update - my buddy's credit card provides travel insurance.

Nobody will reject your visa application for filling in "N/A" on the insurance question; I have first-hand experience with this and nobody mentioned it at all.

I'm less risk-averse than most and would trust a Chinese clinic to (very inexpensively) handle most minor problems (flu, broken bones, and so on). In the event of a true emergency, I'd want the closest hospital/doctor anyway. If I needed a major procedure that could be postponed for a bit, I'd head down to HK, and let AMEX sort it out later (supposedly, they cover $100k + evacuation if you submit receipts after the fact, but it's not proper health insurance).

The forms in the last 1.5 years+ that I've come across have the health insurance question. We had it, so it wasn't an issue, but I don't think they check or care. Our travel health insurance is provided by Amex plat card, and I just put the card number down. No way, from that info, that they could verify whether we have it or not, so I think it's just a tickbox.

One possibility is to purchase health insurance, and then cancel within the cancellation period of the policy. The friend won't be covered, but would not strictly be lying when filling out the form.



tb

Yup. We answered no, we got 2year/60 day/multiple entry visas anyway. (She's China-born.)

Begs the question. Why add 2.7 to the visa application regarding
medical insurance?

Maybe China's extension of social security coverage to foreign workers.

Beijing reimburses first foreigner for medical expenses

A foreign worker in Beijing has recently enjoyed medical expenses reimbursement and become the first one in the city to be reimbursed under China's social security system since the country extended social security coverage to foreign workers on Oct. 15, 2011.

http://english.people.com.cn/90882/7746124.html