China's State Council Information Office held a press conference on Friday on the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), introducing measures to promote the high-quality development of the country's medical insurance system and better serve Chinese modernization.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), China built the world's largest basic medical insurance system, with coverage remaining stable at around 95%.
The basic medical insurance drug list expanded to 3,253 medicines, while new technologies and programs were brought under insurance coverage. The reimbursement rates for inpatient medical expenses within the scope of the insurance policy reached around 80% for employees and 70% for residents.
Reforms in medical insurance payment methods and centralized bulk-buying programs were rolled out nationwide. All nationwide pooling areas have implemented immediate settlement between medical insurance funds and designated medical institutions. The rate of direct settlement for cross-provincial medical treatment reached 90%.
Medical insurance funds operated safely and steadily, ensuring timely reimbursement for people's medical treatment and medicine purchases.