Payment & report pickup in Beijing
By Bodhi Sun — Founder & Lead Coordinator, China Health Concierge
Payment, invoices, and report pickup often confuse overseas patients more than the appointment. Clarify payment method, report language, and pickup timing early.
Two kinds of money, kept separate
A planned visit involves two separate streams of payment, and confusing them is the most common source of surprise.
Receiving medical institutions are independent, licensed institutions and are not CHC employees. Medical charges are paid by you directly to the licensed provider at its standard rates. This covers treatment, deposits, imaging, prescriptions and the provider's own administration, billed under the provider's terms.
CHC's non-medical coordination service fee is billed separately: a US$299 fee for the standalone China Visit Planning Review, or a quoted fee for a defined coordination task, confirmed in a written quote before any service starts.
- Medical fees: paid to the institution providing the care.
- Non-medical coordination service fee: paid to CHC, quoted separately.
What should be in writing before you pay
Before you confirm a service or make any payment, ask for the full picture in writing: what the non-medical coordination service fee covers and excludes, the scope of any provider work quoted, which costs are paid to CHC and which to the institution, and what happens if the agreed scope changes.
A written quote should list the fees applicable to your case before you commit. Which costs are paid to CHC and which to the institution is set out in that quote. If it names only a total, it is reasonable to ask who is paid what before you commit.
Payment mechanics vary by institution
How you actually pay varies by facility and by channel. Some international departments accept international cards and provide English documentation; public tertiary hospitals typically require real-name registration and use local payment methods, with cash and domestic bank cards commonly accepted at cashier windows. Card acceptance differs from one facility to the next.
Medical tariffs are settled on-site in Chinese Yuan with the licensed provider. Confirm your specific facility's accepted payment methods before you travel rather than assuming they match what you use at home.
Reports: what the provider decides, and what can be coordinated
When a report is ready, and in what form, is decided by the provider — CHC does not control reporting timelines and cannot make a report appear earlier than the provider releases it. Whether an English version, a summary, or only the original document is issued is likewise the provider's choice, confirmed case by case.
What CHC can do, inside an agreed scope: coordinate qualified translation support when agreed in writing, organize report collection if you have already left China, and route follow-up administrative questions. CHC does not provide medical explanations or medical interpretation.
Before you leave the country
Three things are worth settling while you are still on site: who collects the report if it is not ready before your flight; whether you want translation coordinated, and in what form; and how follow-up questions reach the provider after you have gone.
Leave without asking, and nothing seems wrong — until three weeks later, from a different time zone.
Who this guide is for
- Visitors who will leave China soon after a planned appointment.
- Patients who need English summaries or report routing.
- Families coordinating appointments across time zones.
What to prepare
- Expected payment method and whether international cards are accepted.
- Who will collect reports if you have left China.
- Whether English report coordination is available.
- How follow-up questions should be routed.
Frequently asked questions
Is the coordination fee paid together with the medical bill?
No. They are separate. Medical charges are paid by you directly to the licensed provider at its standard rates, and CHC's non-medical coordination service fee is billed separately — a US$299 fee for the standalone China Visit Planning Review, or a quoted fee for a defined coordination task, confirmed in a written quote before any service starts.
Can you guarantee I get an English report before I fly?
No, and we would not want to. Whether a report exists yet, and in what language, is decided by the provider, and CHC does not control provider reporting timelines. A version of a report that does not yet exist is not something anyone can promise you in advance.
What if I think I was charged something I did not agree to?
Start with the provider. Ask for an itemized bill, and compare it against the written quote you were given for the medical work — third-party fees are set and billed by the provider under the provider's own terms. For CHC's own fee, compare it against your written quote for the agreed coordination scope.
What CHC cannot do
- CHC does not control provider reporting timelines.
- CHC can coordinate qualified translation support when agreed, but does not provide medical explanations or medical interpretation.
- CHC cannot guarantee refund, insurance, or billing outcomes.
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