China has announced a significant expansion of its basic medical insurance scheme by enriching its medical insurance drug catalog, increasing centralized medicine procurement, and incorporating more medical services into the plan, according to a recent conference on medical insurance work.
Data presented at the meeting showed that, as of November 2023, the basic medical insurance fund had a total income of 3.11 trillion yuan (about $427 billion) and a total expenditure of 2.63 trillion yuan, leaving a current balance of 459.1 billion yuan in the pooled fund for the coming year. These figures indicate that China’s medical insurance fund is operating steadily, with sufficient funds to cover the medical expenses of insured individuals.
According to details released at the industry work conference, 91 new drugs have been added to the latest national medical insurance drug catalog, bringing the total number to 3,159. The most recent round of centralized procurement has also reduced the prices of another 62 medicines for Chinese patients, making essential medications more affordable and accessible.
In addition, the majority of Chinese localities have added assisted reproduction services to the scope of medical insurance reimbursement, benefiting more than a million people so far this year, the conference revealed.
Meanwhile, there are 640,000 medical institutions and pharmacies nationwide that support direct settlement of medical expenses across different localities, providing 213 million services for insured people as of November. Compared to the same period last year, the number increased by 87.98 percent, significantly enhancing the convenience of medical services for residents across the country.
As a result of a nationwide campaign to fight medical insurance-related fraud, a total of 24.23 billion yuan worth of medical insurance funds have been recovered by relevant departments at all levels from January to November 2023, according to the conference.
(With input from Xinhua)
Reference(s):
China expands medical insurance, boosts accessibility and coverage
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