Healthcare costs in China: who pays what across insurance, government support and patients

The Beijing Municipal People's Government English medical guide for foreigners says that when international patients seek medical treatment, the charge standard is the same as that of Chinese residents. It says patients can choose to pay out of pocket or buy commercial medical insurance to cover their medical expenses.

Who funds basic medical insurance

A Xinhua report on the gov.cn English site, updated August 26, 2025, says basic medical insurance for rural residents and non-working urban residents is funded through a combination of individual contributions and government subsidies, while that for urban employees is jointly financed by individuals and their employers.

Average costs in the national report

A Xinhua report on the National Health Commission English site, updated 2026-09-02, says healthcare costs fell in real terms in 2025, according to a report released by the National Health Commission.

That report says the average cost of a hospital stay declined by 1 percent to 9,768.9 yuan, while the average cost of an outpatient visit dropped by 0.9 percent to 357.7 yuan.

That report says healthcare spending stood at 6.7 percent of GDP last year.

Fund payment ratios in the statistical bulletin

The National Healthcare Security Administration's 2025 statistical bulletin says that in 2025, the fund payment ratio for inpatient expenses within the catalogue under employee basic medical insurance was 84.1%.

The bulletin says that for employee basic medical insurance, the ratio was 83.1%, 87.0% and 89.7% at tertiary, secondary and primary-and-below institutions respectively.

The bulletin says that in 2025, the fund payment ratio for inpatient expenses within the catalogue under resident basic medical insurance was 66.0%.

The bulletin says that for resident basic medical insurance, the ratio was 61.7%, 71.8% and 79.4% at the same three levels respectively.

Resident insurance contributions in Beijing

A page on the Beijing Municipal People's Government English portal, dated 2025-04-27, says contributions for medical insurance for residents in 2025 are CNY 430 per person per year for urban and rural elderly, CNY 405 per person per year for students and children, and CNY 750 per person per year for residents of working age.

The page says out-of-pocket expenses within the coverage of basic medical insurance that exceed a specified threshold may qualify for reimbursement under the serious illness insurance program.

The page says no individual accounts are established under the basic medical insurance for urban-rural residents.

Medical assistance and settlement

The bulletin says total national medical assistance in 2025 was 794.24亿 yuan, and the medical assistance fund helped 7666.47万 people take part in basic medical insurance. Here 亿 means one hundred million and 万 means ten thousand.

The bulletin says the direct settlement rate for inpatient expenses across provinces has now reached 90%.

Materials for reimbursement

A handbook for international students on the Shanghai government English site says common materials for reimbursement include medical records, fee lists, and official invoices.

Questions people ask

Who finances basic medical insurance for urban employees?

A Xinhua report on the gov.cn English site, updated August 26, 2025, says basic medical insurance for urban employees is jointly financed by individuals and their employers.

What share of GDP does the national report give for healthcare spending?

A Xinhua report on the National Health Commission English site, updated 2026-09-02, says healthcare spending stood at 6.7 percent of GDP last year.

What fund payment ratio does the bulletin give for inpatient expenses under employee insurance?

The bulletin says that in 2025, the fund payment ratio for inpatient expenses within the catalogue under employee basic medical insurance was 84.1%.

Sources

Each source above was read on the date shown. This page is an unofficial summary of general information. It is not published by the bodies named above and is not medical advice. If it differs from their own pages, their own pages prevail, and details may change after the check date.

Details come from the hospital’s own English or bilingual page as read on the dates shown in each source note; this is an unofficial summary, not medical advice, and may have changed since. Medical and legal notice.