So, if a Gweilo* falls in a Mainland forest, does anyone hear?

Being a foreigner (or anyone for that matter), having an accident or emergency medical event in the Mainland, can create a potentially deadly chain of events. If you are traveling with someone speaking Mandarin and have a pocket full of RMBs, you could potentially at least get taken to a hospital (which creates of whole new range of issues, from dirty needles, to emergency rooms so bad, you may be exposed to an unknown number of germs and diseases). Even Southern Mainlanders would prefer a hospital in Hong Kong than a local hospital. Of course, there are always exceptions; you could find a better medical option perhaps in Shanghai or Shenzhen, or maybe not. And you better have some cash and your medical records with you. But what if you are alone, unconscious, or traveling with mainland staff that are injured or dead and can't speak? Your BlueCross or Cigna card is not likely to get you off the side of the road. Perhaps if you are a Gweilo, maybe someone will cart you to a hospital thinking your living carcus might be worth a reward or compensation. So, what do you do? Best to drag your body back to Hong Kong where they have world class hospitals and take credit cards. Or, just don't have a heart attack or car accident in the Mainland. Surprisingly, most foreigners don't have a plan. They may have an "international" health care card, but won't help much if written in English with a foreign phone number to call and no one call read it or make a foreign call on their mobile. You are still on the side of the road, bleeding out. When this was pointed out to one international insurer, their solution was to print their insurance cards in larger, bold type (still in English). Sort of like trying to get someone to understand you by talking louder and slower. "CARDIAC ARREST!" does sound more important than, "uh, what about this chest pain I'm having?" But, you are likely still on your way to deadville. There are options. You can purchase insurance for the Mainland. But you still need to find a real hospital in the limited time you have to find one and the right people to get you there. Your Platinum AmEx card as benefit will have you flown out of an area to better medical care, but you got to stay alive long enough to use it, and someone who can know enough how to use it for your head in still embedded in the van's dashboard. So, best bet, have someone that can easily be contacted, carry some cash, and, if a Gweilo, you may want to have return alive for reward card in Mandarin. The Take-aways: maybe that daily aspirin and jogging recommendation is a good idea after all...and wear your seat belt. *Gweilo- used to mean "White Devil" in the old days in HK. Now, not usually an unfriendly term for a foreigner, unless the words "idiot" or "damn" is in front of it...