Put both estimates into the same categories before comparing the totals. Confirm what is included, what is excluded, what could change and who will answer questions after you return home. A lower headline price does not tell you whether the two offers cover the same care.
This is an original planning worksheet, not a price survey or a recommendation of a provider. Use your browser's Print command to keep a blank copy; no signup is required. Fill it in privately using written estimates from the providers.
Step 1: Check that the offers describe the same plan
Record the proposed procedure or service, the clinician's current assessment, the quote date and the assumptions behind each estimate. Ask the treating teams to explain differences in clinical scope. Do not decide that two procedures are interchangeable because their names look similar.
Keep the original estimates alongside this sheet. Write unknown for a missing answer; do not turn an empty field into a zero cost.
Step 2: Copy both estimates into one worksheet
Use a separate line for each charge when the provider supplies more detail. Mark each cell included, excluded, conditional or unknown, then add the quoted amount and currency where available.
| Cost or responsibility | Provider A: written answer | Provider B: written answer |
|---|---|---|
| Quote date, expiry and currency | ______ | ______ |
| Named procedure and scope | ______ | ______ |
| Clinician and anaesthesia charges, if relevant | ______ | ______ |
| Facility charges and included nights | ______ | ______ |
| Tests, medicines, devices or implants | ______ | ______ |
| Interpretation and records translation | ______ | ______ |
| Planned rehabilitation or follow-up visits | ______ | ______ |
| Extra nights or a changed treatment plan | ______ | ______ |
| Unplanned care: who provides it and who pays | ______ | ______ |
| Deposit, balance dates and cancellation terms | ______ | ______ |
| Records supplied at discharge | ______ | ______ |
| Contact and follow-up arrangements after return | ______ | ______ |
Keep flights, accommodation, companion costs, local transport and any separately arranged insurance in a second budget. Record the exchange-rate date if you convert currencies. A conversion makes amounts comparable on paper; it does not fix the eventual payment rate.
Step 3: Resolve the gaps before comparing totals
The CDC's medical tourism guidance advises checking included services and follow-up costs, planning for complications and checking insurance coverage. That guidance is written primarily for U.S. travellers; it is not a statement of Chinese billing rules or your insurer's obligations.
Send each provider only the questions relevant to its estimate:
- Which listed items are outside the quoted total?
- What assumptions would cause the estimate to change, and how would I be told?
- If the clinician changes the plan after assessment, what happens to the deposit?
- Which follow-up appointments are included, where do they occur and who arranges care at home?
- Who can give me the written payment and cancellation terms?
Record who answered and when. A coordinator's explanation is useful, but ask for revised written terms when it changes the offer. This worksheet does not establish that a deposit is refundable or that insurance covers planned treatment or complications.
Step 4: Name what is still undecided
End with three lines: confirmed costs, conditional costs, and unanswered responsibilities. If important responsibilities remain unclear, the totals are not yet a complete comparison. Discuss the clinical plan with your clinicians and coverage with your insurer before making a commitment.
Continue with the medical records checklist and the planning guide for orthopaedic surgery in China. The Money section keeps financial preparation separate from clinical suitability.
Source checked on 12 October 2026. Categories and blank fields are editorial planning tools, not a provider-endorsed form or licensed clinical review.