Buy insurance that covers medical care and medical evacuation abroad, not just flight-delay insurance

Cost

A short-term overseas travel policy costs tens to hundreds of yuan.

What you get

You pay for medical care abroad yourself. China's medical insurance basically does not reimburse it overseas. Consular protection does not advance this money either (see §21.3, what consular protection can and cannot do, based on Article 26 of the regulations). What can really sink a family is not the outpatient fee but the hospital stay and medical evacuation after a serious injury. Moving a patient from a hospital abroad back to China takes a charter plane or a medical escort, and is the most expensive kind of self-paid item. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that urgently transporting a patient from a remote place to a good hospital can cost more than 100,000 (10万) USD if you pay yourself. When buying insurance, look first at two limits. One is the overseas medical expense limit. The other is the emergency medical evacuation and repatriation limit, which covers the most that will be paid for transferring you to another hospital or sending you home after something happens.

Notes

100,000 (10万) USD is a lower-bound statement, not a cost range. No official or industry-published cost range was found, so this book gives no specific range. Before you buy, confirm three things. First, whether the country you are going to is covered. Second, whether high-risk activities such as diving, skiing and riding a motorcycle are excluded. Third, whether the insurer settles directly with the hospital, or you pay first and claim back afterward. The same goes for visa-free countries: you still need to buy.

Evidence grade

C : The author's experience or common practice, without direct literature.

Sources

1. 国务院 (2023). 领事保护与协助条例（国令第 763 号）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202307/content_6891761.htm（第二十六条）
2. 美国疾病控制与预防中心. Travelers' Health: Travel Insurance：「Medical evacuation insurance covers emergency transportation from a remote area to a high-quality hospital, which could otherwise cost more than $100,000.」. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/insurance
3. 其余为作者经验，无直接文献

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 21, tip 4. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer