Understanding costs and timing

During the free initial conversation, we discuss your situation, possible hospitals, indicative costs and timing. We also make preliminary hospital or department enquiries. Your coordinator is supported by MD/PhD review and supervision from this stage.

Once you decide to proceed, we put the services, prices and terms in writing and sign an agreement with you. Paid work begins with detailed record collection, preparation and translation, or the other support you choose. Hospital consultation and review charges are listed separately.

Choose a package or individual services, and tell us which parts you’ll arrange yourself. We work out the scope and price together, including whether you would like an online hospital consultation.

We help identify fixed charges, estimates and services billed by the visit, day or hour. For hospital deposits, we clarify how the advance payment is applied to your final bill, when further payment may be needed and how any unused balance is returned.

For treatment involving several admissions or cycles, we clarify whether the estimate covers one stage or the full proposed course. Rehabilitation and follow-up should also show the number of appointments included.

If you have a quote from another hospital or country, bring the itemised version. We can go through it with you and check the procedure, medicines, devices and ward arrangements against the Chinese hospital’s estimate.

We put the hospital estimate and Marlinden fees side by side, so you can see where the money goes and discuss the budget with your family.

Your payment schedule should show who receives each payment, what it covers, the currency and due date. We keep hospital payment instructions separate from our service fees and go through cancellation or rescheduling terms before you commit.

• We help confirm the hospital’s payment methods for deposits and final settlement, including transaction limits.
• Tell your insurer the hospital and planned treatment in China. We can help gather the information it requests.
• Get written confirmation from your insurer about prior authorisation, direct settlement and your share of the costs.
• For reimbursement claims, we help organise the invoices, medical reports and translations your insurer requires.
• Include planned treatment, additional care and complications in your coverage questions, as these may be handled differently under your policy.

Keep the insurer’s coverage confirmation with your estimates and receipts, so you have the payment details together when you need them.

We help map out the visit from arrival to follow-up: what can be prepared at home, which appointments need to happen in China and how much recovery time to allow before the journey back.

For surgery, the schedule needs room for preparation, recovery and post-operative reviews. Treatment in several stages may involve intervals at home or a longer stay near the hospital. A health assessment also needs time to discuss the results and arrange any further investigations. We work through the relevant stages with the hospital.

If some dates are still being worked out, consider flexible flights and accommodation that can be extended. Before the return journey, confirm your travel date with the treating team and check whether the airline needs medical documentation.

• I understand which services are free and which paid services I am choosing.
• I have the medical estimate and Marlinden quote as separate items, with their dates and currencies.
• My quotes show what each payment covers and which items are charged separately.
• I know the payment recipients, deposit requirements and cancellation terms.
• I know which dates are confirmed and what still depends on assessment or results.
• My plan includes accommodation, a companion if needed, follow-up and the return journey.

Go through this list with your coordinator before booking. We’ll follow up with the hospital on outstanding costs or dates and keep you updated as they are confirmed.