China Medical Cost Guides

Every price below carries its source and verification date — most come straight from government fee schedules. No estimates dressed up as facts.

• Can Foreigners Use Chinese Public Hospitals? Yes — How-To

  Foreigners can use Chinese public hospitals with just a passport, at local prices. How registration, payment, deposits, and English reports actually work.

• Cataract Surgery Cost Without Insurance (2026): $3,500–7,000 Per Eye

  US cash price for cataract surgery is $3,500–7,000 per eye, more with premium lenses. What drives the bill, how to cut it — and why the same surgery is $700–1,100 in China's public hospitals.

• Cataract Surgery in China: Cost per Eye in 2026

  Cataract surgery in China costs RMB 5,000–8,000 (~$700–1,100) per eye with a monofocal lens at public hospitals, vs $3,500–7,000 US cash. Sources inside.

• China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: A Full Medical Checkup With No Visa (2026)

  Citizens of 55 countries can enter China visa-free for 240 hours via 65 ports. Ten days is enough for a full health checkup — MRI, CT, endoscopy, results in hand. The rules, the timeline, the prices.

• China Medical Price Index 2026: Government-Sourced Costs vs US/UK

  Every verified price we hold for Chinese healthcare in one table: government tariffs, official hospital packages, and procurement prices — each with source and verification date, benchmarked against US and UK costs. Free to cite.

• Chinese Hospital Deposits for Foreigners (2026): How Prepayment, Billing, and Fapiao Work

  Chinese hospitals collect a deposit — typically 30–50% of the estimated bill — before admission, deduct charges nightly, and refund the balance at discharge. How it works, what cards fail, and the invoice your insurer needs.

• Colonoscopy Cost Without Insurance (2026): $1,250–4,000 — Venue Is Everything

  A US colonoscopy without insurance runs $1,250–4,000+. FAIR Health medians: $2,200–3,500 at hospitals vs $1,200–2,200 at surgery centers. How to pay less — and the sourced $280–500 option abroad.

• Dental Implants in China: Cost per Tooth in 2026

  A dental implant in China costs RMB 5,500–6,500 ($775–915) all-in at public hospitals under national price caps — vs $4,200+ in the US. Sources inside.

• How to Get an English Medical Report from a Chinese Hospital (2026)

  Public Chinese hospitals issue reports in Chinese only. Three real paths to an English version: the international department, professional translation, or a structured translation pack — costs and trade-offs for each.

• Full Body Health Checkup in China: 2026 Prices & Booking

  What a full body checkup costs in China in 2026: $45 basic to $300 deep-screening with CT and MRI. Real prices from 5 cities, plus how to book one.

• Gallbladder & Hernia Surgery in China: Fixed 2026 Prices

  Laparoscopic gallbladder removal costs a fixed RMB 14,100 (~$1,990) at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital — official package price. Hernia repair from ~$1,500. Sources.

• Health Checkup in Shanghai for Foreigners: 2026 Guide

  Health checkup prices in Shanghai for foreigners: $84 focused screening to $141 deep packages with lung CT. Where to go, how to book with a passport.

• Hip Replacement Waiting Time UK (2026): 27.4 Weeks — Your Three Ways Out

  NHS hip replacement median wait: 27.4 weeks, with only ~62% of patients starting treatment within 18 weeks. Private UK costs £11,000–20,000. The third option: China, where the average stay is 3.7 days.

• Knee & Hip Replacement in China: 2026 Costs vs US & NHS

  A knee replacement in China averages RMB 26,365 (~$3,700) all-in at public hospitals — vs $30,000–50,000 in the US and 27-week NHS waits. Data & sources.

• MRI Cost in China (2026): $60–75 at Public Hospitals

  An MRI in China costs RMB 430–505 ($60–75) per region at public hospitals — government-capped prices, 3.0T included. Full city-by-city table with sources.

• MRI Cost Without Insurance (2026): $400–3,500 — and How to Pay Less

  A US MRI without insurance runs $400–1,200 at imaging centers and $1,500–3,500 at hospitals. Here's the venue-by-venue breakdown, how to cut the bill, and the sourced $66 outlier.

• NHS Waiting List Alternatives (2026): Private, Turkey, Lithuania, China — Honest Numbers

  7.2 million NHS pathways, median wait ~12 weeks. Your real alternatives compared with sourced prices: UK private, Turkey, Lithuania, and China — including where each option actually wins.

• Private MRI Cost UK (2026): £249–730 — and the £52 Comparison Nobody Makes

  A private MRI in the UK costs £249–730 per region; Nuffield starts at £375. Full price breakdown, how to pay less, and the government-published £52 price for the same scan in Beijing.