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Q: Do you have any medical coverage?
What a surprise today when I found out I have been working for the past year without having any medical coverage. I thought if you had all the proper visas to work in China, medical coverage of some kind was mandatory. So, how about all of you working in Public Schools, are you covered medically?
8 years 27 weeks ago in Health & Safety - China
I have full coverage through my employer and of course sick leave ....however (TIC), I have been sick just once and although I provided all the medical certs and other documents I was docked pay at a higher rate for the days off than I earn and the insurance didn't pay out of pocket expenses (or if they were paid, someone in the office pocketed them). Oh, I forgot to mention that upon my return to work I had to work extra hours to make up for the time I was off. Contracts, I hear you say.....lol
Basic emergency coverage is mandatory - not total coverage.
China Life has a comprehensive package for foreigners that's just under 1K RMB per annum. Like many plans, you pay first, submit the fapiaos and then get reimbursed.
dongbeiren:
1k rmb per year? If so I"m guessing it covers limited expenses. I've seen better plans around 10k rmb per year and even a lot of those won't cover you outside China .The cheaper ones offer only cover up to 10k per year or per incident.
Sinobear:
Sorry, I'm not an agent. The basic plan (basic coverage) was 911RMB/annum. It is for mainland China only BUT it was less restrictive (as to which hospitals you could go to).
I should mention that the plan as above suited the requirements of Guangdong Province's visa requirements and would not be suitable for those with pre-existing conditions or habitual illness.
I have full coverage through my employer and of course sick leave ....however (TIC), I have been sick just once and although I provided all the medical certs and other documents I was docked pay at a higher rate for the days off than I earn and the insurance didn't pay out of pocket expenses (or if they were paid, someone in the office pocketed them). Oh, I forgot to mention that upon my return to work I had to work extra hours to make up for the time I was off. Contracts, I hear you say.....lol
I got a private plan at Ping An. It's about 25000RMB per year and apart from covering hospital treatment it will also cover a lump sum in case of serious disease and it will leave some money for the family in case of my untimely death.
Sinobear is correct that one has to pay first, then get reimbursed. But e.g. if I need to go to the TCM clinic for a longer stay (we know they are long since the treatment don't work) then I would only need to fork up the money for the first day or two and call my insurance agent, who then would pick up the tap for the remaining stay and reimburse my own payment.
I have aetna I think. I never get sick so I've never used it.
I also have this card that's like an ATM card that only works at hospitals. Like I can go and check the balance and change the pin at an ATM but I can't withdraw any money.
I think this is some kind of mandatory thing, my employer has to pay X% of my salary every month into this account to use against medical expenses. Theres thousands of RMB in there right now, so I guess if I get hospitalized I would use that to cover the initial expenses? Does anybody else have that?
Sinobear:
Foreign policies are better, 'natch, and the pay-as-you-go plans are great. So, you have the best of both worlds.
It's just a matter of how often you get sick and what you're willing to gamble the risk is. My kids get "sick" about once a month but nothing serious, I get "sick" about once a year. IWolf seems to have a reasonable plan whereas Scan' plan (25000 a year, really?) is pricey.
Drink lots of hot water and here's hoping that we don't have to partake of whatever plan at any rate.
Scandinavian:
My MIL has that ATM card too. It is part of her employment package. I think technically she pays herself, e.g. the non-existant payslip would have a deduction from base salary for it. It is fairly cheap and the cool thing is that everyone can use her card. No check on the name on the card matches the patient. So if you know someone who has a severe case of runny bottom, offer to pay for them with your card and have them reimburse you later. That way you can reclaim the thousands of RMB in there, at the price of an Imodium at a time.
yongge:
I also have the ATM card. I've had it for six months and never used it, but found out a couple of days ago that it was never activated. An attempt to activate it was unsuccessful, because my name on the card is too long and the system cannot take so many characters. Would have worked if they had just put a space between my name and surname.
expatlife26:
I was actually curious about that, good to know that the name doesn't have to match. I'm pretty healthy, knock wood, but if somebody I know needs to go to the hospital I can reclaim some of the money that way.
Scandinavian:
you can always test the card by going to a TCM pharmacy and buy a small bag of ground up dried monkey elbow.
Scans plan sounds really expensive, unless it includes family. Though it does have serious illness and death insurance included.
I'm not a teacher. I'm product manager for a sourcing company. I have a worldwide medical insurance policy through IMG Europe that cost about 7000rmb/year and has very extensive cover. For simple stuff I pay first and claim back. If I need major treatment they help arrange the hospital and settle all bills.
Scandinavian:
My plan is expensive and covers a lot of stuff where I would usually run back home in case I was diagnosed with those stuff. However, these plans gets more and more expensive the older you are at the time of signing up for them. E.g. had I been 10 years younger it would have been a lot cheaper to get.
As I am married to a Chinese woman, my ties to China are stronger than those just working, and as such, as much as I hope it will not happen, I might spend old age in China. And buying this at old age would be unreasonably expensive. The plan I have can only be purchased by people younger than 50, but will cover no matter how old I get (unless of course the CCP decided to run with all the money)
Hotwater:
Cheers for the feedback. Will get my wife to check up on this as I'm also here for the long term. Any idea what the policy is called?
expatlife26:
I don't know if scan has this, but some of the better plans give you a car that you can use for direct settlement of outpatient stuff. That's what drives the price up because you'll actually use that. Same as dental coverage that's expensive too because you'll use it.
Having a settlement card is great though because then you can go to those expat clinics and just scan in to get real medicine and english speaking staff.
Scandinavian:
we don't have such a card. I've also never been to an expat clinic. the local hospitals with "international departments" seems to not provide anything the Chinese hospitals cannot. They all fail by the fact they have a few non-Chinese doctors, but plenty of Chinese nurses and administrative staff to make the experience not worth it. as long as I can bring my wife for interpretation an international clinic is not relevant.
I have a HK medical plan from the company that covers my wife too.
But as a Brit I also have another plan. It's called the NHS. I can go back anytime and I will not be denied treatment. I know many people who have done this.
The UK NHS is a fantastic example of socialism at it best. Technically, you don't need to pay a single penny in to get totally free treatment. You just need an NR number. But even if you don't have a number, they will never turn you away.
A UK NHS hospital will never turn you away. It's again their Hippocratic oath. Honestly, if a UK registered health professional withholds treatment awaiting money.... Struck off the medical register. Even a doctor at a private hospital will be struck off if he refuses to treat a person in need.
I have said many times before... The key to socialism is free education and free healthcare. Once you put these in place you are almost there.
It releases people from their biggest fears. It gives the people the knowledge and security to go out and do things.
The drip down economic model does the opposite.
But hey... My outlook is simple... You get what you vote for. Democracy works.
But democracy is expensive.
Englteachted:
I often disagree with you, but you are 100% right.
Let me Add
Illegals should never receive benefits for citizens. (I'm going too far now) the govt has a responsibility to cap immigration at a number that will not put a burden on the taxpayer and the economy. That is why Brits are going to lose the NHS.
Scandinavian:
Apart from agreeing on the free education and free healthcare you might be disappointed if you go back to get that ingrown toe-nail fixed.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/expat-health/11571256/British-expats-from-outside-Europe-must-pay-for-NHS-hospital-care.html
it might be a technicality though. for myself, when I go back to my own socialist heaven in Scandinavia, I am also not eligible for free treatment. however it is very easy to get back into the system as, just need to get my ID number reactivated. zero private payment is needed
Hotwater:
For once I don't agree Alan. As we're currently "expatriated" we can't just rock up in the UK and get free health care. We could of course lie and say we've now moved "home".
hi2u:
That's a wonderful plan, as long as you and the other open borders supporters pay for the millions of migrants to receive such benefits.
how lucky you are to live in a country that is not run by lobbyists. You could live in the land of the free where Obama Care costs 20% of your income so you can see a doctor once a year for free. The rest of the year you pay full price which out of this world. If you are living in a cardboard box Obama Care is free. Health Care in the US sucks. Can you imagine paying $5136 a year with $5,500 deductible to see a doctor once a year.If you don't pay the $5136 a year you are fined $2000. Democracy at it worst.
so actually you have to separate the insurance into inpatient and outpatient.
the outpatient one is the costly part.
I get covered by both including direct billing (no need reimbursement) for 16k per year with Allianz.
The costs depends on your age.
