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Beijing Health and Insurance News |
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Beijing Health Insurance |
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The vast economic expansion in China and the resultant increase in the general standard of living has lead to increased demands in the quality of private healthcare in the major cities and especially in Beijing. The population of Beijing has increased over the decades, which has resulted in an overhaul of the healthcare system in the city.
As Beijing has advanced, the private and public healthcare system has had to adjust to meet the growing demands for the 17 million people residing in the city, together with the migrants who visit the capital for medical treatment. Along with a sizable expatriate community - which continues to grow due to China�s strengthening presence in the global market - the medical facilities have needed to grow and develop to match demand. Not only has the Chinese Government needed to improve the public healthcare network, it has also needed to encourage the growth of the private healthcare sector in order relieve pressure on public healthcare systems. The Chinese government has announced it will be investing US$ 130 billion in the healthcare system as part of the Healthy China 2020 reform package; however, it is believed the improvements in medical facilities and treatment will take several years to be implemented.
As private and public healthcare has improved over the years in Beijing, the cost of providing such high quality medical treatment has increased. Only Chinese nationals � who are registered citizens � will receive public healthcare. As a foreign national � expatriate or visitor � you are responsible for all payments associated with medical treatment. Healthcare in Beijing ranges from small local clinics to high quality medical facilities with English speaking doctors and the costs vary accordingly. Seeking medical treatment from facilities that are up to international standards or are catering to the expatriate community can end up being prohibitively expensive, if costs are paid out of pocket. It is necessary to safeguard yourself from the financial consequences in the event of needing medical treatment while in Beijing, it is therefore recommended that you take out international travel insurance if you are visiting, or a Beijing international health insurance plan if you are preparing to work in Beijing.
The demand for private healthcare in Beijing is enhanced by the public healthcare facilities being stretched with long waiting periods. As the population increases alongside the growing wealth in Beijing, Chinese citizens with the financial wherewithal may start to patronize private clinics or internationally run medical facilities over public facilities for faster service and better quality care. This could push up the cost of treatment, further underlying the need for expatriate medical insurance in Beijing.
Healthcare providers in Beijing have seized on the opportunity to cater for expats and the Chinese middle and upper class in the city. Western-style medical facilities and universal medical professionals ensure there are quality facilities available in Beijing. The majority of international healthcare facilities in Beijing have up-to-date medical technology and physicians who have been trained to international standards. The prominent healthcare facilities in Beijing are; Beijing United Family Hospital, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Peking Union Medical Center, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital and International Medical Center. These quality international healthcare facilities provide excellent care but can be extremely expensive. You are advised to obtain international medical insurance in Beijing.
Healthcare providers such as Peking Union Medical College provide VIP-level facilities; highly educated doctors are attracted to these medical facilities. The demands in Beijing by the expatriate and wealthy local Chinese community have now been met with state of the art equipment and excellent foreign medical staff. Medical costs have become very expensive to meet this demand. It is strongly recommended that you have Beijing expatriate health insurance to meet the cost of any treatment you may require.
As the residents of Beijing have become wealthier, and the population has increased rapidly, the factors that contribute to ill health have increased; more cars on the roads leading to pollution and poor air quality - resulting in respiratory illness including asthma. In addition to car use, the poor air quality has been affected by the increase in property development and expansion of factories. The authorities in Beijing have been taking measures to lower emission levels but they have been inadequate in offsetting the environmental side effects of significant economic expansion.
The driving standards in China are very poor, resulting in over 100,000 fatalities on the roads each year. As Beijing is a highly populated city, it experiences incidents involving road traffic accidents regularly. Hospitals in Beijing have to meet the needs of trauma victim, with a high demand for vital medical treatment.
Urbanization in Beijing has lead to highly dense living conditions. This means the potential outbreaks of diseases or infections may spread rapidly within the city. In recent years Avian Influenza (H5N1) and Swine Influenza (H1N1) have presented a specific threat linked to global outbreaks and the possibility of future outbreaks remains a ongoing threat.
The consumption of street food is very popular throughout China; even in Beijing � although developed into a sophisticated international business hub - the traditional street food is still popular. Unfortunately the hygiene in some street vendors is below standards, which results in people eating from those establishments becoming ill � mainly from diarrhea and nausea � and need to seek medical treatment. It is important, when in Beijing, to be selective with food establishments as street vendors, and some restaurants, are not always operating in a clean and hygienic working environment.
Beijing provides healthcare facilities that are owned and run by expatriates - who aim to provide care for expatriates, foreign nationals and Chinese citizens to EU / USA standards. A notable hospital group that has been established in Beijing, and other cities in China, is the United Family Hospital and Clinic; a facility has been present in Beijing since 1997. There is vast choice of healthcare facilities available in Beijing, many have foreign medical professionals working in the units, which means it is easy to communicate and ensure you understand the healthcare process and treatment you require.
Because China is becoming a crucial business centre in the global economy and a desirable tourist destination, there are a variety of insurance companies offering comprehensive travel and international medical insurance policies to meet the needs of foreign nationals. If you are planning to relocate to Beijing, or visit for a holiday, it is imperative you have the correct policy in place, prior to visiting Beijing. Even though there are no diseases that are endemic to the region, there is always the possibility you will become ill or injured while in Beijing, resulting in medical care being required; for which you are responsible for all payments. If you are a expatriate in Beijing, you need to be aware that the public healthcare facilities are only free for registered Chinese citizens; you are required to pay for all treatment received in any healthcare facility.
If you are an expatriate relocating to Beijing, it is important to cover yourself with medical insurance, due to the potential cost of medical treatment in China. You need to bear in mind that medical facilities from small clinics to private hospitals in Beijing offer patients a range of healthcare needs and medical treatments, which comes at a range of costs. While the quality of medical care at international and well-renowned Chinese run healthcare facilities is first class, it is expensive. If you are unfortunate enough to need critical life saving surgery though, the cost of such treatment, in a top private hospital in Beijing, may amount to thousands of dollars.
When taking out your comprehensive travel and international medical insurance it is important you included medical evacuation. Even though the standards of medical care in many Beijing hospitals is excellent, there is always the potential you will need specialist treatment in another country or might require special transportation to your home nation. By protecting yourself and your family with international medical insurance in Beijing, it will assure you are not saddled with the potential financial burden of unforeseen medical treatment while in China - either as an expatriate or holiday maker.
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Beijing's Insurance Industry Booms in First Half of 2003 |
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The combined premiums of Beijing-based insurance companies surged 37 percent to hit 15.01 billion yuan (1.81 billion US dollars) in the first half of this year.
According to the Beijing Association of Insurance Industry, Beijing's premiums for the first six months accounted for 7 percent of the national total and the increase rate was 5 percent higher than the national average for the same period.
The increase rate in premiums was 27.4 percent higher than the growth rate of Beijing's gross domestic product in the same period,according to the association.
Despite the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), Beijing not only saw a surge in premiums, but also an increase in the number of insurance companies.
By the end of June, Beijing had approved five insurance companies and 11 intermediary insurance organizations since the beginning of this year.
So far, Beijing has approved 22 insurance agent companies, nine insurance brokerage companies and four public insurance assessmentcompanies including agencies specializing on Beijing international health Insurace.
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Beijing Health Reform to Cover Self-employed |
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Beijing will initiate a new medical insurance reform with the aim of benefiting its 400,000 self-employed laborers and freelancers, officials said.
Under the newly-drafted regulation, which will be implemented on March 1, all self-employed individuals registered in an urban household in the capital will be provided with medical insurance on the condition that they have paid a basic insurance premium monthly, said Wang Dexiu, deputy director of the Beijing Labor and Social Security Bureau.
Different from previous regulations, the new policy mainly covers self-employed laborers as well as freelance workers who have placed their personal files in talent or job-hunting centers, Wang added.
The self-employed participants will pay 7 percent of their previous year's income as the basic insurance premium, and their clinic expenses will be reimbursed in the same proportion as ordinary Beijing workers, according to the regulation.
After paying the basic premium for 25 and 20 years respectively for men and women, similar to common workers, they will receive medical services and be reimbursed for clinic expenses without having to pay a premium, it said.
"The regulation will move away the obstacle that annoyed me the most," said Cheng Feng, who became a freelance writer last year. "I think it will speed up the free flotation of talent."
Medical insurance reform is a hot topic in China. According to a recent survey conducted by Beijing's insurance watchdog, health and medical insurance topped the list of most serious matters for 64.5 percent] of 5,000 surveyed residents, said a Beijing Evening News report.
Medical insurance reform for self-employed laborers and freelancers is only part of the capital city's ambitious scheme which aims to cover 5.96 million urban residents after it is completed by the end of 2002, according to the official.
By the middle of November, 2.09 million enterprise employees in Beijing will have received basic medical insurance, Wang said.
The bureau will give each insurer a medical insurance manual, and commercial banks will open personal accounts for the participants, from which clinic expenses will be paid. It is expected that the personal accounts will cover the medical expenses of most participants.
Established in the 1950s, China's decades-old medical insurance system for urban workers had many limitations due in part to the planned economy and was extremely wasteful. The State and enterprises bore almost all of the medical expenses of workers.
In a bid to solve the problems, the country began to explore the establishment of a new and more efficient medical insurance system in the mid-1980s.
Globalsurance has extensive knowledge of international medical insurance for expats living all over the world including Beijing, China. We are here to help you choose the most suitable Beijing International Health Insurance plan that is best suited to your needs.
Globalsurance is an independent medical and international health insurance advisor. We offer free quotations and advice to clients throughout the World. If you are planning to travel or live abroad, we can offer you advice to match your international health insurance needs. |
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