Purchase insurance that covers overseas medical care and medical evacuation — don’t settle for just flight delay coverage.
Medical expenses incurred abroad must be paid out of pocket. Domestic medical insurance rarely covers such costs, and embassies or consulates won’t foot the bill either. What can truly devastate a family isn’t routine outpatient care but the massive expenses tied to hospitalization after a serious injury, plus the cost of repatriation via private aircraft or medical evacuation services. When buying travel insurance, focus on two key coverage limits: overseas medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation/repatriation.
A short‑term travel insurance policy for overseas trips ty…
Medical expenses incurred abroad must be paid by yourself. Domestic medical insurance basically does not provi…
A short‑term travel insurance policy for overseas trips typically costs anywhere from a few dozen to several hundred yuan.
Medical expenses incurred abroad must be paid by yourself. Domestic medical insurance basically does not provide reimbursement abroad. Consular protection also does not advance these funds (see Article 3, what consular protection can and cannot do, based on Article 26 of the Regulations). What truly drags a family into ruin is not outpatient fees, but hospitalization and medical evacuation following a serious injury. Transferring a person from an overseas hospital back to China requires a private jet or medical escort, which is one of the most expensive categories among out-of-pocket expenses. According to the US CDC, if you pay for the emergency transfer of a patient from a remote area to a good hospital yourself, it may cost more than 10 ten thousand USD. When buying insurance, prioritize looking at two types of coverage limits: first, the limit for overseas medical expenses; second, the limit for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation, which covers the maximum amount payable for hospital transfers or bringing someone back to their home country after an incident.
国务院 (2023). 领事保护与协助条例（国令第 763 号）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202307/content_6891761.htm（第二十六条）；美国疾病控制与预防中心. Travelers' Health: Travel Insurance：「Medical evacuation insurance covers emergency transportation from a remote area to a high-quality hospital, which could otherwise cost more than $100,000.」. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/insurance；其余为作者经验，无直接文献
Open source link10 ten thousand USD is a lower-bound figure, not a cost range. No official or industry-wide public statistics on cost ranges were found, so this book does not list specific ranges. Before purchasing, confirm three things: First, whether the country you are visiting is within the coverage scope. Second, whether high-risk activities such as diving, skiing, and motorcycling are excluded. Third, whether claims are settled directly between the insurance company and the hospital, or if you must pay upfront and then claim reimbursement. You must purchase insurance even when traveling to visa-free countries.