Chinese Hospitals Rush to Establish International Departments to Attract Self-Paying Patients and Increase Revenue

Caixin.com reported today that Guangdong Province, adjacent to Hong Kong and Macau, has natural advantages in developing international medical care. On March 26, the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission, Provincial Medical Security Bureau, and Provincial Drug Administration jointly announced the first batch of 25 pilot hospitals for international medical services in Guangdong Province.

The one-year pilot program has six key tasks: building international medical demonstration zones, constructing an international standardized management system, innovating cross-border medical payment service models, promoting the clinical application of cutting-edge medical technologies, exploring internet cross-border diagnosis and treatment services, and strengthening international medical operation management.

According to incomplete statistics from Caixin, nearly 10 public hospitals announced the launch of international medical departments in 2025, distributed not only in international cities with many foreign residents like Beijing and Shanghai but also in inland provinces such as Hebei and Hunan. So far this year, at least 9 more public hospitals have announced the establishment of international medical departments.

Jin Chunlin, director of the Shanghai Health and Health Development Research Center, analyzed that medical institutions are increasing their focus on international medical care, on the one hand, due to the demand for medical services from overseas Chinese and high-net-worth individuals in China, and on the other hand, public hospitals themselves need diversified income.

Around the Spring Festival this year, "Cured in China" sparked heated discussions on overseas social media. For foreigners, "good value for money" is the main reason for "medical tourism" to China.

WeChat official account "Zhiguchushi" published an article on the 9th, pointing out that a heart bypass surgery in the US costs US$130,000, while in Shanghai it only costs US$40,000. British internet celebrity Amy exposed a comparison bill online: a dental project that would take 2 years and cost about RMB 35,000 in the UK was completed in China in just 13 days for less than RMB 3,000. Blogger "Lizzy in China" shared that an MRI in Kunming only cost 486 yuan and took half an hour to wait; in the US, a similar examination costs thousands of dollars and usually requires a 3-month wait.

According to China's National Health Commission, key foreign-related hospitals received 1.28 million international patients in 2025, a 73.6% increase from three years ago. Among them, the number of European and American patients doubled, and the number of patients from Southeast Asia seeking medical treatment in China also exceeded 150,000 annually.

The advantage for these hospitals in establishing international medical departments is that their services are only for self-paying patients or those with international commercial insurance, not occupying China's medical insurance resources. Pilot hospitals can implement independent pricing and are not afraid to prescribe more expensive drugs due to medical insurance restrictions.

Increased income and independent pricing are major incentives for hospitals. The article states that for the same doctor at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the medical service fee in the international department can range from 600 to 1200 yuan, while in the ordinary department it is only 25 to 100 yuan; a deputy senior physician working in the international department can earn nearly 300 yuan, while in the ordinary department it is only a few yuan.

International medical departments are therefore called "outside the system within the system" by industry insiders – providing high salaries, relatively low-intensity work environments, higher quality patients, and more direct income incentives for doctors, which can enhance a sense of accomplishment.

However, the influx of foreigners seeking medical treatment in China has raised questions about whether it will squeeze the medical resources of ordinary Chinese people.

The aforementioned Guangdong Province specifically stipulated when promoting the pilot international medical services: services are limited to self-paying or commercial insurance groups, not included in basic medical insurance; strict physical isolation is implemented, using newly added beds and independent teams; experts are required to ensure sufficient outpatient visits for ordinary clinics and not reduce ordinary appointment slots. International medical outpatient services can only be carried out under these premises, "resolutely preventing medical resources from excessively tilting towards international medical services." (Edited by Zhang Shuling/Chen Kaiyu) 1150410