China implements additional reforms to its health insurance program
China has implemented additional reforms to its health insurance program, enabling a greater number of individuals to access their relatives' account balances for covering medical expenses.
TroibNews 
China has made further changes to its health insurance program, allowing more individuals to utilize their relatives' account balances for medical expenses.
As of December 9, a program has been introduced nationwide, enabling eligible holders of employee health insurance to connect their personal accounts to those of close relatives via online platforms. This initiative facilitates shared access to funds, as announced by the National Healthcare Security Administration on Thursday.
In recent years, China has been progressively reforming its health insurance system, allowing family members to use funds from employee personal accounts.
The government expanded coverage in 2021 to include spouses, parents, and children. In July of this year, the program was broadened to encompass "close relatives," such as siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren, within the basic health insurance framework.
Data from the NHSA indicates that from January to November 2024, there were approximately 325 million instances of shared usage of employee health insurance personal accounts.
In terms of expenditures, 34.31 billion yuan was spent on personal medical expenses at designated healthcare institutions, 2.07 billion yuan for costs at designated retail pharmacies, and 7.48 billion yuan for various purposes, including individual contributions to the residential basic health insurance program.
All provincial regions in China have currently adopted the practice of sharing employee health insurance personal accounts locally, with cross-provincial sharing still in the implementation phase.
The capability for close relatives to share personal accounts across provincial borders is anticipated to greatly lower family healthcare expenses, bolster resilience against medical risks, and allow relatives in different provinces to effectively manage and allocate funds for medical necessities.
"Cross-provincial sharing involves over 300 million employees and nearly 1 billion residents covered by health insurance, making it a large-scale reform," stated Huang Huabo, deputy director of the NHSA. "This program is expected to be fully operational by 2025, ensuring more sustainable and accessible healthcare for all."
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
As of December 9, a program has been introduced nationwide, enabling eligible holders of employee health insurance to connect their personal accounts to those of close relatives via online platforms. This initiative facilitates shared access to funds, as announced by the National Healthcare Security Administration on Thursday.
In recent years, China has been progressively reforming its health insurance system, allowing family members to use funds from employee personal accounts.
The government expanded coverage in 2021 to include spouses, parents, and children. In July of this year, the program was broadened to encompass "close relatives," such as siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren, within the basic health insurance framework.
Data from the NHSA indicates that from January to November 2024, there were approximately 325 million instances of shared usage of employee health insurance personal accounts.
In terms of expenditures, 34.31 billion yuan was spent on personal medical expenses at designated healthcare institutions, 2.07 billion yuan for costs at designated retail pharmacies, and 7.48 billion yuan for various purposes, including individual contributions to the residential basic health insurance program.
All provincial regions in China have currently adopted the practice of sharing employee health insurance personal accounts locally, with cross-provincial sharing still in the implementation phase.
The capability for close relatives to share personal accounts across provincial borders is anticipated to greatly lower family healthcare expenses, bolster resilience against medical risks, and allow relatives in different provinces to effectively manage and allocate funds for medical necessities.
"Cross-provincial sharing involves over 300 million employees and nearly 1 billion residents covered by health insurance, making it a large-scale reform," stated Huang Huabo, deputy director of the NHSA. "This program is expected to be fully operational by 2025, ensuring more sustainable and accessible healthcare for all."
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
