China is taking family care to the next level! As of December 9, the Chinese mainland has expanded its health insurance program, allowing more individuals to tap into their relatives' health insurance account balances for medical expenses. 🩺❤️
Under the new program announced by the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) on Thursday, eligible holders of employee health insurance can link their personal accounts with those of their close relatives through online channels. This means grandma, grandpa, siblings, and even grandchildren can now share in the benefits! 👵👴👫👶
This move is like unlocking a new level in a game—more lives for everyone! 🎮 In recent years, China has been continuously reforming its health insurance system, gradually allowing funds in employee personal accounts to be used by family members. Back in 2021, coverage was expanded to include spouses, parents, and children. Now, the circle of care includes \"close relatives\" under the basic health insurance program.
According to NHSA data, between January and November 2024, there were around 325 million instances of shared use of employee health insurance personal accounts. That's a lot of family love! 💕 In terms of spending, 34.31 billion yuan (about $4.77 billion) was used for personal medical expenses at designated healthcare institutions, 2.07 billion yuan for expenses 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 now implemented the sharing of employee health insurance personal accounts within their respective areas, with cross-provincial sharing still rolling out. 🌐 This means families spread across different provinces will soon be able to manage and allocate funds for medical needs seamlessly.
\"Cross-provincial sharing involves over 300 million employees and nearly 1 billion residents covered by health insurance, making it a large-scale reform,\" said 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.\" 🗓️✨
This healthcare reform is set to significantly reduce family healthcare costs and enhance resilience against medical risks. It's a game-changer for families, bringing everyone closer, quite literally! So, whether you're in Beijing or Shenzhen, sharing is caring has taken on a whole new meaning. 🌟
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
