Health insurance available to tourists in Tibet

Tourists in Tibet can buy insurance to cover medical bills for altitude sickness and receive emergency aid services beginning in late May, the Tibet Tourism Bureau and Tibet branch of the China Life Insurance Company Ltd said.

The insurance costs 100 yuan ($16.30) and is valid for 15 days.

Its benefits include 20,000 yuan compensation for medical bills, and 680,000 yuan in emergency-aid services.

Li Shuang, general manager of China Life Insurance’s Tibet branch, told China Insurance News that the insurance company will work with the International SOS company to provide the emergency aid.

The total amount of the compensation could add up to 1 million yuan.

“The insurance could comfort the tourists who are afraid of visiting Tibet, help them get rid of their worries,” Li said.

Tourists arriving in Tibet can buy the insurance near airports, railway stations, and coach stations, China Insurance News reported.

Surveys show about 30 percent of tourists in Tibet suffer from altitude sickness, which could lead to symptoms such as edema in the brain or lungs.

Tibet received about 10.58 million tourists in 2012 with a total revenue of 12.65 billion yuan.