China’s wealthy look abroad for medical treatment

 29-May-17, New York Times

China's nearly 1.4 billion people depend on a strained and struggling health care system that belies the country's rise as an increasingly wealthy global power. But more and more, the rich are finding a way out.

Image: New York Times / Jasu Hu

Western hospitals and a new group of well-connected companies are reaching for well-heeled Chinese patients who need lifesaving treatments unavailable at home. The trend is a twist on the perception of medical tourism as a way to save money, often on non-critical procedures like dental work and face-lifts. For these customers, getting out of China is a matter of life or death.

Medical care is just one manifestation of China's wide wealth disparity. A new generation of affluent Chinese can seek help at private hospitals or go abroad, even as the rest endure long waits and find their treatment falling short.

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