China plays down concerns over state health insurance scheme, but questions remain over ‘value for the money’
- National Healthcare Security Administration says a fall in the number of participants in the voluntary urban and rural residents’ scheme is just a ‘slight fluctuation’
- Minimum personal contribution has surged by nearly 40 fold in the past two decades, and some do not see ‘enough value for the money’ in the scheme
China’s state health insurance system regulator has called for more enrolment from vast rural areas, while dismissing widespread concerns over a falling participation rate.
The justification came as media reports and field research pointed to waning enthusiasm in the programme thanks to the rising premiums and stagnating incomes amid an economic slowdown.
The NHSA denied there has been a wave of cancellations in the voluntary urban and rural residents’ scheme, which covers roughly just over 70 per cent of China’s 1.4 billion population and is one of the two schemes under the state health insurance system.
About 25 million dropped out of the scheme in 2022, according to figures released late last year, but the NHSA called the fall a “slight fluctuation”.
The administration said the fluctuation was mainly because cross-provincial reimbursement has been allowed since 2022, leading many who used to take out plans in their hometown and their places of work to cut to just one.
Before the reform in 2022, policyholders had been only allowed to claim expenses in one province, which prompted many migrant workers to join multiple schemes.
In short, they find not enough value for the money