Coverage of China's basic medical insurance stable

BEIJING -- The National Healthcare Security Administration said Monday that the coverage of China's basic medical insurance is stabilized at over 95 percent and that the quality of the system had continuously improved.

Data from the administration shows that from 2003 to 2023, the government's contribution to basic medical insurance for rural and non-working urban residents rose faster than the personal part, which offers further support for low-income households and other people in need.

To be specific, if an ordinary resident is insured continuously from 2003 to 2023, the individual contribution is 2,640 yuan (about 371.9 US dollars), accounting for about 30 percent of the total premium.

Throughout the years, a total of 744 drugs have been added into the medical insurance catalog, and more than 80 percent of innovative drugs can be included within two years after entering the market.

Currently, the reimbursement rate for inpatient medical bills covered by basic medical insurance for rural and non-working urban residents is about 70 percent.

In 2023, individuals paid 349.7 billion yuan of the total premium of basic medical insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, while the government subsidy was nearly 697.8 billion yuan.

In this year's government work report, the government pledged to improve medical services with a patient-centered approach.