Frequently Asked Questions

Sana coordinates China healthcare access for international patients. We help organize records, clarify the medical question, identify suitable hospital or department options, and coordinate appointments, interpretation, admission communication, billing documents, travel logistics, and follow-up after returning home. Diagnosis and treatment decisions are always made by licensed doctors and hospitals.

A travel agency usually focuses on flights, hotels, and itinerary details. A single hospital can only offer its own pathway. Sana focuses on cross-border medical coordination: we start from the patient’s condition, records, language needs, and timing, then help compare feasible hospital routes and connect the appointment, visit support, and care workflow.

Yes. If the diagnosis is not yet clear, we can first organize symptoms, prior tests, medication history, and family history, then help decide whether the next step should be screening, a specialist visit, imaging or pathology review, or a remote second opinion.

A useful first package usually includes passport information, current diagnosis or main symptoms, recent lab and imaging reports, pathology or genomic results if available, prior treatment timeline, current medications, and the 2-4 questions you most need answered. Clearer records make preliminary hospital review much more efficient.

We do not replace a doctor’s clinical judgment. Sana considers the disease area, record completeness, specialist capability, international patient access, timing, and language needs, then suggests hospital or department routes that fit the case. The final choice remains with the patient and family.

Yes. If you already have a target hospital, department, or doctor, we can first check whether that route matches your medical question and help prepare the required appointment materials. If the requested route is not suitable or timing is difficult, we will explain why and suggest alternatives.

Yes. For oncology, complex surgery, rare disease, chronic-condition review, or treatment-plan questions, a record-based review or remote consultation can be a safer first step than booking travel immediately. We help prepare the case summary, key files, and question list.

Timing depends on case complexity, hospital availability, visa needs, and travel planning. In general, initial review and pathway suggestions can move within several working days; confirmed appointments, admission documents, and visa materials usually take longer. For urgent cases, we prioritize the administrative and scheduling steps that can be expedited.

Visa requirements depend on nationality, length of stay, treatment type, and the rules of the Chinese embassy or consulate handling your case. Once the appointment or admission route is confirmed, Sana can help prepare hospital invitation letters, appointment confirmation, and itinerary notes for the application.

Most patients can travel with family support. Whether companions need a medical-companion visa, tourist visa, or other documents depends on nationality and travel plans. We can help prepare invitation letters or itinerary notes based on the hospital arrangement.

Sana can arrange medical interpretation or bilingual accompaniment for registration, waiting, consultations, test navigation, payment, prescription pickup, and explanation of instructions. For diagnosis, risks, and treatment-plan discussions, we help turn the doctor’s conclusions into clear English notes where possible.

Yes. Depending on the city and hospital location, we can help coordinate transfers, nearby hotels or serviced apartments, SIM cards, basic shopping, meal planning, and hospital-day routes. For complex treatment or admission cases, we prioritize options close to the hospital with stable transport and practical family support.

Clinical emergencies should be handled by the hospital emergency department or the hospital’s rapid-response process. Sana’s role is to help the patient and family contact the hospital quickly, translate key information, and coordinate administrative next steps. We do not replace emergency services or medical judgment.

Hospital costs are usually itemized by consultation, tests, treatment, admission, medication, surgery, or special therapies. Prices vary widely by city, hospital level, ward type, and treatment plan. Sana helps separate hospital charges, coordination-service fees, and optional living or travel costs before you proceed.

Requirements vary by hospital and treatment pathway. Some outpatient visits are paid on the day; admission or complex treatment may require a hospital deposit, with the balance settled in stages or before discharge according to hospital policy. Sana explains payment timing and payee details as clearly as possible before confirmation.

Direct billing or reimbursement depends on the insurer, policy terms, hospital relationships, and treatment type. In many cases, patients pay first and submit hospital invoices, receipts, medical records, and English translations for claims. We can help collect and organize the documents needed for reimbursement.

Yes. We remind patients to keep official invoices, payment receipts, test reports, discharge summaries, prescriptions, and medication instructions. When needed for insurance or handover to a local doctor, we can help prepare English summaries or translations.

Cancellation terms depend on the type of cost. Hospital deposits, test bookings, hotels, transport, and Sana service fees may follow different policies. Before confirmation, we try to make refundability, non-refundable items, and rescheduling conditions clear so changes are easier to manage.

Major tertiary hospitals and international departments in China often have strong specialist capabilities and established patient processes, but experience varies by city, hospital, department, and language support. Sana prioritizes clinical capability, process clarity, international-patient experience, and communication feasibility.

No. Every medical procedure carries individual variation and risk, so no cure or specific outcome can be promised. Sana coordinates access and information; we do not provide diagnosis or outcome guarantees. Before treatment, the doctor should explain options, expected benefits, risks, and uncertainties.

Yes. After the visit, we can help organize the doctor’s conclusions, test plan, medication schedule, follow-up timing, cautions, and next questions. For discharged patients, we can help translate or summarize key records for the patient’s local doctor.

This depends on the hospital and doctor’s availability. Sana can help submit follow-up records, coordinate remote review where available, or transfer new test results to the original care team. If local care continues, we help prepare handover materials.

Medical records are used only for case review, hospital communication, and service coordination. We recommend sending files through designated secure channels and obtaining patient authorization before sharing records with hospitals or doctors. Personal medical files are not used for unrelated marketing purposes.