Practical planning guide
MRI or CT in China: Confirm Contrast Before Booking
By MyChinaCheckup coordination team · Published
The body region and the use of contrast are separate parts of an MRI or CT request. A quote for a named region does not establish whether contrast is included or appropriate. Ask the ordering clinician and imaging department to confirm the actual protocol before accepting the appointment and price.
Write the region and protocol as separate fields
| Field | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Examination | MRI or CT, with the exact wording of an existing request if available. |
| Region and side | The named body region and any left/right or bilateral specification. |
| Contrast protocol | Without contrast, with contrast, or a protocol still awaiting clinical confirmation. |
| Clinical review | Which clinician or imaging team accepts the request and decides the protocol. |
Do not use “enhanced”, “with contrast” and “more complete” as interchangeable booking labels. Contrast materials can make particular tissues or structures easier to distinguish on images; whether that is needed depends on the clinical question. See RadiologyInfo’s contrast-material explanation.
Make the price describe the accepted examination
Ask whether the quoted total covers the scan protocol, any contrast material, clinical assessment or required preliminary checks, English support and the agreed report or image delivery. A price should not silently change because one side assumed contrast and the other did not.
If the imaging team changes the proposed protocol after review, ask for the scope and price difference before accepting. If contrast is unsuitable or declined, the clinician must decide how that affects the examination; it is not merely a shopping substitution.
Use the Ren’ai offer only within its stated limits
The Ren’ai US$150 single-region MRI offer is an addition to a Ren’ai health-check package, not a standalone appointment or a national MRI price. Contrast costs extra. The confirmed add-on includes the doctor’s order, English accompaniment, Chinese report with English translation and DICOM files.
Ren’ai Select 03 package lists already include one MRI region chosen from head, cervical spine or lumbar spine. Check the exact package before requesting an additional charge. A quoted add-on region and any contrast request still need hospital confirmation.
Let the clinical team set safety and preparation requirements
- Provide the clinician with the existing examination request and relevant previous imaging.
- Tell the team about prior contrast reactions and medical factors they ask you to disclose.
- Ask which preparation or preliminary assessments apply to the accepted protocol.
- Follow the provider’s instructions; do not change medicines based on a web booking guide.
- Clarify what happens to the appointment and charges if the protocol cannot proceed.
This guide does not provide kidney-function thresholds, preventive medication or an instruction to choose contrast. Those decisions require individual clinical assessment.
Confirm images as well as the written report
Ask which images or DICOM files will be supplied, the access method and expected availability. Keep this separate from the written report and its translation. The Ren’ai offer’s stated inclusion does not automatically describe another hospital’s quote.
If you need the results reviewed elsewhere, ask the receiving clinician what files are useful and arrange a practical handover. Delivery of images is not the same as a specialist interpretation or a follow-up appointment.
Confirmed package services and timing
Your selected, confirmed check-up package price includes all listed examinations and consumables, personalised VIP coordination, dedicated English-speaking accompaniment throughout the check-up, and the hospital-issued Chinese report with a full English translation. Extras need a separately disclosed price and your acceptance.
Routine packages usually take 2–3.5 hours on site; additions or separate appointments can take longer. Both reports are delivered within 3–5 working days after all examinations listed in the confirmed package are completed. This is not a deadline for a separate specialist diagnostic or treatment pathway.
For ordinary check-ups, payment can be made after arriving in China, but must be complete before the first examination. Any hospital-required advance payment is explained before you confirm the booking. Booking steps · Cancellation and refund terms.
Sources and service context
- RadiologyInfo (ACR/RSNA): Contrast Materials. General clinical background; it does not establish a local booking or package inclusion.
Discuss your own plan
Explain the appointment or examination scope you want checked. An enquiry is free and does not reserve an appointment. The receiving provider confirms suitability, availability and the written plan.