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Looking for health insurance while living abroad can be a daunting task. Should you buy from an international company with experience in expat healthcare? Or check out the cost-saving local offerings? Do you even need health insurance when the cost of medical care is so cheap here in China? The options are seemingly endless.

First of all, it’s always important to have health insurance. While it may be tempting to slack on it since medical care is so cheap, you’ve got to think long term. If you get into a major accident or develop cancer, you’ll most likely receive medical treatment in your home country. And if you have no health insurance, this can very easily bankrupt you.

So now that you’ve decided to get health insurance, you have to look at the options. When choosing the right plan, it’s important to decide beforehand what is important to you. A healthy 25-year-old will obviously want a different plan than a 70-year-old in poor health. Do you want emergency coverage only? Hospital coverage? A prescription plan? Plan prices vary wildly depending on what benefits you want included, the amount of co-pay you’re willing to have, and your choice of deductible.

Here in China, it’s common to find a plan via an insurance broker. These are professionals who are trained to find the right insurance plan based on what you want covered. Most importantly, they are independent, which means they work with a variety of insurance companies and do not receive incentives from any of them, so they can honestly and objectively recommend plans for you. I actually had my broker tell me that the dental supplement I was considering was “a waste of money.” Talk about honesty!

Almost all insurance companies offer similar expat health insurance plans, including those for Individuals, Families, Groups (such as companies, sports teams, etc.), Teachers, and Travelers (if you plan to use China as your home base while you travel). All of these plans typically include things such as emergency evacuation (your life flight to another country will be covered – a huge expense people don’t normally think about) and hospitalization, while you can independently choose add-on options (which will cost extra) for things like dental, maternity and out-patient care.

International health insurance companies that are based outside of China are understandably going to be more expensive. Depending on a variety of factors (your age, health, deductible, coverage, etc.), you could be paying anywhere from 4500 RMB (for emergency care only – I’m talking “If I get hit by a bus I’ll be covered” type coverage) to 20,000 RMB + (for coverage that practically includes the sniffles). Some international health insurance companies that are particularly popular with expats include Pacific Prime (http://www.pacificprime.com/countries/china/) and Globalsurance (http://www.globalsurance.com/about.php).

I would recommend international health insurance companies for those who want more comprehensive coverage, as opposed to emergency-only. Since they are literally worldwide, you can find a representative who speaks practically any language to help you with any questions or concerns you might have. But only you can weigh the benefits of the plan against the higher costs.

If you’re thinking of using a Chinese insurance company, you must keep in mind that most Chinese insurance companies don’t have websites – you must call directly or go to a representative office in person to receive any information about them. Some notable exceptions include Ping An (http://about.pingan.com/en/index.shtml) and MSH China (http://www.mshchina.com/), both of which have decent websites that will give you some sense of what they offer.

Getting your health insurance from a Chinese company can be a great way to cut costs if you’re looking for basic or emergency-only care. For example, for someone in their mid-30’s in good health, Ping An charges an average rate of around 3500 RMB a year, which includes only certain basic hospital procedures (with a set hospital stay). For more money per year, you can increase the list of medical procedures that are covered.

I would recommend using a Chinese health insurance company if you are in good health and are looking for basic coverage or emergency-only care. Oftentimes the cost is cheaper, which makes it ideal for those fresh-out-of-college English teachers. However, many of these companies don’t provide as many comprehensive services as international health insurance companies.

Ultimately, choosing your health insurance plan is a very personal decision, one which should be made after much thoughtful research. Whatever plan you choose, whether it’s from an international or local company, it’s important that you can go to sleep at night feeling protected.

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Keywords: international health insurance China Health insurance options China expat healthcare China Chinese health insurance