Maybe you’re already set up in Suzhou, or perhaps you’re just getting ready to leave home for the first time. China seems so exciting and strange – and you had barely even heard of Suzhou just few months ago. But now you and the family are makin g plans to be here for a few years. The company is paying for housing and some of the other big expenses, so you don’t feel any financial pressure – but there is definitely a sense of anxiety. It’s about the quality and availability of health care in Suzhou.
First – don’t worry TOO much about the quality of day-to-day out-patient care. The quality of China’s private clinics and international hospitals has really improved over the last few years, and SIP (Suzhou Industrial Park) is modern to the point of seeming futuristic. If, heaven forbid, you or your children need more extensive treatment, then Shanghai is just a few minutes away – and world class facilities in Tokyo, HK and Bangkok are an easy flight from Pudong.
Next – make sure that your firm is offering a top-drawer international program that is designed for expat families. The health coverage you had back home may be worthless in China, so check in advance. In China, the situation is a little different so be sure to check out a few things very carefully:
Top priority – look at the service record of your health care provider. In China you want to make sure that your company offers 24 hour, multi-lingual support in the languages you care about. Your customer service office shouldn’t be any further away than HK. Don’t make any assumptions when it comes to language in China. You want someone who speaks good English and Mandarin. Extra credit goes to those who can field a team in French, German, Spanish, Japanese or any other major language you care about. There is a good chance that you’ll find yourself in a position where you need to hand the phone to an admitting nurse or a hospital administrator and have your problems disappear. If the person from your insurance company is making old problems worse or creating new inconveniences, then you are simply not getting your money’s worth. When it comes to health coverage in China, customer service is VITAL. Investigate carefully.
In-patient and Out-patient care. You want to make sure that your plan covers you for both. Some companies (and husbands) feel that major medical insurance – which just covers certain types of in-patient care – is justified because out-patient care is relatively cheap in many Chinese hospitals. If you are a healthy single male, this may make sense. If you have kids or need OB/GYN care, then you are going the private clinic route. Local outpatient care is better than it used to be, but unless you have a real need to be adventurous then you are going to want to avail yourself of Suzhou & Shanghai’s new class of private clinics. The nurses bring you tea, the receptionist speaks English and the doctors have probably studied or practiced overseas. These places are clean, professional and expensive.
Direct billing. This is when you give your card to the receptionist and all of your billing and admin issues magically float away. Unfortunately direct billing hasn’t really caught on in China, and it tends to be extremely expensive when it is offered. If you are footing the bill, you might want to save money by pre-paying and then collecting later. If you are on the company’s dime, then it is a great option to have.
Other coverages. Dental, OBGYN, psychiatric, sports injury, and travel cover – it’s all available if you know what to look for.
Portability and US cover. Portability refers to whether or not you can take your coverage with you when you move. This is particularly important to those who move from one Asian country to another. Make sure the coverage extends to other places you frequent while you are based in China – and that if you get reassigned you can take your cover with you. Unfortunately, coverage in the US is extremely expensive and difficult to arrange. Unless you have a very real need for US coverage from you international plan, you are best off leaving it out. But if you know that you and the family will be in the US for significant amounts of time, then you’d best make sure that you are covered.
If medical coverage is important to you but you don’t think you can get management to offer you coverage, consider proposing a co-pay arrangement. This could be very good for couples with young kids. The company uses its relationship to get the best discount, and you try to get them to pay for some of it (shame is good – pity is also good). Even if they don’t, you can still opt for one of the more basic plans to save money. Medical cover usually has at least 3 levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc) and the cheapest has all the basics of high-end care – and will get you into the private clinics and international wings.
Another way to control cost is to get a higher deductible. You pay a higher amount out of your own pocket when things do go wrong, and the premiums get reduced.
