Job Discussion Forums

SpedEd · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 143 Location: Shanghai

Hello people:

I would like to hear some of your comments re. your health insurance situation with your employer in China.
Just recently, I had asked about the health coverage for full-time teachers at our school and was appalled to find that there was no health insurance to speak of to cover us. I met with the Director who told me that this was standard fare in China. The only coverage provided is that to cover accidents on the school's properly, according to her.
I don't have any health coverage over here and I'm obviously concerned about this situation. I mean, it would be exceptionally easy to get smoked in Shanghai with the intense traffic, among other things. I don't want to be stuck with a big medical bill - or worse - that I'll either find too much to pay or be unable to pay. Is there a labor lay in China that stipulates that full-time employees of a foreign company should be covered with comprehensive health insurance?

foreignDevil · Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Posts: 580

You are correct in being concerned.

This has been discussed before here at Dave's. The bottom line is, you must have good health insurance (of course you knew that) and even if you do have good international coverage from a foreign company from your home country or wherever, you must have enough cash to pay the hospital. Hospitals here generally will not bill a foreign insurance company.

I'm not bashing Chinese hospitals, and maybe some other people have had some better, more positive outcomes. But I think it is pretty much the way I said.. must have cash. I personally am covered by a company in Europe with an absolutely FANTASTIC health plan, but it did not matter with the accounts department of the hospital I was in. Cash. Cash. Cash.

Also, I think there might be a few posters on Dave who are in better situations, but most school employers only offer the accident insurance you speak of. My impression is, this is standard.

The Ever-changing Cleric · Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 1523

PyRoT · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 42

So does anyone know how much good health insurance in China costs? One that wouldn't require your cash?

I am thinking of moving there long-term so I don't think I could rely on an international agency.

The Ever-changing Cleric · Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 1523

ymmv · Joined: 14 Jul 2004 Posts: 387

Read this thread:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=69123

as well as the thread linked to there.

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

Not so many years ago, when I first arrived in China, the universities and others hiring foreign experts were expected to provide medical coverage as part of their employment contract. Often this was in the form of self-insurance: the FAO took you to the hospital when you got sick with a fist full of their cash in hand. There are schools that still do this. Well, a few schools got stuck with some fairly large payouts, and probably didn't like it much.

Nowadays it seems the powers that be aren't being quite so insistent that schools bother with this anymore. Some now expect us to assume the same responsibility for our health as low-rent bar girls. You get a wad of money every month, but if you get sick you're definitely on your own. Therefore, just like safe-sex whores, it is incumbent upon each of us to make a careful calculation of whether the amount we receive every month is adequate to cover the full cost of hooking up with the school.

For Americans in particular, whose government expects its citizens to obtain their health insurance through their place of employment in much the same way as Chinese residence-holders do, going without is a very risky venture indeed. So, if you are in the habit of practicing safe-employment, you may want to either make sure you are provided with at least as much insurance coverage as your Chinese colleagues, or figure out what it is going to cost you to get your own ( http://www.insurancequest.com/ ). Then decide.

SpedEd · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 143 Location: Shanghai

Thanks to those who posted back. I've found that the 'search' function for these forums doesn't work, so sorry about the redundant post.

Although I'm disappointed to hear about the lack of insurance coverage for expat workers in China, at least I'm informed about the situation. Certainly all the more reason to be careful getting around.

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

"Certainly all the more reason to be careful getting around." -- Sped Ed

Rule of thumb, for better paying jobs, health coverage will either be provided or can be negotiated (you can trade cash for insurance, or vice versa). For your base-wage university or language school gig, you may want to consider steering clear of any schools that do not provide you with cover inside China if your economic situation cannot justify the expense of a private insurance policy.

haopengyou · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 197

...for my 2 rmb...I returned to the U.S. last July. Before I left I read a brochure put out by SOS health clinics. They were advertising something that was not quite health insurance but, I think, would be an add-on to a health insurance policy. If you subscribed to their "service" you would be given a reduced rate at their clinics for some service. If you became ill - especially if you had to be hospitalized - they would be responsible for paying the bill - they would have connected with ur health insurance beforehand so they would know what they were getting into. They also had some other services that seemed like it would take some of the worry off of living in China. I believed it worked also if you lived in a city that did not have one of their clinics but my knowledge gets a little fuzzy here. You might want to google for it.

bradley · Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 235 Location: China

I pay upfront and get reimbursed

foreignDevil · Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Posts: 580

Fred Smith · Joined: 06 Dec 2008 Posts: 77

My school lied to me. Before the semester started the fao told me that the president of the school approved an expat health insurance package for the teachers. Then when I returned before school started I was told it didn't happen.

If I am sick I can use the school clinic.

foreignDevil · Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Posts: 580

haopengyou · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 197

Maybe he lied...but also, quite often the president of schools does not know what the HR people are doing, like the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. Another option - I have heard that this is possible but have not tried it myself - the ffo of my last school said that it was possible to subscribe to the same medical insurances in China that are available for Chinese people. It would have been pretty cheap, as I recall. She said it would be about US$40 per month but she said that she had never tried it and was not sure it was for real or only "written on paper" but never expected that anyone would try.

RE: SOS, the program that I saw might have been a pilot program or a trial. It would not surprise me if what actually came out was different than what was described to me. Let me know if you find that it is significantly different than what I described.

I hope I am not leading anyone astray - just passing on what I have heard. I have never had to bother with this topic because I have found insurance through other means.