We conducted a systematic review on the role of private health insurance to complement the social health insurance system towards achieving universal health coverage in China. This review presents the impacts of private health insurance on expanding coverage, increasing access to healthcare, and financial protection.A systematic review was conducted by searching peer-reviewed articles published between January 2000 and March 2018 in Web of Science, PubMed, and China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database. The search terms included coverage prevalence, access and financial protection related to private health insurance in China. A total of 31 studies were selected.Coverage prevalence of private health insurance gradually increased but it was unequally distributed across regions and populations. The expansion of social health insurance has enhanced the total aggregate premium of private health insurance but has had a mixed impact on the take-up of private health insurance. Private insurance beneficiaries were found to limit their utilisation of healthcare services and there was no evidence that it ensured financial protection.The role of private health insurance (PHI) in extending universal health coverage in China was limited and therefore should not be overstated.