’s Guangzhou Concord Cancer Center (proton therapy operational from late 2024).
Strengths go beyond service: fluent English, comprehensive insurance direct billing, hotel-style rooms, on-time appointments, transparent international workflow. But a small number of leading private hospitals also run equipment that matches or surpasses most public hospitals — Heyou Pinnacle’s affiliated Heyou Proton & Heavy Ion Center is led by Professor Lu Jiade, who established the clinical technology system at Shanghai SPHIC [13], making it one of the few proton-and-heavy-ion-capable centres on the Chinese mainland. Guangzhou Concord Cancer Center became South China’s first operating private proton therapy centre in late 2024.
Physician composition isn’t simple either: the overwhelming majority of China’s top specialists remain in the public Tier-3A system, but a smaller cohort of senior physicians have moved part-time or full-time into private hospitals. Heyou Pinnacle is the clearest case in point — beyond Lu Jiade, the group has attracted Li Baomin (national pioneer in neurointervention, 20,000+ stent placement and embolisation cases), Su Fengxi (Honorary President of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital’s Breast Tumor Hospital, over 10,000 breast cancer surgeries), and other senior specialists. What matters is who the lead surgeon is, what their actual surgical volume in that procedure is over the last 12 months, and the team behind them.
The real complexity: Chinese private hospitals are a hybrid system where the bulk of authority still sits in public Tier-3A, but local capability is iterating quickly in pockets. Which private hospital can perform which procedure at what level, who can take over post-op care, whether your insurance is in-network — these are case-by-case, hospital-by-hospital, surgeon-by-surgeon decisions. That’s the work MedCareInChina actually does.
Shared weakness: the most complex, specialty-defining procedures (top oncology, complex cardiac, complex neuro, transplant) — public Tier-3A remains the primary route. Private coverage is expanding rapidly but unevenly.

⚠️ The one-way bridge — the rule you can’t afford to get wrong

U.S. patients often assume they can “do diagnostics at private and surgery at public.” That path does not work in China.

✅ Public → Private works. A diagnosis, imaging report, or prescription issued by a public Tier-3A hospital is recognised by private international hospitals.
❌ Private → Public does not. A private hospital’s consultation, imaging interpretation, or treatment plan is generally not accepted by a public Tier-3A as the basis for surgery or admission.

The reason: public Tier-3A is the higher-ranked tier in the Chinese medical hierarchy, and the downstream (private) accepts the upstream (public), but not vice versa.

What this means for your decision:

Complex cases (top oncology, complex cardiac, neuro, transplant): stay in the public Tier-3A system end-to-end.
Routine cases (outpatient, imaging, executive physical, IVF, general specialty, dermatology, ophthalmology): stay in private international end-to-end.
The Public → Private follow-up bridge: appropriate for stable patients who’ve completed public treatment and need routine management.
❌ What not to do: assume you can run diagnostics at private and “save money by getting the surgery at public.” You’ll pay for the workup twice.

4. Real cost comparison (USD, all at 1 USD = 6.5 RMB)

The table below compares U.S. self-pay, U.S. in-network insurance (your cost), China public IMD, and China private international. All figures are ranges, not commitments.

Procedure	U.S. Self-Pay (cash/list)	U.S. In-Network Insurance (your cost)	China Public IMD + Accompaniment	China Private International
Hip replacement	$40K–$80K	OOP max $3K–$18K	$8K–$12K	$15K–$22K
Knee replacement	$35K–$70K	OOP max $3K–$18K	$8K–$12K	$15K–$22K
Spine fusion	$80K–$150K	OOP max $5K–$20K	$12K–$18K	$25K–$35K
Cataract (standard IOL)	$3.5K–$7K	Usually covered	$800–$1.5K	$2.5K–$4K
Cataract (premium IOL)	$5.5K–$9K	Premium upgrade $2K–$4K self-pay	$2K–$3.5K	$4.5K–$7K
PET-CT	$3K–$8K	Depends on indication	$1.5K–$2.5K	$2.5K–$3.5K
MRI	$1K–$3.5K	Usually covered	$200–$500	$500–$900
Comprehensive checkup (incl. PET-CT)	$5K–$15K	Generally not covered	$2.5K–$4.5K	$5.5K–$9.5K
Upper + lower endoscopy (anaesthesia)	$3K–$5K	50+ screening usually covered	$700–$1.5K	$2K–$3.5K
IVF, single cycle	$15K–$25K	Coverage varies enormously	$5K–$8K	$10K–$16K
CABG (coronary artery bypass)	$75K–$200K	OOP max $5K–$25K	$20K–$35K	$40K–$70K
CAR-T cell therapy	List $400K–$500K; actual total $700K–$1M+	If covered, OOP $10K–$30K; many denials or long process	USD $160K–$220K (all-inclusive)	Not performed at private
Proton / heavy-ion therapy	$80K–$200K	Pre-authorization often denied	USD $30K–$50K (SPHIC, public; proton + heavy-ion)	Heyou Pinnacle (proton + heavy-ion); Guangzhou Concord (proton); case-by-case

Notes on what the table doesn’t show:

Don’t naively compare against list price. U.S. list price is “hospital sticker”; insurance-contracted rates are commonly 50–70% lower. But for the uninsured or out-of-network, list IS the bill.
The OOP max “annual reset” trap. Cancer treatment crosses calendar years; your OOP max resets every January 1. China all-inclusive pricing doesn’t have this problem.
CAR-T is one of the U.S. insurance products most likely to be “covered on paper, denied in practice.” Even when covered, pre-auth, bridging, ICU, complication accumulation generates real out-of-pocket. China’s all-inclusive is “one price, total” — attractive to self-pay.
Proton therapy is severely coverage-restricted in the U.S. Outside accepted indications insurers regularly deny; the self-pay $80K+ figure is a real bill.
Don’t reduce China cost to just the medical fee. Add: round-trip airfare ($1.5K–$3K/person), hotel ($100–$300/night), accompaniment service fee, visa, and the cash-flow cost of waiting for reimbursement.

5. Do U.S. insurance plans actually work in China?

The honest answer: it depends on which plan you hold and whether your insurer has a direct-billing contract with your target hospital.

U.S.-available plans with substantial direct-billing networks in China (2025)

Cigna Global [5] — global network of 1.65M facilities; Shanghai operations center; China direct billing covers both public and private. U.S. Cigna domestic products (Cigna Healthcare) and Cigna Global are different products — only Cigna Global has overseas coverage.
GeoBlue (BCBS international product) [10] — the U.S. BCBS system’s international product, covering overseas outpatient and inpatient. U.S. domestic BCBS Anthem / Empire do NOT cover planned overseas care.
Aetna International — Aetna’s international expat product with broad overseas coverage. U.S. domestic Aetna ≠ Aetna International.
IMG (International Medical Group) — U.S.-based international insurer with multiple product lines.
GMMI / Allianz Worldwide Care / MSH International [7][8] — commonly used by overseas / expat populations.
Bupa Global [6] — available in the U.S. through brokers; covers 3,600 hospitals across 300 Chinese cities (2025 expansion).
AXA Global Healthcare [9] — available through brokers.

Plans that generally won’t work for planned care in China (U.S. domestic)

Medicare (federal, 65+) — does not cover any planned overseas treatment. Only very limited border-area exceptions [4].
Medicaid (state, low-income) — does not cover overseas.
Employer commercial insurance (BCBS, Anthem, UnitedHealth, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Kaiser) — domestic products, almost all do not cover planned overseas care. Some will reimburse “emergency overseas medical” but not elective.
ACA exchange plans — domestic products, do not cover overseas.
HSA / FSA (Health Savings Account / Flexible Spending Account) — can be used to pay for overseas medical expenses, provided the spending meets the IRS Pub 502 definition of qualified medical expenses [11]. This is an important funding channel for U.S. patients coming to China.

Direct billing vs reimbursement

Direct billing: the insurer pays the hospital directly; you cover only your deductible and copay. The widely repeated claim that “only private international hospitals support direct billing” is out of date — leading public Tier-3A IMDs now run extensive direct-billing networks.

Public IMD	Direct-billing insurers
Shanghai Huashan IMC	30+ direct billing contracts, ~100 actual partnerships; insurance business accounts for over 50% of revenue
Shanghai Ruijin IMD	20+ direct-billing insurers (since 1998)
Peking Union (PUMCH) IMS	Maintains a full “Cooperative Commercial Insurance Roster” including major international insurers
Sun Yat-sen 1st Affiliated Hospital Nansha IMC	15 commercial insurers (opened 2023)

Private international hospital	Direct-billing insurers
Shanghai Jiahui International Hospital	~60 global insurers (broadest in East China)
Shanghai ParkwayHealth / SIMC	50+ direct billing; SIMC 60+ global partners
United Family Healthcare (Beijing/Shanghai/Guangzhou/Shenzhen/Boao)	22 international insurers
Heyou Pinnacle Medical Center (Foshan-Shunde)	Supports international commercial insurance direct billing; designated institution under the GBA “HK/Macao Drug & Device Access” policy

Reimbursement (when direct billing isn’t available): you pay out of pocket, then claim back home. Almost all international policies accept this, but you’ll need:

English-language medical records, itemised bills, and the Chinese tax invoice (Fapiao).
Pre-authorisation filed with your insurer in advance.
Treatment falling within your policy scope.
A 4–12 week processing window.

What we can do, and what we don’t

⚠️ MedCareInChina is not an insurance company. We do not negotiate with your insurer on your behalf, and we do not advance insurance funds.

What we can do:

Help you confirm with your insurer whether your policy covers your planned treatment and whether your target hospital is in-network.
Help you prepare the pre-authorisation package your insurer requires.
Coordinate direct-billing communication and GOP (Guarantee of Payment) application between the Chinese hospital and your insurer.
After discharge, organise your English-language medical records, bills, and payment receipts for your reimbursement claim back home.
If you pay via HSA/FSA, help you prepare IRS-compliant expense documentation.

What we don’t do:

Make insurance decisions for you.
Promise your insurer will approve.
Hold or pass through insurance funds.

6. The five steps of going from the USA to China for care

Total elapsed time from your first email to your return flight is roughly 6–12 weeks (not counting treatment itself).

Step 1 · Free Pathway Scan (1–2 business days)

Email us with:

Your current condition or diagnostic direction
Your state/city and a rough travel window
Whether you carry international medical insurance (or only U.S. domestic / uninsured)
A description of records you have on hand

We reply: whether it’s worth continuing + recommended next step + additional records to gather. Free, no commitment.

Step 2 · Remote Expert / MDT Consultation (5–10 business days, paid)

Single Expert: USD $800 flat.
MDT: USD $1,000 per specialist (typical MDT = 3 specialists = $3,000).
Records translated → Chinese case brief → specialist matching → video consultation → bilingual PDF report.

HSA/FSA eligible (medical consultation fees qualify under IRS Pub 502) [11].

Take the report back to your U.S. PCP or specialist. You can also stop here.

Step 3 · S2 Medical Visa (2–4 weeks)

S2 visa [15][19]: medical treatment ≤6 months. Requires Chinese-hospital-issued invitation letter.
S1 visa: medical treatment >6 months, allows accompanying family.
L visa (tourist): not recommended for sustained treatment.

⚠️ MedCareInChina does not process visas. We coordinate the invitation letter; you submit the visa at the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. or consulates in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Houston, via the CVASC (Chinese Visa Application Service Centre) [20].

Invitation letter: 5–10 business days. CVASC standard processing: 4–7 business days. Expedited available.

Step 4 · In-China Accompanied Care

Airport pickup, appointment coordination, medical interpretation, payment coordination, insurance documentation support, English-language discharge files, hand-off to your U.S. PCP/specialist.

Typical durations: hip/knee replacement 2–3 weeks; cataract 3–4 days; checkup 3–5 days; CAR-T full course 4–6 weeks; proton therapy 4–8 weeks.

Fee structure:

Consultation fee (Step 2): paid to MedCareInChina.
Accompaniment service fee: stated in writing before you sign.
Hospital and physician fees: paid directly to the hospital. MedCareInChina does not handle medical funds.
Hotel, flights, transport: you arrange and pay directly.

Step 5 · Remote follow-up after returning home

Chinese attending physician schedules remote follow-up (video).
We continue coordinating communication between the Chinese hospital and your U.S. clinician.
Insurance supplementary documentation requests — we continue providing English-language materials.
For any emergency, seek local U.S. emergency care immediately.

7. When you shouldn’t consider China

You’re currently admitted in a U.S. hospital and unstable.
You’re already established at Mayo / Cleveland / MD Anderson / MSK / Johns Hopkins with good insurance — no specific reason to switch paths.
You’re hoping “China must have something” for late-stage disease U.S. top-tier oncology has called untreatable.
Price is your only driver — Mexico, Turkey, India, Thailand may be more cost-optimal for your specific case.
You can’t accommodate a 6–12 week process.
Your insurance excludes overseas, self-pay exceeds your budget, and HSA/FSA balance is insufficient.

8. Frequently asked, honestly answered

Q: I have BCBS / UnitedHealth / Aetna — can I use it?
Depends on the product. Domestic products (marketplace or employer-bought standard plans) typically don’t cover planned overseas care. If you have GeoBlue (BCBS international), Aetna International, or Cigna Global, those are international products and may work.

Q: Does Medicare work?
No. Medicare does not cover any planned overseas treatment. Medicare Advantage doesn’t either [4].

Q: Can I use HSA/FSA?
Yes — provided the spending meets the IRS Pub 502 definition of qualified medical expenses (physician services, hospital admission, prescription drugs) [11]. Overseas care at a legitimate medical facility qualifies. We’ll help you prepare compliant English-language receipts.

Q: If something goes wrong during surgery, who’s responsible?
The Chinese hospital. MedCareInChina is not a medical provider, does not make medical decisions, and is not responsible for medical outcomes. See our Terms of Service and Medical Disclaimer [22].

Q: Can I request a specific hospital or physician?
You can express a preference; we don’t guarantee. Final matching depends on physician schedule, willingness to take international patients, and case-specialty fit.

Q: How soon after surgery can I fly back to the U.S.?
Cataract: day 2. Joint replacement: 2–3 weeks observation. Spine: 3–4 weeks. Major cancer surgery: 4–6 weeks. Fit-to-fly is issued by the treating physician — we don’t issue it.

Q: I’m Chinese-American with parents in China — can we use this bidirectionally?
Yes. This is one of the strongest fits for MedCareInChina’s service — you’re in the U.S., your parents are in China, and you need bilateral coordination. We can provide in-China accompaniment for your parents while also providing remote consultation + U.S. follow-up coordination for you.

Q: Should I choose public or private in China?
Match-based. Complex specialty-defining cases (oncology, complex cardiac, neuro, transplant) — public Tier-3A is essentially the only option. Routine outpatient/imaging/checkup/general specialty — private international handles it end-to-end. The middle ground is genuine case-by-case work — that’s what we do.

9. Next step — send us your case

📧 hello@medcareinchina.com

Subject: Pathway Scan from USA

In the body, tell us:

Your current condition or diagnostic direction (one or two sentences)
Your state/city and rough travel window
Your insurance situation (insurer name is enough — no policy number needed; or state uninsured)
The state of your medical records (describe; don’t send files yet)

We respond within 1–2 U.S. business days with a free written assessment.

This step is always free. No payment, no commitment, no follow-up marketing emails.

Sources

[1] U.S. Census Bureau · Health Insurance Coverage in the United States 2024 — 27.5 million uninsured figure. https://www.census.gov/topics/health/health-insurance.html

[2] KFF · 2024 Employer Health Benefits Survey — Employer family premium $25,572; HDHP deductibles; OOP max. https://www.kff.org/health-costs/report/2024-employer-health-benefits-survey/

[3] KFF · Medical Debt in the U.S. 2024 — 100M Americans carrying medical debt. https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/the-burden-of-medical-debt-in-the-united-states/

[4] CMS · Medicare and You 2024 — Medicare coverage scope (no planned overseas). https://www.medicare.gov/medicare-and-you

[5] Cigna Global · International Health Insurance — China direct billing network. https://www.cignaglobal.com/

[6] Bupa Global · Find a Provider — 2025 expansion to 3,600 designated hospitals across 300 cities. https://www.bupaglobal.com/en/customers/find-a-provider

[7] Allianz Worldwide Care · International Medical Insurance — China provider network (280+ hospitals). https://www.allianzcare.com/

[8] MSH International — 500+ hospitals across 20+ cities. https://www.msh-intl.com/

[9] AXA Global Healthcare — Via Prosper Health partnership covers approximately 1,350 Tier-3A hospitals. https://www.axaglobalhealthcare.com/

[10] GeoBlue · BCBS Global Core — U.S. BCBS international product. https://www.geobluetravelinsurance.com/

[11] IRS · Publication 502 · Medical and Dental Expenses — HSA/FSA qualified medical expense definition (including foreign medical care). https://www.irs.gov/publications/p502

[12] MedCareInChina · CAR-T Cell Therapy in China — China’s six NMPA-approved CAR-T products + U.S. list price comparison. https://medcareinchina.com/car-t-cell-therapy-in-china-six-approved-products-top-centers-pricing-and-comparison-with-western-centers/

[13] Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center (SPHIC) + Heyou Pinnacle Medical Center (Foshan-Shunde) + Guangzhou Concord Cancer Center — Reference for proton and heavy-ion therapy options in China. Heyou Pinnacle’s Heyou Proton & Heavy Ion Center is directed by Professor Lu Jiade, who established the clinical technology system at SPHIC; Guangzhou Concord Cancer Center (Concord Medical Group) launched proton therapy operations in December 2024. https://medcareinchina.com/proton-and-heavy-ion-therapy-in-china-sphic-process-indications-and-comparison-with-us-japan-and-europe/

[14] MedCareInChina · International Medical Insurance and China Hospital Direct Billing — Public IMD direct-billing roster (Huashan ~100, Ruijin 20+, PUMCH, Sun Yat-sen Nansha 15) and private hospital networks. https://medcareinchina.com/international-medical-insurance-and-china-hospital-direct-billing-a-complete-guide-to-coverage-workflow-and-pitfalls/

[15] MedCareInChina · Complete Guide to China Medical Visa (S1/S2). https://medcareinchina.com/complete-guide-to-china-medical-visa-s1-s2-the-first-step-for-international-patients/

[16] Mayo Clinic International Patient Services. https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/international-services

[17] Cleveland Clinic Global Patient Services. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/about/global-patient-services

[18] MD Anderson International Center. https://www.mdanderson.org/patients-family/becoming-our-patient/international.html

[19] Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the USA · Visa Information — Official S1 and S2 medical visa rules. http://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/

[20] Chinese Visa Application Service Centre (CVASC) · USA — Washington D.C., New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston. https://www.visaforchina.cn/

[21] Healthcare Bluebook / FAIR Health Consumer — U.S. list price vs negotiated rate reference data. https://www.healthcarebluebook.com/ · https://www.fairhealthconsumer.org/

[22] MedCareInChina · Service & Refund Policy / Medical Disclaimer / Privacy Policy. Service & Refund Policy · Medical Disclaimer · Privacy Policy

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