Expats or their employers can purchase commercial health insurance, which covers private hospitals and international medical departments affiliated to some public hospitals. Usually expats are required to have lived in China for more than 180 days before they can buy commercial health insurance. There are no special restrictions on expats' purchasing commercial health insurance in China, except for certain insurance products and certain China-foreign joint ventures which are subject to the policies of the countries where their parent companies are located. All qualified expats are free to purchase commercial health insurance available in China. There are many kinds of products, which should meet their basic needs. For information about specific products and application documents, please consult the insurance company in question.

Source: Expat Guide: Work and Live in Shanghai