A
For common illnesses, see a doctor at the community health center first; if you are referred up level by level through primary care, your inpatient deductible keeps counting
Value for cost Standard
In plain termsGo to the community health center first, then get referred by it to a big hospital for inpatient care, and the part you pay yourself up front is counted only once. If you go straight to a tertiary hospital on your own to be admitted, and afterward move back to the community health center for rehabilitation, you may have to pay this part twice. If you are moved from a big hospital back to the community health center to continue inpatient care, it is not counted again for the same illness during this period either.
- Cost
- No money. You have to make a trip to the community health center first. The hard part is holding back from going straight to book a specialist appointment.
No money
Done in passing
Some willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- For insured patients referred up level by level through primary care facilities, the inpatient deductible at the higher-level hospital can be counted continuously. The deductible is the part of each hospital stay that you pay yourself first; only once you have paid that much does medical insurance start reimbursing. Counting continuously means the two hospitals, one after the other, count only once together, and you do not have to pay it all over again. For inpatients transferred down from a higher-level hospital back to primary care, no separate deductible is set within the same episode of illness
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- If you go straight to a tertiary hospital on your own to be admitted and then move back to primary care for rehabilitation, you may have to pay this part twice; going through referral counts it only once. Referral rules are set separately by each province, each city and each medical alliance, so ask at the community health center before you go. For a chronic illness in a stable phase, stop going to big hospitals for prescriptions: big hospitals will gradually cut back these general outpatient services, and the community health center can prescribe 12 weeks of medicine at a time; see Section 16, Item 5 (12 weeks of medicine at a time from the community health center).
A
Within the same pooling area (where you are enrolled in medical insurance), the lower the level of the facility, the higher the reimbursement rate, with a gap of about 10 percentage points
Value for cost Standard
In plain termsFor the same hospital bill, the lower the level of the hospital, the more gets reimbursed. Localities are to spread the tiers apart, with a gap of around ten percentage points for each level up. For example, on a 10,000 yuan hospital bill, if reimbursement falls from 80% to 70%, what you pay yourself goes from 2000 yuan to 3000 yuan. New medical insurance funds are also being tilted toward primary care.
- Cost
- No money. The hard part is holding back from heading to the big hospital.
No money
Done in passing
Some willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The document requires localities to spread apart the inpatient reimbursement levels at medical institutions of different levels, in principle with a gap of around 10 percentage points from one level to the next. At this gap, each level higher you go for the same hospital bill, the extra you pay yourself is about 10% of the reimbursable cost. For example, on 10,000 yuan of reimbursable inpatient costs, if the reimbursement rate falls from 80% to 70%, what you pay yourself goes from 2000 yuan to 3000 yuan. The extra 1000 yuan is a tenth of the total cost, but it is half again as much as what you paid yourself before. Actual rates differ from place to place, and deductibles and caps also change the difference; this is only an illustration worked out from the document's 10 percentage points. Each year's new medical insurance funds are also tilted toward primary care
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- For the same hospital bill, the difference in what you pay yourself between primary care and a tertiary hospital may be several thousand yuan. Don't move up for an illness that can be dealt with at the primary level; that does not mean every illness should be seen at the community health center.
A
If you need a big hospital, go through a primary care referral or the hospital's referral center, not an appointment scalper
Value for cost Standard
In plain termsBig hospitals have to set aside a share of appointments and beds specifically for people referred from primary care. Hospitals also have to set up a referral center, or designate a fixed department to handle referrals, with full coverage by 2027. Not being able to get an appointment doesn't mean there is no way in. Besides being expensive, a scalper's appointment may also put you in the wrong department.
- Cost
- No money. There is one extra referral procedure to go through.
No money
A few hours
No willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The lead hospital of a close-knit medical alliance must reserve a certain proportion of appointment slots and beds for primary care facilities, and promptly receive patients referred from primary care. A close-knit medical alliance is a group of hospitals and community health facilities bound together to work in cooperation. So referrals up from the community health center get their own appointments and beds, and you are not crowded in with the people fighting for appointments in the main hall. Medical institutions must set up a referral center or designate a fixed department, with full coverage achieved by 2027
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- The reserved appointment slots are kept specifically for referred patients; if you can't get an appointment, you can go through referral. Besides being expensive, using a scalper may land you in the wrong department. If you can't find the referral center, call the hospital's service line and ask.
A
Before seeking medical care in another province, first ask locally; whether it is necessary is in principle assessed by an associate chief physician or above
Value for cost High
In plain termsWhether you should go elsewhere for treatment is, in principle, assessed by a doctor at the level of associate chief physician or above at a secondary or tertiary hospital. How much is reimbursed for temporary medical care away from home will differ from what a hospital of the same level in your insured area pays; the details depend on local rules. Asking locally before you set off beats finding out you can't be reimbursed only after you have arrived elsewhere.
- Cost
- No money. Ask one more question before you set off.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The necessity of seeking medical care outside your pooling area or in another province is, in principle, assessed by staff with the title of associate chief physician or above at secondary and tertiary hospitals. Outside your pooling area means outside the place where you are enrolled in medical insurance. Whether to go elsewhere for treatment is decided by a doctor of sufficient rank. For people temporarily going to another province for medical care, reimbursement levels keep a reasonable difference from those of medical institutions of the same level in the insured area. For the same illness treated elsewhere, the money reimbursed will be a fair bit less than at home
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- “Temporary medical care away from home” and “long-term residence elsewhere” are two different kinds of registration, with different reimbursement levels. For how to register and which kinds of illness can be settled directly, see Section 16. Don't go elsewhere first and only then turn back to think about reimbursement.
A
After each visit, keep your own copy of your medical records, test reports and imaging
Value for cost Standard
In plain termsViewing and copying your own medical records is a right the law gives you. Outpatient records, admission records, lab reports, imaging, surgery and anesthesia records, pathology materials and itemized bills can all be copied. Hospitals have a dedicated window to handle this and may charge only a copying fee. Switching hospitals, having another doctor look at your case again, claiming on commercial insurance, or a real dispute: all of them rely on this stack of papers.
- Cost
- No money. The hospital may charge a copying fee as the rules allow, and its rates must be made public. The hard part is remembering to get a copy after every visit.
No money
Done in passing
Some willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The regulation explicitly lists viewing and copying medical records as a patient's right. The scope covers outpatient records, admission records, lab reports, medical imaging, surgery and anesthesia records, pathology materials, medical expenses and all other such materials. Switching hospitals, getting a second doctor to look again, claiming on commercial insurance, or a real dispute: all of them rely on these
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- Copying has a dedicated window; you don't have to beg the doctor. For the list of what to copy, just read it straight off Article 16 of the Regulations on the Prevention and Handling of Medical Disputes (医疗纠纷预防和处理条例). First the outpatient records, admission records, temperature charts, physician's orders, lab reports and imaging. Then the surgery and anesthesia records, pathology materials, nursing records and itemized medical bills. Once you have them, keep them in one folder in date order. The most important things in it are the discharge summary, surgery records, pathology reports and key images. For a chronic illness, record your readings from each visit in one notebook; see Section 16.
A
If you have doubts about your diagnosis or treatment, ask on the spot for the medical records to be sealed, with both sides present, an inventory drawn up and one copy for each side
Value for cost Standard
In plain termsIf you have doubts about the treatment, you can ask for the medical records to be sealed. Sealing requires both the medical side and the patient side to be present; an inventory is drawn up and signed and stamped, and each side keeps one copy. If the records are not finished yet, the part already written is sealed first. If you suspect the problem came from an infusion, a blood transfusion, an injection or a medicine, that bag of fluid, that vial of medicine and the infusion set should be sealed along with them.
- Cost
- No money. Make the sealing request to the hospital, and wait for both the medical side and the patient side to be present to complete the procedure. The hard part is saying it out loud in front of the doctor.
No money
Done in passing
Some willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The regulation provides that “where a medical dispute arises and medical records need to be sealed or unsealed, this shall be done with both the medical side and the patient side present.” What is sealed can be the originals or copies, and the medical institution keeps them. Where records not yet complete need to be sealed, the completed part is sealed first, and the rest is sealed once it is completed. The medical institution shall draw up a sealing inventory for the sealed records, signed or stamped by both the medical side and the patient side, with each side keeping one copy. Where adverse consequences are suspected to have been caused by an infusion, blood transfusion, injection, medication or the like, the medical and patient sides shall jointly seal and unseal the physical items on site. Where testing is needed, the two sides shall jointly commission an institution qualified to do the testing. Where the two sides cannot commission one jointly, the health authority of the county-level people's government where the medical institution is located designates one. Where adverse consequences are suspected to have been caused by a blood transfusion and blood needs to be sealed, the medical institution shall notify the blood station to send someone to the scene. There is also a hard constraint: “No unit or individual may tamper with, forge, conceal, destroy or seize medical records.” After sealing, if the dispute has been resolved, or 3 full years have passed with no further request for resolution, the medical institution may unseal them on its own (nationwide, in force from October 1, 2018)
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- Sealing and copying are two different things. Copying is something you should do routinely; see Item 5 (keep your own copy of records and imaging). Sealing fixes the evidence in place when a dispute arises, guarding against records being written up or altered after the fact. If you suspect the problem came from an infusion, a transfusion or a medicine, then besides the records, also seal that bag of fluid, that vial of medicine and the infusion set together, and don't let anyone take them away and throw them out. Medical institutions shall post the channels, procedures and contact details for resolving medical disputes in a prominent place, and set up a unified complaints management department. When something happens, go to that department first; don't argue it out with the doctor on duty.
A
For urgent, serious injuries and illnesses, head straight for the emergency triage desk, not the queue at the registration window
Value for cost High
In plain termsThe emergency department doesn't go by first come, first served; it ranks patients in four levels by how serious their condition is. The level is set at the triage desk at the emergency entrance, not at the registration window. If you don't go to triage, you have no level in the system, and however badly you are hurt, you can only inch along with the queue. When you arrive, report the most dangerous thing first: heavy bleeding, can't breathe, not fully conscious, something stuck in the body, pressing pain in the chest.
- Cost
- No money. Take a few extra steps after you come in to find the triage desk. Say the most life-threatening symptom clearly in one sentence.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The National Health Commission's 2024 edition of the quality-control indicators for emergency medicine provides that emergency triage should “divide patients into four levels according to how critical their condition is.” “Level I is critically ill patients, who need to be treated immediately.” “Level II is seriously ill patients, for whom assessment and treatment often take place at the same time.” “Level III is acutely ill patients, who need to be diagnosed and treated within a short time.” “Level IV is non-acute or sub-acute patients, who are seen in order in the general treatment area.” Triage means that when you enter the emergency department, a designated staff member first assesses how serious your condition is and sets the order in which you will be seen. Beijing's implementation standard gives the response requirements for each level. Level 1: “immediately assess and treat, and place the patient in the resuscitation room or the emergency treatment room.” Level 2: “immediately monitor vital signs, give treatment within 10 minutes, and place the patient in the emergency treatment room.” Level 3: “diagnose and treat with priority over level 4 patients, and have the patient wait in the general treatment area; if the wait exceeds 30 minutes, reassess.” Level 4: “seen in order; unless the condition changes, the wait is relatively long; if the wait exceeds 4 hours, the patient may be reassessed.” Triage should “adhere to the principle of priority for critically and seriously ill patients,” and an emergency triage area should be set up in a prominent place at the emergency department entrance (the four-level standard applies nationwide; the response times are Beijing's standard)
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- The division into four levels is uniform nationwide. How soon each level gets dealt with is set by each province and city; Beijing's is a version that can be checked word for word. Your level depends on indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen, and on symptoms, not on how much pain you feel you are in. The hard criteria for level 1 include the following. One, a heart rate above 180 beats/min or below 40 beats/min. Two, systolic pressure below 70 mmHg; systolic pressure is the higher number in a blood pressure reading. Three, blood oxygen below 80%. Four, shock, a confirmed heart attack, or acute impairment of consciousness. If you think triage has put you too low, add a clear statement of your most dangerous symptom. If your condition changes while you are waiting, go back to the triage desk right away to be reassessed. When it is truly critical, calling 120 (ambulance) is faster than getting there yourself; the prehospital doctors will assign a preliminary level using the same standard and notify the hospital in advance to get ready to receive you (see Section 13).
A
With no money, no ID, or unable to say who you are, the emergency department still must treat you first
Value for cost High
In plain termsThe state has a disease emergency assistance fund that pays the emergency treatment costs of two kinds of people: those whose identity can't be established, and those who can't pay. Hospitals may not refuse or delay rescue, and emergency centers may not refuse to send an ambulance over money. So don't tough it out at home because you have no money, and don't be afraid to call an ambulance for fear of running up a bill. This money covers only emergency treatment; later hospitalization still goes through medical insurance and medical assistance.
- Cost
- No money.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The disease emergency assistance system covers “patients who suffer an urgent, serious or critical injury or illness within China and need emergency treatment but whose identity is unclear or who are unable to pay the corresponding costs.” The fund pays two kinds of costs: “emergency treatment costs incurred by patients whose identity cannot be established,” and “emergency treatment costs owed by patients whose identity is clear but who are unable to pay.” The document also states that “medical institutions of all levels and types and their staff must give timely and effective treatment to patients with urgent, serious or critical injuries or illnesses, and may not refuse, shirk or delay treatment for any reason.” Prehospital emergency care has its own rules too: the national prehospital emergency call number is “120.” Emergency centers (stations) “may not refuse, shirk or delay prehospital emergency medical services for reasons of command and dispatch,” nor may they “refuse or delay prehospital emergency medical services because of cost issues.” Transport follows “the principle of the nearest, the most urgent, meeting specialist needs, and taking the patient's wishes into account” (nationwide, since 2013)
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- The fund pays only the “emergency treatment costs” stage, and treatment comes first: afterward the medical institution applies to the fund, so you don't have to go to a window to collect money. If you have medical insurance, it goes through medical insurance first as usual. Application procedures and caps differ from province to province. In the transport principle, “nearest, most urgent” comes before “the patient's wishes,” so the ambulance will not necessarily take you to the hospital you name; when the situation is critical, the nearest hospital that can handle it takes precedence. If the part you still pay yourself afterward is too heavy, go through medical assistance; see Section 7, Item 10 (medical assistance).
A
Wait until treatment has ended before getting a disability assessment; done too early, the grade will come out low
Value for cost Standard
In plain termsHow much compensation you get depends mainly on what grade you are assessed at, and the grade depends on how much functional impairment remains after treatment. The standard states that the assessment is to be done after treatment has ended, or after the clinical treatment outcome is stable. If you go for assessment before the bone has healed or before the plate has been taken out, you are assessed as you are at that moment, which amounts to pushing your own grade down. An ordinary fracture that has healed without affecting function does not qualify for a grade.
- Cost
- The assessment fee ranges from a few hundred to two thousand yuan, and is usually paid up front by the party who applies. You have to wait until treatment has ended or the clinical outcome is stable, usually three to six months after the injury, sometimes longer. The hard part is holding back when you want to get it settled quickly before the injury has fully healed.
A little money
A few hours
Some willpower
Benefit size large
- Benefit
- The Grading of Disability Caused by Human Injury (人体损伤致残程度分级) provides that the timing of assessment “shall be after the treatment of the primary injury and of the complications genuinely related to it has ended, or after the clinical treatment outcome has stabilized.” The standard “divides the degree of disability caused by human injury into 10 grades, from grade one (disability rate 100%) to grade ten (disability rate 10%), with the disability rate differing by 10% between each grade.” The basis for judgment is “the destruction of the structure of human tissues and organs, functional impairment, and the degree of dependence on medical care and nursing, with appropriate consideration of the effects on social interaction and psychological factors caused by the disability.” The fracture-related clauses in grade ten include the following. One, “compression fracture of one vertebral body (compression reaching 1/3) or comminuted fracture.” Two, “fractures at two or more places in the pelvis, or comminuted fracture, with malunion.” Three, “loss of 25% or more of function in any one large joint of the four limbs (excluding the ankle joint).” Disabilities of the same site and nature may not be counted twice. Where disability arises at two or more places, the grade of each shall be stated separately (nationwide, in force from January 1, 2017)
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- The three disability assessment systems are not interchangeable; don't mix them up. Being beaten and injured, traffic accidents and other personal injuries go through forensic assessment under the Grading of Disability Caused by Human Injury (人体损伤致残程度分级), which is used to calculate disability compensation (see Section 9). Work injuries go through work-capacity assessment, which uses a separate set of ten disability grades and governs work-injury benefits (see Section 19). To receive policy benefits for people with disabilities, you have to apply separately for a disability certificate (see Item 10, disability certificate). Before the assessment, get your medical records, surgery records and follow-up imaging all ready (see Item 5, keep your own copy of records and imaging); missing imaging is the most common reason a grade gets pushed down. When this injury is mixed up with an old condition you already had, the assessment opinion must also state how large a share of the disability outcome this injury accounts for. That entry directly affects how much compensation you get.
A
If treatment is over and a functional impairment really does remain, apply for a disability certificate at the county-level disabled persons' federation where your household registration (hukou) is
Value for cost Standard
In plain termsA disability certificate is the threshold for receiving benefits for people with disabilities, not proof of an injury. It covers seven categories (vision, hearing, speech, physical, intellectual, mental and multiple), each with grades one to four. The process is application, acceptance, assessment at a designated institution, public notice, review and approval, and issuance; it is valid for ten years and is replaced free of charge when it expires. If you don't qualify, you don't qualify; this is not something you can get through knowing the right people.
- Cost
- The certificate itself carries no production fee. The assessment fee and photo fee are in principle paid by you; people in hardship can apply for a reduction or waiver. Bring your ID card, household registration booklet and 3 two-inch photos with a white background to the county-level disabled persons' federation where your household registration is. If the assessment finds you qualify, there is a public notice in your village (community) for 5 working days, and the federation completes its review within 10 working days. The hard part is making these trips and waiting out this time.
A little money
A few hours
Some willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The disability certificate “is the lawful credential confirming a person with a disability and their category and grade of disability, and an important basis on which people with disabilities enjoy, according to law, the preferential policies of the national and local governments.” The assessment standard is the national standard Classification and Grading of Disabilities (残疾人残疾分类和分级) (GB/T 26341-2010). Applying for the certificate follows the principles of voluntary application and management by the locality. People with any of seven categories of disability (vision, hearing, speech, physical, intellectual, mental and multiple) may apply, with disability grades one to four. The county-level disabled persons' federation is responsible for accepting applications and issuing certificates, based on the assessment conclusion made by a hospital or professional institution designated at the provincial level. Where the assessment conclusion meets the standard, it is publicly posted in the village (community) for five working days, and the county-level federation “completes the review within ten working days.” “No production fee is charged for issuing the disability certificate.” Assessment and photo costs “are in principle borne by the applicant; where conditions permit, local finance may provide subsidies, and for applicants in special hardship, the relevant departments should be coordinated to grant reductions or waivers.” The certificate is valid for ten years and is replaced free of charge when it expires. Where the category or grade of disability changes, a reassessment may be requested. Anyone who disagrees with the assessment conclusion may apply for reassessment to the prefecture-level disabled persons' federation within ten working days. If they still disagree, the provincial disability assessment expert committee makes the final conclusion (nationwide, in force from January 1, 2018)
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- Do the math before deciding whether to apply. The certificate itself does not pay out money directly. What it connects you to are the two subsidies for people with disabilities: people with disabilities in households on the minimum living allowance (dibao, 低保) receive the living subsidy, and those at grade one or two who need long-term care receive the nursing subsidy; see Section 7, Item 8 (the two subsidies). The certificate also connects you to local preferential treatment for rehabilitation, assistive devices, taxes and fees, employment and transport. These standards differ a great deal between provinces, so check them on the local disabled persons' federation's website first, then decide whether to make the trip. The certificate, the forensic disability grade and the work-capacity assessment for work injuries are three separate things, and none replaces another (see Item 9, wait until treatment has ended before getting a disability assessment). The certificate is for the holder's own use only and may not be lent to anyone. If the disability no longer meets the standard, the certificate is canceled, and you may not reapply within one year of cancellation. Multiple disabilities are graded by the most severe category among them.
A
To thank a doctor who saved you, use a thank-you letter, a silk banner and a satisfaction rating, not a red envelope: the code bans money and gifts, not gratitude
Value for cost High
In plain termsSlipping money in beforehand can't buy priority: using appointment slots, beds, scarce medicines and surgery scheduling in exchange for favors is prohibited. Afterward, if you want to thank the doctor who saved your life, you can, but don't give cigarettes, alcohol or a red envelope; if the doctor accepts, that is a violation. There are three ways of thanking that actually reach the doctor: fill in a satisfaction rating carefully, write a thank-you letter naming them or give a silk banner, and come back for follow-up as instructed.
- Cost
- No money. Write a thank-you letter, or fill in a rating once on the satisfaction platform; ten-odd minutes.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The Nine Guidelines on Integrity in Practice for Medical Institution Staff (医疗机构工作人员廉洁从业九项准则) (Guoweiyifa [2021] No. 41), seventh guideline: “Maintain order in diagnosis and treatment, and do not undermine fairness in access to care. Adhere to the principle of equality, and jointly build a fair environment for seeking care. It is strictly prohibited to use medical resources such as appointment slots, beds and scarce medicines and consumables, or diagnosis and treatment arrangements such as examinations and surgery, to accept benefits or to line one's own pockets at public expense.” Eighth guideline: “Jointly build harmonious relationships, and do not accept ‘red envelopes’ from patients. Abide by medical ethics and practice strict self-discipline.” The same guideline also states that “it is strictly prohibited to solicit or accept property such as gifts, cash gifts, consumer cards and negotiable securities, equity, and other financial products from patients and their relatives and friends.” Meals and entertainment paid for by the patient's side are the same: “it is strictly prohibited to take part in banquets, or in travel, fitness, entertainment or other activities, arranged, organized or paid for by them.” The document also requires medical institutions to fulfill their primary responsibility, carry out supervision and inspection, and “resolutely investigate and punish violations.” Satisfaction ratings have been written into the performance evaluation of tertiary public hospitals. The basis is the Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Strengthening the Performance Evaluation of Tertiary Public Hospitals (国务院办公厅关于加强三级公立医院绩效考核工作的意见) (Guobanfa [2019] No. 4). The document says: “The performance evaluation indicator system for tertiary public hospitals consists of indicators in 4 areas: medical quality, operational efficiency, sustainable development and satisfaction ratings.” The document also states: “Hospital satisfaction consists of two parts, patient satisfaction and medical staff satisfaction ...” It goes on to say the aim is to “measure patients' sense of benefit and the motivation of medical staff through satisfaction ratings by outpatients, inpatients and medical staff.” This rating system also has a unified national platform: “The state establishes a public hospital satisfaction management system ...” The timetable: “Before the end of March 2019, all tertiary public hospitals nationwide are to be brought onto the National Health Commission's satisfaction survey platform. All localities are to use the National Health Commission's satisfaction survey platform and include the survey results in the performance evaluation of tertiary public hospitals.” Hospitals must also manage complaints. The basis is Article 2 of the Measures for the Administration of Complaints in Medical Institutions (医疗机构投诉管理办法) (National Health Commission Order No. 3, in force from 2019). Complaint management refers to patients “raising opinions, suggestions or complaint requests” about medical service conduct, medical management, medical quality and safety and similar matters. The hospital is responsible for investigating, handling them and giving feedback. “Medical institutions at secondary level and above shall set up a doctor-patient relations office or designate a department (hereinafter collectively the complaints management department) to take unified charge of complaint management.” The duties of the complaints management department include “uniformly accepting complaints, investigating and verifying the matters complained of, proposing how to handle them, and replying to patients promptly.” Medical institutions “shall encourage staff to proactively collect patients' opinions and suggestions on medical services, medical quality and safety and other aspects” (nationwide)
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- The beneficiary is you, and also the person who saved you. Wanting to give thanks after an all-night resuscitation is only human; you can thank them, and the only thing to change is the form. Red envelopes, cigarettes and alcohol shift the risk onto the other person; thank-you letters, silk banners and satisfaction ratings are the forms the system recognizes. If you have already given something and it was pushed back to you, don't take it as the doctor finding it too little or putting on airs; that is what the rules require them to do. Also keep two things apart: giving a doctor a red envelope is a matter for professional discipline and the hospital, while giving money or gifts to people handling a case or enforcing the law is the crime of offering bribes under the Criminal Law (刑法); the two are not on the same scale, and for the latter see Section 8, Item 40. Hospitals generally accept thank-you letters and silk banners, but “it goes into the personal and department record” is a claim from experience, with no document behind it. What does have a documentary basis is that satisfaction survey results are included in the performance evaluation of tertiary public hospitals. If you have doubts about the diagnosis and treatment itself, ask on the spot for the medical records to be sealed (see Item 6 of this section, sealing medical records), and keep copies of your medical records and imaging (Item 5, keep your own copy of records and imaging)
A
Before getting a dental implant, first ask exactly which items the all-inclusive price covers, prefer facilities that have pledged to take part in price governance, and don't trust low-price ads
Value for cost High
In plain termsSince the centralized price cuts for dental implants in 2023, the overall cost of one standard dental implant has fallen from an average of 15,000 yuan to 6000 to 7000 yuan. At tertiary public hospitals, the service fee for a single implant is in principle no more than 4500 yuan, with the implant and the crown charged separately. Medical insurance does not reimburse implants, dentures or orthodontics; treatments such as fillings and extractions are generally reimbursable in most places.
- Cost
- No money. Before seeing the dentist, check the list of facilities once on the National Healthcare Security Administration's official account, and ask about the price list face to face; ten-odd minutes.
No money
Done in passing
No willpower
Benefit size medium
- Benefit
- The National Healthcare Security Administration's announcement of January 2024 says the cost of a standard single-tooth implant has three parts. The first is the medical service fee, charged as an all-inclusive package. The package covers “examination fees for the whole implant process, biochemical testing and imaging examination fees, implant placement fees, crown placement fees and scanning, design and modeling fees, and does not include tooth extraction, periodontal cleaning, root canal treatment, bone grafting or soft tissue grafting.” “The medical service charge for a single standard dental implant at tertiary public hospitals in each locality shall in principle not exceed 4500 yuan”; economically developed areas may, under the 2022 special rectification notice, go up to 20% higher at most. The second is the implant itself, centrally procured nationwide in January 2023, with “winning bid prices ranging from 548 yuan to 1855 yuan, averaging over 900 yuan.” The Sichuan Provincial Healthcare Security Administration, which led the procurement, announced that high-priced imported brands fell from a median procurement price of 5000 yuan to around 1850 yuan, and the few brands used most fell from around 1500 yuan to around 770 yuan. The third is the crown, with “prices ranging from 100 yuan to 656 yuan, averaging over 300 yuan.” At its press conference for the second half of 2023, the National Healthcare Security Administration said that local rectification measures had all been put in place in late April and early May, and “the overall cost of dental implants fell from an average of 15,000 yuan to around 6000 to 7000 yuan.” As for whether medical insurance reimburses it: a 1999 document from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and other departments listed “prosthetic teeth” (false teeth) and “non-functional cosmetic and corrective surgery” as not paid for by basic medical insurance. Replying to a CPPCC proposal in 2019, the National Healthcare Security Administration said: “Cosmetic diagnosis and treatment items (including restoration of missing teeth, orthodontics, etc.) are not included in the scope of medical insurance fund payment. But dental treatment items have not been excluded at the national level, and localities have generally included them in the scope of medical insurance payment” (nationwide, as of October 2026)
- Evidence grade
- A
- Notes
- The 4500 yuan line applies only to public hospitals. Private facilities set their own prices, but the special rectification notice requires that they not use false or misleading “subsidies” or “low prices” to lure patients. The low price in an ad is often for the implant alone; the items outside the package, such as extractions and bone grafting, are where the price goes up, so before signing, get a sheet that states the price of each item. The list of facilities that have pledged to take part in price governance is published by the National Healthcare Security Administration on its official WeChat account. Missing one or two teeth doesn't necessarily mean you have to get implants; fixed dentures and removable dentures are also ways to restore them, and their prices have not changed along with implant prices; ask the dentist which one suits you. Whether the personal account of employee medical insurance can pay for implants has no uniform national answer; ask your local medical insurance department. For how to use the personal account for family members, see Section 5, Item 13 (family mutual aid). For why missing teeth should be replaced, see Section 2, Item 10 (replace missing teeth promptly). The benefit rating is set at medium: the price cuts came from policy, and what readers can save by their own step is mainly the add-on charges outside the package and the extra at high-priced facilities, several thousand yuan per tooth
