These healthcare costs are not something those familiar with private healthcare may be familiar with, a prescription for $4 costs a Chinese citizen up to $2. Setting and casting a leg for $60 may cost a Chinese citizen $30. My Chinese friends tell me their medical costs because they know it fascinates me.
it seems like Chinese people that aren’t rich can still be financially ruined by medical situations
Fortunately not for Chinese citizens, most poor and middle class Chinese can afford medical care. 95% of China is covered for nearly all medical conditions, and those costs are very reasonable, even taking into account the drastically lower salaries and cost of living there. Several government policies like medical tourism taxes and family pay plans are in place specifically to ensure costs are affordable for as much of the gen pop as possible.
Often in China, a patient pays 0%(teeth extraction as mentioned above, for example), but if we imagined the 50% copay was a hard rule, the important component is cost basis, 30% of what vs. 50% of what.
30% of $200 vs. 50% of $40 for an identical pair of glasses means someone in japan paying 30% is paying $66 white someone in China paying 50% is paying $20, less than a third of the price for the same treatment.
The uninsured cost basis is extremely low in China.
Similarly many procedures for vulnerable people or those with lower incomes are completely covered in Japan.
I get what you’re saying regarding the proportion compared to the total cost. But Japan’s minimum wage is over three times that of Shanghai’s and a higher payment proportion disproportionally impacts Chinese people with lower incomes.
As the Chinese healthcare cost basis is so low and government programs specifically focus on providing and
facilitating care for low-income individuals, lower-income Chinese populations don’t have the healthcare inaccessibility issue that you often see in other countries.
Given the prices, policies, and disparate income populations receiving healthcare i’m familiar with there and hete, it’s going to be difficult convincing me healthcare is more expensive or less accessible in China than Japan since the information online and especially on the ground doesn’t agree.
Yes, other than the $0 teeth extraction and medications mentioned above, Chinese patients often have other $0 medical expenses like doctor visits and consults.
I used to wonder why my Chinese friends went to the hospital so often, it seemed their trip was “for fun” sometimes. Then I found out that their copay is usually free or under a dollar, and my perspective changed.
These healthcare costs are not something those familiar with private healthcare may be familiar with, a prescription for $4 costs a Chinese citizen up to $2. Setting and casting a leg for $60 may cost a Chinese citizen $30. My Chinese friends tell me their medical costs because they know it fascinates me.
Fortunately not for Chinese citizens, most poor and middle class Chinese can afford medical care. 95% of China is covered for nearly all medical conditions, and those costs are very reasonable, even taking into account the drastically lower salaries and cost of living there. Several government policies like medical tourism taxes and family pay plans are in place specifically to ensure costs are affordable for as much of the gen pop as possible.
Damn. China has more expensive healthcare than Japan. I didn’t expect that.
That sounds incorrect. Where did you hear that?
Having experienced both, healthcare in China has always been wayyy cheaper than Japan.
I live in Japan. You pay 30% of the cost here compared to 50%.
Often in China, a patient pays 0%(teeth extraction as mentioned above, for example), but if we imagined the 50% copay was a hard rule, the important component is cost basis, 30% of what vs. 50% of what.
30% of $200 vs. 50% of $40 for an identical pair of glasses means someone in japan paying 30% is paying $66 white someone in China paying 50% is paying $20, less than a third of the price for the same treatment.
The uninsured cost basis is extremely low in China.
Similarly many procedures for vulnerable people or those with lower incomes are completely covered in Japan.
I get what you’re saying regarding the proportion compared to the total cost. But Japan’s minimum wage is over three times that of Shanghai’s and a higher payment proportion disproportionally impacts Chinese people with lower incomes.
As the Chinese healthcare cost basis is so low and government programs specifically focus on providing and facilitating care for low-income individuals, lower-income Chinese populations don’t have the healthcare inaccessibility issue that you often see in other countries.
Given the prices, policies, and disparate income populations receiving healthcare i’m familiar with there and hete, it’s going to be difficult convincing me healthcare is more expensive or less accessible in China than Japan since the information online and especially on the ground doesn’t agree.
But … that’s still going to really suck if you only have $10…
$10 is great if they need wisdom teeth pulled. Costs about 80 cents each, so they’d still have almost $7 left after pulling all four.
“Sorry, we can’t fix your broken leg, since you can’t afford it. Want some teeth pulled out, though? You could afford that!”
“Ten dollars gets you a set leg, four wisdom teeth and we’ll throw in the pain pills”.
Nationalized health care is where it’s at.
Is $0 not an option?
It’s not like you really need to incentivize people not to seek out unneeded healthcare. People (generally) don’t go to the doctor just for fun.
Yes, other than the $0 teeth extraction and medications mentioned above, Chinese patients often have other $0 medical expenses like doctor visits and consults.
I used to wonder why my Chinese friends went to the hospital so often, it seemed their trip was “for fun” sometimes. Then I found out that their copay is usually free or under a dollar, and my perspective changed.