In 2001, China ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Since then, China has shown commitment to secure the right to health for all without discrimination and to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). However, past literature shows disparities remain in healthcare access among China’s migrant workers, despite a broad health coverage rate across the nation and achievements on UHC. This paper aims to identify the legal obstacles contributing to the persistent inequalities in healthcare access for migrant workers in China, and the solutions adopted over the last decades to overcome them. Our paper constitutes interesting lessons for advancing health coverage worldwide, particularly in the migrating populations. We argue that, despite the high coverage rate, China’s multi-health coverage approach leads to unequal financial protection between insurance holders. When coupled with more than 70 years of rural–urban segregation policies, China’s national policies create grounds for discrimination against rural-born migrant workers in terms of healthcare access. The limitations that persist indicate the need for further policy reforms to ensure equal protection, and ultimately equal rights to health for all.