Quotes for cross-border care vary wildly not because hospitals overcharge, but because three cost blocks get bundled into one number: technology and drugs, hospital and service charges, and the facilitator or coordinator fee. Separate them and prices become comparable.
Published ranges by therapy
- CAR-T cell therapy: seven products are approved in China; a single course — manufacturing, conditioning and admission included — runs at roughly one-third to one-fifth of Western list prices, depending on product and hospital.
- Proton and carbon-ion radiotherapy: the Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center publishes an average course cost of around RMB 310,000, with a course typically lasting four to six weeks.
- Surgery: costs vary widely by procedure; robotic or multi-visceral resections quote materially higher than standard resections. There is no single price — quotes must be itemised by procedure and length of stay.
- Drugs and immunotherapy: billed monthly; domestic PD-1 agents and imported drugs differ substantially, so the specific molecule and dosing schedule must be confirmed.
Our coordination fee (fixed and published)
- USD 199: case-review deposit, fully refundable before the itinerary is confirmed;
- USD 999: record translation, written specialist opinion, hospital and specialist matching, cost estimate, visa invitation support;
- USD 3,999: adds admission arrangements, on-site interpretation, accommodation and transport coordination, discharge and remote follow-up.
Extra costs most often missed
- Complications: febrile neutropenia, ICU transfer or readmission can materially raise the total;
- Accommodation and a companion: the longer the course, the larger this share; in Shanghai, prices near the hospital can be several times those in outer districts;
- Flights and visa costs, plus rebooking losses if treatment is interrupted.
These ranges come from public information and hospital disclosures, are estimates for budgeting rather than a quotation, and the treating hospital’s itemised bill is final.