Zhejiang Province Foreign Experts Bureau now requires schools to provide medical insurance for their Foreign Experts through PICC (Peoples Insurance Company of China). PICC has set up a group plan for the Zhejiang FEB. The medical insurance provision is now specifically included in the contract and, as well, the FEB requires proof of insurance through the program before it will issue a Foreign Expert Certificate.
For China, the benefits are quite good. Much better than the usual go to the school clinic and we'll take care of it. You get to name a hospital in your locale as your primary care-giver (as long as it's on their list). And it includes some major medical, some accidental death benefits and a small life insurance component.
It is very similar to the general policy that PICC has created for (and I Quote) "Comprehensive Medical Insurance for Foreigners and People from Hongkong,Macao and Taiwan" which can be found on PICC's website. The address is here:
http://www.picchealth.com/english/tabid/496/InfoID/439/frtid/371/Default.aspxYou can get a chinglized idea of the benefits, limits and exclusions there.
The cost of that program is 1680 RMB/year as of last fall. If you have no other options (and your school isn't providing you anything), you might want to check out that IN China policy. The cost for a year is about a one month premium back home.
The Zhejiang FEB group plan has a bit more liberal limits. But my FAO told me the cost to the school was almost the same. In other words, the schools pay about 1600 RMB per teacher for inclusion in the group plan.
She also told me that other provinces are considering a similar scheme. So it may be coming to a neighborhood near you soon if you work in schools subject to your local/provincial FEB.
But again, if you missed it, if you want a cheap, in China med plan, the PICC plan is available to any individual who qualifies as a "Foreigner or people from Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan" (sic).