Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If the cost of insurance does end up out of your reach, there are some options that might
soften a medical blow. Keep an eye out for specials and memberships. Many internation-
al facilities have memberships that, for an annual fee, will give you significant reductions.
Oasis International Hospital and MedicGo International Medical Center also offer promo-
tions, such as a package deal for a checkup, test, and medication.
If you're going to be working in Beijing on a work permit, then you, together with your
employer, will be required to make contributions to the social insurance system. In return,
you'll receive a card that you can use to claim benefits relating to retirement, unemploy-
ment, medical treatment, workplace injury, and maternity. Theoretically, if you're paying
into the fund, you're entitled to receive the same benefits as a local Chinese citizen. This
means that when you go to a local hospital for treatment or buy medication, you can show
your social insurance card to get a reduction or refund on the costs. Unfortunately, as this
applies only to public government hospitals, not private or international hospitals, very few
expats make use of the payments.
Not every city has the same rules or contribution quantities, and Beijing differs from
Shanghai and Guangzhou. As things stand right now, foreign workers in Beijing are re-
quired to make payments that will cover all five aspects of the plan—despite both unem-
ployment and retirement ending your eligibility to be in the country. You will be required to
pay around 11 percent from your gross salary, and your employer around 37 percent, with a
salary cap of RMB12,603.
Before you begin working in Beijing, you should find out if your country is exempt from
contributions. China has bilateral agreements with some countries, including Germany and
South Korea, and employees from these countries won't need to pay. You must provide a
certificate of coverage to be exempt. Currently U.S., Canadian, British, and Australian cit-
izens are exempt.
If you have international health insurance, it's highly unlikely you'll ever make use of
this money that you're paying out. Fortunately, however, you can get your own unused con-
tributions back (not your employer's) when you leave the country. The rules governing the
social insurance policy for foreigners, however, are new and not particularly transparent.
Trying to get clear information about this entire system and process is extremely difficult.
Speak
to
your
HR
department,
contact
Dezan
Shira
&
Associates
(
www.asiabriefingmedia.com
)
, or contact your embassy.
