Travel Guides & Tips in this video
Because I’m Lizzy visits a local hospital in Qingdao and describes booking through WeChat, short wait times and staff who help foreign patients. A general practitioner visit costs 5 RMB and a specialist costs 10.5 RMB. Lizzy experiences a pulse diagnosis and receives a prescription for Chinese medicine. The video compares treatment costs in China and the United States, including an MRI. Public hospitals are presented as affordable for minor care, while private hospitals may be preferable for major procedures. Lizzy also discusses overnight costs, health insurance between $20 and $50 monthly, and employer coverage. She says translation apps can help and notes that clinics and hospitals are available even in smaller communities.
Next travel video:
More about the current video:()
Booking and visiting a hospital in Qingdao
Because I'm Lizzy shares her experience navigating healthcare in China by visiting a local hospital in Qingdao. She says information about Chinese hospitals can be difficult to find online, so she records the process. Appointments can be booked directly through WeChat by searching for the hospital, and local foreigner groups in city WeChat chats can also point people toward nearby facilities and provide directions. Lizzy experiences a short wait and notes that staff are willing to help foreign patients. She uses a translation app to communicate.
The consultation costs 5 RMB for a general practitioner and 10.5 RMB for a specialist. Lizzy also experiences a pulse diagnosis and receives a prescription for Chinese medicine. She approaches the practice with curiosity, after initially thinking of pulse diagnosis as a myth, and describes how the doctor's assessment feels to her. The visit combines modern hospital procedures with traditional Chinese medicine. Her account presents what happened during her own appointment, rather than claiming that every patient will have the same experience.
Comparing costs and care options
Lizzy compares treatment costs between China and the United States, including an MRI. Public hospitals are described as affordable for minor ailments, while private hospitals may be a better choice for major procedures or surgeries. She discusses overnight stays, saying public hospital costs are around 50 RMB and private hospital costs may range from 4,000 to 6,000 RMB per night. She also discusses basic health insurance costing between $20 and $50 per month and says employers may include insurance in work contracts.
The video points out that healthcare options are available even in smaller communities. Community clinics can treat minor concerns, while hospitals handle more serious issues. Lizzy says hospital staff are helpful and the process efficient, and invites viewers to share their own experiences. She also mentions that translation apps can help with communication and that foreigner groups can share information about local hospitals. Her comparison includes the consultation fees, WeChat booking, pulse diagnosis, Chinese medicine, MRI costs, overnight care and insurance. It is a personal account of one visit and her comparison with the United States, not a universal claim about all hospitals or care in China.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: How much does it cost to see a doctor in China?
- A: In Lizzy's Qingdao visit, a general practitioner consultation costs 5 RMB and a specialist consultation costs 10.5 RMB. These are the fees she reports for her own hospital visit.
- Q: How can someone book a doctor's appointment in China?
- A: Lizzy says she booked through WeChat by searching for the hospital. She also mentions that foreigner groups in city WeChat chats can help people find nearby hospitals and get directions, and that visitors can go to the hospital to book.
- Q: What differences does Lizzy describe between public and private hospitals?
- A: She describes public hospitals as affordable for minor care, with an overnight stay around 50 RMB. For major procedures or surgery, she says private hospitals may be preferable, though she reports overnight costs of about 4,000 to 6,000 RMB.
- Q: What happened during Lizzy's Chinese medicine experience?
- A: During the visit, the doctor felt her pulse and prescribed Chinese medicine. Lizzy had initially thought of pulse diagnosis as a myth and describes her own experience with curiosity.
- Q: How much does health insurance cost in China?
- A: Lizzy discusses basic health insurance at around $20 to $50 per month. She also says that employers may include health insurance as part of work contracts.
