Guide
What care in China costs
Reported prices can be far below US self-pay prices. They are single cases, so your only reliable number is a written estimate for your own case.
Last reviewed October 31, 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the official source before you act.
Reported examples
- An MRI in Kunming at CNY 486, about $70 (Yicai Global)
- Hip surgery with a six-day stay in Shanghai at about CNY 30,000, or $4,304. The patient's own estimate for the US was about $30,000 (Yicai Global)
- Removal of a gallbladder growth in Shenzhen for under $2,000, against about $10,000 in the US (CNN, as reported by Asia Business Daily)
- CAR-T cell therapy at roughly $60,000 in China, against over $500,000 in Europe (CNN, as reported by Asia Business Daily)
Yicai also quotes a Chinese health policy expert saying pricing for overseas patients is still incomplete. Expect prices to vary by hospital and to differ between regular wards, international departments and private hospitals.
What an estimate should show
- Doctors, surgery, anesthesia, implants and medicines, listed separately
- Expected days in hospital and the type of room
- Tests needed before treatment, and whether results from home are accepted
- Follow-up visits and how they are charged
- What happens to the price if there is a complication
- The currency, and how long the estimate stays valid
Costs outside the hospital bill
- Flights and a hotel near the hospital for you and a companion
- Time away from work, including recovery before you can fly
- Interpreting and translation
- Travel, medical and evacuation insurance
- Medicines, scans and follow-up visits after you are home
Deposits and payment
The State Department's advisory says hospitals generally require payment before treatment, and that travelers will be asked for a deposit before admission. Ask how to pay, how much you can move at once, and how unused deposits are refunded. Check your bank's daily limits before you leave.
Insurance
- Medicare: in most situations it will not pay for care outside the US. Its exceptions are narrow and do not fit a planned trip to China.
- Medigap: most plans offer foreign emergency cover with a lifetime limit of $50,000. This is for emergencies, not planned treatment.
- Medicare Advantage: a plan may cover extra services abroad. Ask the plan before you travel.
- Private insurance: get any answer in writing, including what happens if a complication needs care back home.