Medical costs · paid to the hospital
What the hospital charges
Reference totals for the procedures international patients ask about most, a three-country comparison, and a plain account of what can push a bill higher. We add zero markup to the hospital's own price.
Independent patient coordination. Zero markup on your hospital bill. Not medical advice.
China vs. USA vs. UK
Typical self-pay list prices for the same service. The treatment cards below are all-in totals — surgery, implant, ward stay and routine medication — and the homepage table uses the same basis. China figures are international-department rates at a Grade 3A public hospital; UK figures are private rates, since NHS care is not available to visitors.
| Service | China (reference) | USA | UK (private) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultation / registration | $7–28 | $100–300 | $10–65 |
| Routine labs (blood, urine, biochemistry) | $14–70 | $25–125 | $25–100 |
| CT or MRI, per body area | $42–280 | $400–7,000 | $400–990 |
| Outpatient procedure or minor surgery | $7–70 | $100–500 | Varies |
| Major surgery, e.g. knee replacement | $4,200–14,000+ | $19,000–68,000+ | $12,700–19,000 (private) |
| Common medication | Often below Western retail | Higher | Moderate |
| Ward stay, per night | $14–210 | $1,200–4,000 | $400–1,600 |
| ICU, per day | $800–2,500 | $4,000–12,000 | $2,000–5,500 |
Based on public reports, published hospital price schedules and international comparisons from 2024–2026. For planning only; actual costs vary by hospital, city, implant choice and your clinical picture.
Common treatments, total cost
Reference totals for a typical uncomplicated case at a Grade 3A public hospital international department. Open any row to see what the estimate assumes and what moves the number.
Hip replacement Orthopedics China, total$9,000 – 14,000 USA reference$40,000+ Save~70%
Estimate basis
Primary single-side replacement · imported implant · 7-night ward stay · no complications
Typical breakdown
- Surgery and implant$6,500–9,800
- Ward stay$700–1,400
- Anaesthesia$400–700
- Imaging and labs$300–600
What moves the price
- Domestic implant−$2,000–3,000
- Each extra ward night+$100–200
- ICU day, if needed+$800–2,500
Heart bypass surgery (CABG) Cardiothoracic surgery China, total$18,000 – 28,000 USA reference$90,000+ Save~75%
Estimate basis
Elective multi-vessel bypass · 12-night stay including 2 ICU nights · no complications
Typical breakdown
- Surgery and grafts$9,000–14,000
- ICU and ward stay$5,000–8,500
- Anaesthesia and perfusion$1,800–3,000
- Imaging, labs and medication$1,200–2,500
What moves the price
- Each extra ICU day+$800–2,500
- Off-pump technique+$1,500–3,000
- Re-operationcase by case
IVF cycle Reproductive medicine China, total$5,500 – 9,000 USA reference$15,000+ Save~55%
Estimate basis
One fresh cycle · standard stimulation protocol · retrieval, ICSI and fresh transfer · medication included
Typical breakdown
- Monitoring and scans$600–1,000
- Retrieval and embryology$2,000–3,200
- Medication$1,400–2,600
- Transfer and storage$900–1,600
What moves the price
- PGT-A genetic screening+$1,800–3,000
- Frozen embryo transfer+$1,200–2,000
- Donor eggsprogramme dependent
Chemotherapy, per session Oncology China, total$800 – 1,500 USA reference$5,000+ Save~75%
Estimate basis
One inpatient cycle of a standard generic regimen · day ward or short stay · excludes targeted drugs
Typical breakdown
- Drugs, generic$300–700
- Day ward and nursing$250–500
- Labs and monitoring$150–250
- Supportive medication$100–200
What moves the price
- Imported targeted therapy+$2,000–8,000 per month
- Immunotherapy+$3,000–9,000 per cycle
- Extended stay+$100–200 per night
Full-body health screening Preventive medicine China, total$200 – 600 USA reference$2,000+ Save~80%
Estimate basis
Two-day executive package · bloods, ultrasound, ECG, low-dose CT chest · English report
Typical breakdown
- Laboratory panel$80–180
- Imaging incl. low-dose CT$90–260
- Cardiology and ultrasound$40–110
- Report and consultation$30–90
What moves the price
- MRI or PET-CT add-on+$250–900
- Endoscopy under sedation+$150–400
- Same-day express report+$40–80
MRI scan Imaging China, total$42 – 280 USA reference$1,000+ Save~80%
Estimate basis
One body area · 1.5T or 3T scanner · radiologist report · excludes contrast unless required
Typical breakdown
- Scan time$30–180
- Radiologist report$10–70
- Contrast agent, if used$20–60
What moves the price
- 3T instead of 1.5T+$20–60
- Additional body area+$40–180
- Same-day appointment+$15–40
Dental implant, single tooth Dental China, total$1,200 – 2,500 USA reference$4,500+ Save~60%
Estimate basis
One implant · imported fixture and abutment · healing period and final crown
Typical breakdown
- Implant fixture$600–1,200
- Abutment and crown$400–900
- Imaging and planning$80–200
- Follow-up visits$60–150
What moves the price
- Bone graft or sinus lift+$400–1,200
- Premium Swiss or German brand+$300–700
- Full-arch restorationquoted separately
LASIK, both eyes Ophthalmology China, total$1,400 – 2,800 USA reference$4,000+ Save~50%
Estimate basis
Bilateral procedure · femtosecond LASIK or SMILE · pre-op assessment and three follow-up visits
Typical breakdown
- Pre-operative assessment$100–250
- Procedure, both eyes$1,100–2,200
- Medication and follow-up$120–300
What moves the price
- SMILE instead of LASIK+$200–500
- Wavefront-guided treatment+$200–400
- ICL instead of laser+$1,200–2,400
Examinations and reference costs
- Routine labs (blood, urine, biochemistry)
About $14–70 - Imaging (CT or MRI, per body area)
About $42–280 per area - Ultrasound, ECG and similar
About $11–70 - Pathology, endoscopy and specialised tests
Varies — see the hospital estimate
Treatments and reference costs
- Outpatient treatment or procedure
About $7–70 per session - Surgery and anaesthesia, by type and hospital tier
About $1,000–15,000+ - Rehabilitation and physiotherapy
Varies by programme and course length
Medication and reference costs
- Generic medication
Often below Western retail prices - Imported branded drugs
Closer to, or above, Western prices - Targeted cancer therapy and immunotherapy
$2,000–9,000 per cycle — usually outside a base quote
Verify any line item
Hospital price schedule
Individual prices from Chinese public-hospital schedules: one scan, one night, one procedure. A hospital bill is a stack of these lines, and you are entitled to see each one.
How to read these prices
A schedule price is the price of one thing. A treatment is a stack of things.
Schedule prices are per item
One scan, one night, one procedure, one test. They are not treatment totals and they are not a quote for your case.
A bill is a stack
A knee replacement is the operation, the implant, seven ward nights, anaesthesia, pre-operative imaging and post-operative physiotherapy — each billed separately.
Ask for the itemised version
You are entitled to a line-by-line estimate before treatment. If a hospital will only give you a single figure, ask again.
What can cost extra
- ICU days if your recovery needs intensive care ($800–2,500 per day).
- Imported rather than domestic implants (often $2,000–3,000 more).
- Targeted cancer therapy and immunotherapy, frequently outside a base quote.
- Additional ward nights beyond the estimated stay ($100–200 each).
- Blood products, which are billed separately in China.
What is usually already included
- Nursing care during the ward stay.
- Standard consumables, dressings and basic medication.
- Pre-operative assessment and routine blood work.
- The surgeon's and anaesthetist's fees for the listed procedure.
- One post-operative review appointment.
Understanding unexpected costs
Three things account for most of the gap between an estimate and a final bill.
ICU and extended hospital stays
An intensive-care day in China typically runs $800–2,500, and a complicated recovery can add a week. Ask what the estimate assumes and what happens if you exceed it.
Complications and re-operation
Revision surgery, additional imaging or a longer course of antibiotics are billed at the same schedule rates. A base estimate for an uncomplicated case will not include them.
Targeted drugs and imported implants
Some cancer targeted therapies and imported orthopaedic implants sit outside a base quote and can add $2,000 to $30,000 or more. We always ask the hospital to price these separately if your treatment may need them.
The hospital issues a revised estimate before proceeding with anything outside the agreed plan, and we explain it in your language before you agree.
Cost questions
Are these prices guaranteed?
No, and any service that tells you otherwise is not being straight with you. These are reference ranges for planning. Your real number comes from the hospital, in writing, after they have seen your records.
Why is China so much cheaper?
Mostly structural: the government sets a national price schedule for procedures, orthopaedic implants and cardiac stents are bought through centralised procurement that strips out distributor margin, and nursing and facility costs are a fraction of Western equivalents. It is not primarily a quality difference at the top tier. Why is healthcare in China 90% cheaper than in the U.S.? works through the arithmetic.
Does insurance change any of this?
It changes who pays, not what the hospital charges. If your plan covers China and agrees direct billing, the hospital bills them at the same rate. If it reimburses, you pay first and claim afterwards — keep every itemised invoice. Check our insurance tool for what public evidence exists about your plan.
Where do these schedule prices come from?
They are assembled from publicly published provincial and municipal medical-service price schedules in mainland China, cross-checked against itemised estimates our coordinators have received from partner hospitals.
Prices vary between provinces and between hospital tiers. Treat the numbers here as a national reference point, not as the price at a specific hospital.
Why is the CNY figure sometimes a round number?
Because the Chinese schedule is set in yuan, not dollars. A ¥10 line becomes $1.39 at our reference rate. We show both so you can see the schedule price rather than only our conversion.
Do these prices include the doctor's fee?
For surgical procedures, yes — the schedule fee for an operation bundles the surgeon, the anaesthetist, the operating theatre and the standard consumables. For outpatient visits, the registration fee and the consultation fee are billed separately and both are listed here.
Can I be charged more than the schedule price?
International departments sometimes apply a modest premium over the domestic schedule, and they may charge more for a single room, a named professor or an imported implant. Those differences are legitimate, but they should appear as separate lines on your estimate.
Is this a quote for my treatment?
No. This is a reference schedule so you can sanity-check a quote. Your actual estimate comes from the hospital, in writing, after they review your records.
Ready to start your health journey?
Send us your records and tell us what you are trying to solve. A coordinator replies within one business day with a proposed hospital, a named specialist, and a written cost range — before you pay anything.
My estimate list
A subtotal of schedule line items only. A real treatment usually adds ward stay, medication and consumables. Send us the list and we will return a complete written estimate.