Medical Care in China: How Alifa Health Can Help

What we do for you

You may have some questions before you plan treatment in China.

• Can Chinese doctors read my records?
• Which hospital should I choose?
• How much will it cost?
• What do I do next?

We help you find clear answers before you talk to a doctor. We do four things for you, and all four are free.

1. We make your records easy for doctors to read

This service is for patients who want doctors in China to review their medical records. A pile of translated files is hard to follow, because a doctor needs your records in a clear order.

We use AI tools to translate your records and to prepare one tidy package, in Chinese and in your original language. The tools also adapt your records for doctors in China. For example, many medicines are sold under different brand names in China.

• The package lists all your documents.
• It gives a timeline of your medical history.
• It lists anything that is missing or unclear.

A doctor can quickly find the original report behind each summary. People with specialist experience in the medical and hospital industry check the package. The package is not a medical opinion, and only the hospital's doctors can judge your case.

Your privacy: we use your records only to prepare your case. AI tools process your records as part of this work. We ask for your permission before we send your records to any hospital.

2. We help you understand your hospital choices

Our hospital register lists 1,766 Class 3A hospitals in China. Class 3A (三级甲等) is the highest grade that China gives to a hospital. Even so, a famous name does not tell you which team knows cases like yours.

First, we learn about your condition, your budget and when you plan to arrive. We also think about practical points, such as direct flights to the city. We use AI to help sort the information, and then we check each hospital's specialties and how it receives new patients.

Next, we contact the hospitals in that city and start talking with them for you. You get one or two hospital choices and the reasons why they fit. We also tell you which hospital to contact first, what we have checked and what we still need to confirm.

Money from hospitals: a few hospitals pay us commissions or referral fees. If a hospital on your list pays us a commission or referral fee, we tell you. When a hospital pays to be on your list, we label it "Sponsored".

3. We help you with the next steps

When you have a short list, we contact the hospital departments. We ask what documents they need and how the process works. Then you get a simple checklist.

• It shows what you need to prepare.
• It shows who you need to contact.
• It shows what is still waiting.

4. We help you plan costs and payment

Money is a big worry for many patients, so we share what we can find. What we can find depends on the city and the hospital.

For official prices, we use official sources, such as government price notices and the hospital's own posts. Prices can change, so we show you where to check the latest price.

We can also ask a hospital's International Medical Department for an indicative quote for your case. This is the department that looks after patients from other countries. We can do this in all eight cities where we work.

An indicative quote is a first estimate to help you plan, and it is not a final price. The hospital sets your final price after its doctors review your case. Alifa Health does not set hospital prices.

We explain which costs to plan for, so you can make a realistic budget. We also explain how you can pay. You can pay yourself or use international insurance. Some hospitals offer direct billing, which means the hospital sends the bill to your insurance company. Please also ask your insurance company if it will pay for treatment in China.

You can read more in our guide to paying at hospitals in China.

What we do not do

Alifa Health is not a hospital. We do not give medical consultations, a diagnosis or treatment advice. The hospital's doctors must confirm every appointment, and they decide if they can accept you as a patient.

Where we can help

We work with hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou (Guangdong province). We also work with hospitals in Nanjing and Suzhou (Jiangsu province), in Hangzhou and Ningbo (Zhejiang province), and in Kunming (Yunnan province). In all eight cities, we work with both public and private hospitals.

How to start and our fees

1. Send us a short message. Tell us about your health problem, the country you live in and the city you prefer, if you have one.
2. We tell you which records to send.
3. We explain the next steps and any fee, and you decide if you want to go on.

Our help with your records, your hospital choices, your next steps and price quotes is free. Four services are paid: help with a visa letter, booking a hospital appointment, airport pickup and an interpreter. We tell you the fee before we start, and you do not pay until you agree.

Alifa Concierge Services

We can also help with your trip, and these four services are paid.

• Visa invitation letter: the hospital issues the letter, and our team helps you get it. We cannot promise that you will get a visa.
• Hospital appointment: we book your appointment for you before you travel.
• Pickup at the airport: we meet you when you arrive.
• Interpreter: we send an interpreter with you. Our interpreters are international students who are studying medicine (MBBS).

Alifa Health arranges these services directly, not the hospital. They are not medical advice, and they are not a hospital recommendation.

You can read more in our guide to medical visas for China.

Free guides

Our free guides help you plan your trip. They include our guide to language support at hospitals and our table of international services at hospitals in China. Our page on how we check our information explains where our facts come from.