Due to Chengdu’s vast metamorphosis to an international city, global known companies are inviting workers from abroad to stay for a certain period and enrich their work experience. However, it is not a strange fact that the climate in this city is indeed hard for some foreigners to get used to. Several of my friends have problems to acclimate and others are having problems with the food. In fact, you just wanted to seek out some advice against for e.g. respiration problems or to soothe the gastrointestinal tract when it does not agree with the local delicacies and causes you unusual troubles. It is indeed troublesome if you come to a hospital as an expat, seeking for help and most likely confronted with long, nerve-wracking and complicated administration procedures topped off with the language barrier.

For this case, some hospitals provide English speaking service in order to alleviate the hospital visit for the foreign visitors. The two hospitals, depicted for this article both are located nearby to the areas where most of the foreign expats live.

One example is Parkway Health, which covers 25 areas of specialization supported with high standard medical service and with up to date technological equipment. The hospital also has multilingual specialists and nurses to care for the patient. For cases of sickness or injuries, the hospital can be reached at No.18 Wanxiang North Road, Fanxiong Boulevard, South High Tech Zone. At the end of last year, they also opened a medical & birthing center (within the Maria Maternity Hospital), which offers a comprehensive range of women’s health services.

The other famous one is Global Doctors. Established in 1999, the head office is located in Perth (Australia) – Chengdu was the first clinic setup in China. Apart from the standard medical practices like GP consultation and health check-ups, vaccination and immunization, X-ray examinations etc. the service is carried out by multi lingual specialists to assure the best possible healthcare. The location is in the south part of the city where many foreigners live and work: No.62 Kehua North Road, Lippo Tower, section S, 2nd floor 9-11 and is opened from Monday to Friday 9am until 6pm.

An apple a day, keeps the doctor away. But should you run out of apples and require medical services in Chengdu, you may contact one of the medical facilities featured above. Hopefully, my dear reader, you will have few reasons to seek out a doctor when staying in Chengdu.

Hopeful Hearts provides support to those children suffering with the most urgent and most complex heart conditions in both Nanjing Province, and Sichuan province.

This year Hopeful Hearts reached a wonderful milestone. Since its inception in 2003, Hopeful Hearts has been able to assist in the funding of over 200 heart operations.

Thanks to the support of donors within China and from overseas we were able to fund the treatment of 43 children in 2011. Of those children supported by Hopeful Hearts, 40 children underwent successful surgeries and are now living much improved lives. Unfortunately three children died from complications either during or after surgery, making our determination to reach these children earlier in life that much stronger.

2011 Annual Report

My deepest thanks to Peng Xiaohua who was indispensible in the whole process.

And to:

Vanessa Priestly, Ed Sander, Simon Brown, Prof. AI, Dieter Vanonckelen, Carmen Trias Horta, Frances Nichol, Arjen van Schaijk, Areeya Tivasuradej, Mark Treacher, Bonnie Mowery, Zeng Yali, 徐煊 Xuxuan, Li Duan

Xiaoyang (Chengrui’s mother)

Tian Jun, Wang Xiao Shi, Lianru, and all the CURA staff.

Dr. Roy Korn, Frederique Darragon, Nicholas Christiansen, 蓓蕾 Beilei, Chris Ganeff and so many more, forgive me if I haven’t listed you all here.
Community grows when people honour a commitment to laugh, shout, cry, argue, sing, and scream with, and at, one another without destroying one another or the earth in the process. We can’t ever honestly celebrate diversity if we pretend to bring in the harvest before we have tilled the ground together.
– “The Ethics of Inclusion: Three Common Delusions” by John O’Brien, Marsha Forest, Jack Pearpoint, Shafik Asante & Judith Snow

Mark

The cost for the whole operation, and also 5 days post-op recovery is ¥5,000 (or about £500 British Pound, or $785 Canadian dollars), which was mostly covered due to the generosity of the international community.

Last Saturday, Zeng Yali and Mark brought Chengrui and her mother Xiaoyang to the Eye Hospital to be admitted and for preliminary testing.

Takefman reminds: We arrived at 8:30am and there were few people there and no lines to see the doctors. After various eye tests were done they were given a bed in a three bed room. It was all neat and clean. All seemed to be going well and the mood was up. Shortly afterwards the happiness ended. It was time to take a blood sample from Chengrui. Let me cut to the chase, it took four nurses and her mother to hold her down, and even then she almost escaped. She was hysterical and it was as if she was fighting for her life. She did calm down as soon as the nurses left. A few hours later she had to have a needle to test for allergic reactions. She reacted as before but fortunately it was a quick jab and the nurse left. Only a three nurse job.

On Sunday, Takefman arrived early to see that she had an intravenous line in her hand. He tells: “I didn’t ask.
I was there just in time as Chengrui was being taken down to the pre-operation room. They weighed her in, did a blood pressure test, temperature and dressed her for surgery. So off she went in behind the closed doors and off we went to the waiting area. Peng Xiaohua arrived and we all began the wait.
About an hour later we were called. Chengrui was in a small wheelchair that was laid flat like a bed. They moved her to another larger bed and wheeled her back up to the fourth floor to a separate recovery room. Ok let’s move back in time. She arrives from the operation room all bandaged up, both eyes. If I thought she was hysterical and fighting yesterday, today was worse. She wanted the bandages off. She was actively trying to get up, trying to bite and gyrating her body. She was yelling, crying. The nurse told us this was a normal reaction! Well I suppose we could see it that way. She didn’t really have any idea what was about to happen to her. We did try to explain, but you know.”

As he goes on: “She falls asleep then wakes up blind and in pain. What would you do?
She went on in her hysterics for about an hour when one of the nurses suggested a sedative. I think we all needed one at that point! We also left the recovery room, except for Xiaoyang, as they thought our presence was aiding to her behaviour. When we went back later, she was quiet and resting with Xiaoyang sitting beside her. Xiaohua and I went for lunch and Xiaohua brought some food for Xiaoyang, and then we left the hospital.

I went back a few hours later to find mother and daughter both sleeping back in their hospital bed and so I left them and now the healing begins. 5 days more in the hospital and then it takes about a month and somewhere along the way the absorbable sutures (dissolving stitches) will disappear.
Xiaohua and I would like to thank all those who have helped pay for this operation demonstrating a loving concern for this young child that they don’t even know. I am in awe at the compassion of the community. Thank you.”

Sincerely thankful,
Mark

Moving overseas is an important decision that, along with excitement, brings numerous concerns. Both new and experienced expatriates view the purchase of medical insurance to be an additional cause of anxiety and stress.

In your home country, the majority of people are provided with medical insurance by an employer. Even if your employer does not provide medical insurance there are many sources of good information to help and assist you. However, that changes once you move overseas. Not all companies have the experience to assist their employees with medical insurance overseas, and expatriates often have to take care of medical insurance on their own.

China’s insurance market is still at a relative immaturity stage as compared to developed countries and dominated by domestic insurance companies. Foreign insurers are still very new to the Chinese market and have yet to make significant inroads into the domestic insurance industry.

These are your options when you go to China:

• No insurance

• Insure at an international company located in China (AXA Minmetals Interglobal, MSH…)

• Insure via your home insurance

• Insure at a Chinese company (IMG Ping’An, Goodhealth Chinalife, Taiping…)

Most insurance companies provide these types of plans:

• Individual plans

• Family plans

• Group plans

• Travel plans

• Teacher plans

Every international health insurance policy can be fully customized to meet individual needs and requirements. Health insurance policies allow individuals to customize their level of cover. Understanding the definitions and key terms of a policy means that you know what to expect from your plan.

The main coverage options to consider before purchasing a plan:

• Chronic Conditions

• Dental

• Emergency Assistance and Evacuation

• In-Patient: Treatment at any medical facility or hospital where an overnight stay is deemed medically necessary. Coverage typically include: organ transplants, x-rays, pathology, ambulance transportation, MRI-scans, PET-scans, CT-scans etc.

• Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Out-Patient: The prodedure does not require hospital admission and may also be performed outside the premises of a hospital

• Maternity

• Overall Maximum Benefit

• Pre-Existing Conditions: These can potentially affect the insurer’s decision to provide cover. For group insurances, according to the number of employees and the gravity of the conditions, the insurer will still consider to cover it.

• Deductibles: The amount of expenses that must be paid out of pocket before an insurer will cover any expenses. It is normally quoted as a fixed quantity and is a part of most policies covering losses to the policy holder. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium, and vice versa.

• Geographic Coverage: Mainland China only, worldwide including USA and Canada or excluding USA and Canada but with coverage in case of emergency in these area.

• Waiting periods

• Payment options: The major players on the insurance market have a wide network of medical facilities where you don’t need to pay in advance. It is recommended to use these hospitals within the insurers’ network.

Many people take out a health insurance policy with the intention of having coverage over the course of their lifetime. It is therefore advisable that you understand the ins and outs of any policy before purchasing it. Plans will vary due to individual requirements, when purchasing a policy it is good to think about what you would like your plan to provide.

Differences between individual and group insurance

Individual insurance is a policy that you purchase from an insurance company on your own and not through an employer to cover your health. You can choose coverage either for your own or including your family. Even if you have pre-existing conditions, some insurance companies still provide coverage for you. Since this policy is covering you alone or just including your family members, the premium is usually higher and more expensive compared with the group plan.

Group healthcare is generally purchased by the employer to cover their employees. Basically, the premium is relatively lower than an individual policy because it is based on a group of people who have the similar job base. An important note, there is no assurance that the employees are coverd by the policy once they are retrenched by the employers or they have resigned from the company. When someone is switching from group health insurance to an individual one, the most obvious difference is the increment of the premium.

So, now a comparative study on individual and group health insurance. We are only showing you the major players on the Chinese insurance industry who were nice and fast enough to send us their information.

Medical Overview

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Overview Group Insurance

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Temperature

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Rain

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S’installer à l’international est une décision importante : Dans l’excitation du moment il faut faire face à de nombreuses préoccupations. Pour les expatriés, qu’ils soient récents ou expérimentés, le choix d’une assurance médicale est un  souci important.

Dans nos pays, la majorité des personnes ont une assurance médicale fournie par leurs employeurs, et dans le cas contraire, vous trouvez facilement les d’informations nécessaires pour vous aider et vous assister dans vos démarches. Cependant, cela n’est pas le cas à l’étranger. Toutes les compagnies n’ont pas l’expérience de l’expatriation et ont des difficultés pour assister leurs employés avec des assurances médicales internationales. Les expatriés doivent souvent s’occuper eux-mêmes de leur assurance médicale.

Le marché des assurances chinoises est relativement immature comparé aux pays plus développés et est dominé principalement par des compagnies d’assurances locales. Les assureurs étrangers sont nouveaux sur ce marché et doivent encore faire une percée significative en Chine.

Voici les options que vous avez quand vous allez en Chine :

• Pas d’assurance.
• Assurance auprès d’une compagnie internationale basée en Chine (AXA, Minmetals Interglobal, MSH…)
• Couverture sociale du pays d’origine

Pour la france: la sécurité sociale en France a une couverture spécifique pour les expatriés : c’est « la couverture des français à l’étranger ». Vous pouvez y accéder à partir du moment où vous avez ouvert des droits à la sécurité sociale. Il suffit de faire une démarche auprès de sa caisse primaire

• Assurance auprès d’une compagnie Chinoise (IMG Ping’An, Goodhealth Chinalife, Taiping…)

La plupart des compagnies d’assurances fournissent ces types de contrats :

• Contrats individuels
• Contrats familiaux
• Contrats pour groupe
• Contrats de  voyage
• Enseignement planifié (professeur)

Toutes les polices internationales d’assurance santé peuvent être totalement adaptées pour correspondre aux exigences et besoins individuels.  Les polices d’assurance santé permettent aux individus de personnaliser leurs niveaux de couverture. Il est important de comprendre les définitions et les termes clés du contrat pour que vous sachiez exactement ce que vous pouvez attendre de votre assurance.

Les principales couvertures à prendre en compte avant de choisir un contrat d’assurance.

• Affections chroniques
• Soins dentaires
• Urgences et évacuation
• Hospitalisation : Traitement dans n’importe quel centre médical ou hôpital où l’on considère qu’il est  nécessaire de passer une nuit. Cela couvre habituellement : transplantation d’organe, rayons-X, pathologie, transport en ambulance, IRM-Scan, PET-Scan, CT-scan, etc
• Médecine traditionnelle Chinois
• Consultation : Cette procédure ne nécessite pas d’hospitalisation dans des locaux médicalisés. Cette médecine peut être  pratiquée en dehors d’un hôpital.
• Maternité
• Couverture générale maximale
• Antécédents : Ceux-ci peuvent potentiellement affecter la décision de l’assureur à fournir une couverture. Dans le cadre des assurances groupes, selon le nombre d’employés et la gravité des antécédents,  les assureurs peuvent décider de vous assurer tout de même.
• Fonctionnement et conséquences : Les frais doivent être avancés par l’assuré puis sera remboursé par l’assureur. Normalement le taux de remboursement est fixé, et la plupart des assurances laissent un quote-part à la charge de l’assuré. Plus vous avez une police importante, plus vous êtes remboursé.
• Couverture Géographique : Seulement la Chine continentale, et le monde entier incluant les USA et le Canada ou excluant les USA et le Canada mais avec couverture en cas d’urgence dans ce secteur.
• Période de carrence
• Options de payement: Les compagnies d’assurances les plus importantes possèdent  un large réseau de cliniques où vous n’avez pas besoin de faire l’avance de frais. Il est recommandé d’utiliser ces hôpitaux qui ont un accord avec les assureurs.

Beaucoup de personnes souscrivent à une police d’assurance avec l’intention d’avoir une couverture sur l’ensemble de leur vie. Il est donc recommandé que vous compreniez les avantages et les inconvénients des polices d’assurances avant de vous engager. Les propositions peuvent varier en fonction  de vos besoins personnels. Quand vous souscrivez un police d’assurance il est bon de réfléchir à ce que vous voulez qu’elle vous fournissent.

La différence entre assurance individuelle et assurance de groupe :

L’assurance individuelle est un assurance que vous prenez vous même auprès d’une compagnie d’assurance et non par l’intermédiaire d’un employeur  pour couvrir vos soins. Vous pouvez choisir de vous couvrir vous uniquement ou également votre famille. Même si vous avez des antécédents pathologiques, certaines compagnies d’assurances pourront accepter de vous couvrir. Puisque la police prend en charge uniquement vous et votre famille, elle est donc plus chère que l’assurance proposée par les entreprises

Les assurances de groupe sont généralement souscrites par des employeurs pour couvrir leurs employés. En général, la prime est relativement plus basse que pour les assurances individuelles parce qu’elle est calculée sur un groupe de personnes qui ont sensiblement la même activité. Quand quelqu’un de l’entreprise décide de prendre une assurance individuelle, la différence la plus flagrante est l’augmentation de la prime.

Maintenant que nous vous avons montré la différence entre une assurance individuelle et l’assurance fournie par les entreprises, nous allons vous montrer les principaux acteurs du marché Chinois qui ont été suffisamment sympathiques et rapides pour nous envoyer leurs informations.

Tableaux médicaux

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Tableau d’assurance de groupe

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In case you have to get a new visa and you need to get the mandatory health check just go to the Sichuan International Travel and Health Center.

Address:
Sichuan Guoji Lvxing Weisheng Baojiang Zhongxin
Address: No.1 North Tongzilin Rd.
Near one entrance of the China garden, also close to the 2nd ring Rd.
(四川国际旅行卫生保健中心,中国四川省成都市武侯区,桐梓林北路1)

Working days: Monday -Friday
Contact: 028-85150790
Opening time: 8:00-11:00 (!)
Price: 344 RMB

What to bring?
Your Passport + 3 two inch photos + good health

Processing time: 3 working days (!)
(If you are running late and want to get the result (certificate) quicker, you need to go early in the morning, like 8 am. Also inform the doctor or any employee that you need the result quick. After the examination you have to deliver the body check form to the doctor as soon as possible.)

Attention: you have to do the test sober, so no breakfast please!