Foreign patients turn to China for cancer care, including a RMB 990,000 CAR-T shot for solid tumors and faster access. Most pay out of pocket; insurance settlement is limited.
Tags:Source: OT-Team(G), 财经, 九派新闻
For 59-year-old New Zealander Josh, traveling to China for cancer treatment was a last resort after treatment in New Zealand had failed.
By the time he arrived in Shanghai, Josh was extremely weak and could barely eat, relying on enteral nutrition. After searching online for new cancer treatments, he chose China and traveled with his wife and younger son.
He recently completed about six weeks of treatment and hugged his attending doctor, Xuan Linli, goodbye before preparing to make the 11.5-hour flight back to New Zealand alone.
Josh became the world’s first foreign patient to receive CAR-T cell therapy for a solid tumor in China.
Some Treatments Are Only Available in China
China’s National Medical Products Administration approved the world’s first CAR-T therapy for solid tumors in June.
For Josh, the treatment came at a critical point. One injection cost RMB 990,000, a major expense even in New Zealand, where the average annual salary is around RMB 356,000.
But cost was not the only reason he came.
An American patient, Daniel, traveled to Shanghai in March after four cancer treatments in the United States had failed. Doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center told him there were few remaining options and mentioned ivonescimab as a possible final hope. At the time, the drug had been approved only in China.
Daniel developed an immune-related adverse reaction during treatment and was transferred to intensive care. Jiahui International Hospital organized multiple multidisciplinary consultations and invited Zhou Caicun, director of oncology at Tongji University-affiliated Dongfang Hospital and principal investigator of a major study of the drug, to join the consultations.
The cases show why some foreign patients are turning to China: they are not simply seeking cheaper care, but treatment options that may not yet be available at home.
Faster Access to Treatment
Speed is another factor attracting foreign patients.
Xuan, director of Jiahui International Oncology Center, said tests including bone marrow punctures, laboratory work, PET-CT scans, echocardiograms and pulmonary function tests can often be completed and discussed within 48 hours.
The hospital said the average time from a cancer patient’s first consultation to surgery in China can be one to two weeks, while the same process may take months in Europe or the United States. In the U.S., scheduling a PET-CT can take three to seven days, followed by insurance preauthorization.
Jiahui said blood-cancer CAR-T treatment in China costs about one-third of the U.S. price. The hospital recorded more than 100,000 foreign-patient visits in 2025.
Foreigners are also coming for cardiovascular surgery, hemorrhoid treatment and benign gynecological tumors, as well as difficult diagnoses.
At Peking University International Hospital, deputy director Zhou Yongbing said Chinese surgeons, particularly thoracic surgeons, often perform 400–500 operations a year, with some exceeding 1,000. He said this level of clinical volume can give doctors extensive experience with complex cases.
Beyond Cancer
Foreign patients are also seeking help for rare and difficult-to-diagnose conditions.
On July 26, Peking University International Hospital held a multidisciplinary consultation for a child from Bangladesh who had previously sought treatment in Singapore, Bangladesh and India without receiving a clear diagnosis.
Specialists in pediatrics, dermatology, otolaryngology and plastic surgery reviewed the child’s medical history, previous treatment and symptoms before diagnosing congenital ichthyosis, a rare skin disorder requiring long-term management.
The hospital then developed an integrated treatment plan covering the child’s longer-term care.
A Growing International Medical Service
China is expanding services specifically designed for international patients.
Major hospitals providing international medical services recorded 1.28 million international patient visits in 2025, up 73.6% from three years earlier, according to the National Health Commission. Patients from Europe and the United States doubled during the same period.
Nine hospitals announced new international departments in the first quarter of 2026, while at least 20 provinces and cities have introduced international medical service pilots.
These departments generally operate separately from standard medical services and medical insurance, with dedicated registration, examination and inpatient arrangements. Services are more expensive, but they can offer faster access, multilingual support and more individualized coordination.
For foreign patients, language and insurance remain practical challenges. Some hospitals now provide services in multiple languages and begin reviewing medical records before patients arrive in China.
Most foreigners who specifically travel to China for treatment pay out of pocket. Even with international insurance, patients may need to pay first and seek reimbursement later, as fewer than 30% of international insurers currently support direct settlement in China.
For patients like Josh, however, the decision is ultimately about more than price. When treatment options at home are running out, China is increasingly becoming a place where foreign patients can seek new therapies, specialist expertise and faster access to care.
For foreigners already living in China, how easy is it to navigate the local healthcare system? From making appointments and communicating with doctors to paying for treatment and using insurance, what has your experience been like?
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