I'm just about to turn 26 which means I can no longer be covered by my mom's insurance plan. She's trying to get me to sign up for COBRA which is like $450 a month...so as you might expect I'm not a fan. What do you guys do about your health insurance?

You ask a very good question. I would really like to see if you receive any legitimate responses on this issue by people who actually have health care.

This is the only previous post on a similar issue but it did NOT receive a single reply on the issue.

www.gokunming.com/[...]

virus. best username ever.

If COBRA is $450 a month then just use Chinese medical facilities, you won't be spending nearly as much, probably not even a tenth as much.

The reality of getting medical in China is cash in advance. Your USA medical insurance will not be accepted in China. This means to pay up front for medical care and then file a claim with your US insurance company. This can be problematic.

If you need to be admitted to a hospital, you will enter a strange, confusing, and complicated world.

Expect few English speakers and a completely different way of doing things. For example, you need to acquire your own food for each meal.

You will be dependent on friends for everything.

I had a stroke in Kunming in March and was very fortunate to have Chinese friends to help. KCEL, where I was a student was also very helpful.

I would suggest keeping 20000 yuan on hand to cover expenses if you are hospitalized.

Don't mock me HFCAMPO. I didn't see the other thread.

Alien, do you have medical insurance through a Chinese company or do you just do without insurance because facilities over here are so cheap?

If you're living in China on a budget - go for the domestic catastrophic health insurance - you pay for the small stuff - and MAYBE they'll pay for the big stuff. Make sure you have a selection of hospitals which will accept your domestic insurance AND they'll pre-pay for you - otherwise it's back to COD healthcare (cash up front, then apply for refunds).

@geezer
Actually, foreign medical insurance "can" be accepted in China - just depends on which hospital you go to - usually an "international" hospital, such as Richland - but one should check WELL in advance (like, BEFORE it becomes an emergency situation).

Most domestic Kunming/Yunnan hospitals will NOT accept your foreign script - so it's pay NOW, get re-imburse MUCH later - assuming they approve your translated paperwork.

SOME international medical plans will pre-pay in CASH for you - but I haven't seen those plans around for quite a while.

Bottom line - if you're poor - TCM and cash, beware the prescriptions for western meds - that's how they'll pump up your fees.

ALWAYS practice conspicuous consumerism when seeking healthcare - just because they're in the market segment is NO guarantee of professionalism, honesty, integrity, or quality of care - this applies to ANY country, ESPECIALLY the USA...and of course, China...

@virus4762: I don't have any medical insurance, which would cost much more almost anywhere I bought it than the amount I'm ever likely to have to spend on medical care in China. I may have spent as much as US$1500 over the past 12+ years - most of this was for care for a fairly serious health problem, or anyway one that could become life-threatening. I'm now doing fine. Compare that to US health insurance prices - what you pay even when you don't get sick. Thank god for national health schemes - may the US someday wise up.

I have an American friend who had a triple bypass here, at a private hospital, a couple months ago - it may have cost him as much as US$20,000 - peanuts in the US. Surgeon came down from Beijing to do it. Saw him about 2 weeks ago at Salvador's, having a drink; looked better than he has for at least a year, very happy about his choice.

For my own condition I used the Kunming #2 Hospital - no complaints, although you do have to run around a bit to different places in the hospital (blood test here, X-ray there, pay bill somewhere else, etc. - but it's not rocket science to figure it out, even if your Chinese language ability is not so good yet.

In Yunnan with the current very basic level of medical care you may be better off having the very lowest level of medical insuarance that covers medical evacuations in case of serious issues and paying anything less with your own cash.

Also if a laowai is on life support then the only way to 'die' is to be medically evacuated as Chinese law wont allow for life support machines for laowai to be turned off.