How MedLantern Makes Money
Most China medical facilitators tell you they're "free." They aren't — you just can't see who's paying them. We charge flat, published fees and take zero commission from hospitals. Here's exactly how we make money, and why "free" usually costs you more.
The catch behind "free"
When a medical-travel middleman is free to you, it's because the hospital pays them — a commission baked into the price you're quoted. Across this industry that commission commonly runs 7.5–30%, and some operators take a cut of the medical fee itself. You never see it, and it points their incentive the wrong way: the more your treatment costs, the more they earn. "Free" isn't a gift; it's a business model that hides its price in yours.
How we actually earn
We're paid by you, in flat fees you see before you decide — and by nothing else:
| What you pay us | Fee |
|---|---|
| A real quote — prices from 2–3 named hospitals in 48h | $9.90 (refunded if unquotable, credited toward any service) |
| Bilingual hospital companion | $109 half-day · $189 full day |
| Medical Arrangement / Full Journey | Flat, published per tier |
| Remote Aftercare | $29/month |
That's the entire list. Your hospital bill is paid by you, directly, at the hospital's own government-scheduled price — we add no markup, and we never touch the transaction. Our fee does not scale with your treatment, so we have no reason to steer you toward a pricier hospital or a fancier tier than you need.
Why we charge $9.90 for a quote
It would be easy to make the quote "free" and look friendlier. We don't, on purpose. A real quote means contacting hospitals and doing genuine work — and charging a small, refundable fee is what keeps us paid by you rather than by a hospital kickback. It's the cheapest possible proof that the quote serves your interest, not a commission. It's refunded if we can't quote your procedure, and credited in full toward anything you book. See the real numbers it's based on in the China Medical Price Index.
Who we are
MedLantern is an independent team with a background in the medical and pharmaceutical industry — people who know how hospital pricing, procurement and referral actually work in China, and who built this because the existing options were either opaque middlemen or thin marketing sites. We hold no hospital ownership and take no referral kickbacks. Our judgement about where to send you is not for sale.
Our four-part transparency pledge
- Flat fees, published. Every fee is on our pricing page — no "contact us for pricing."
- Zero hospital commission. You pay the hospital directly; we add nothing on top.
- Every price sourced. Each figure carries its government or hospital source and a verification date.
- Mistakes made public. When we get a price wrong, it goes in our public corrections log — never silently edited.
If a facilitator can't show you all four, ask why. It's the fastest way to tell whose interest they're actually serving.
Commission ranges reflect publicly reported industry practice and our own competitor research; individual operators vary. This page describes our business model, not anyone else's specific arrangement.