Chinese healthcare. Features of medicine of Ancient China

China is famous for its indigenous traditional medicine, which is based on an ancient system of diagnosis and treatment. A characteristic of the quality of Chinese medicine is that it occupies an important place in the medical science of many countries; its methods, including massage, acupuncture, herbal medicine and breathing exercises, are used in a significant number of well-known clinics around the world. Modern China occupies a leading position in the world in such areas of healthcare as the treatment of fractures, burns, limb replantation, abdominal diseases and stem cell treatment. Serious successes have been achieved in the fight against such types of diseases as oncological, immune, cerebrovascular, and cardiovascular.

It should immediately be noted that the healthcare system of the PRC cannot be called particularly developed and progressive; today, many rural areas and their large population are not provided with accessible and high-quality medical services. Since the middle of the last century, a public health care system has been organized in China, but only since 2003 a modern cooperative health care model began to emerge, the basis of treatment of which is based on the principles of insurance medicine. Today's China has begun to form a sufficiently powerful system for training medical personnel, helping to create a significant number of outstanding specialists in Western and Eastern medicine.

Chinese directions of treatment
Treatment in the Republic of China is carried out in three directions: Western, traditional and mixed medicine. Modern medicine is complemented by ancient medicine, which is the specificity and advantage of the Chinese system for providing medical services.

In large cities of China, high-quality treatment is provided in numerous hospitals and clinics of traditional medicine, the largest private and public medical centers of international level, most of which are equipped with modern medical equipment. Several of these hospitals are accredited.

Along with this level of medicine, the impossibility of receiving medical services for the majority of village residents is rampant - they simply cannot afford to pay for a doctor’s services. True, thanks to health care reforms, more and more villagers are beginning to receive preferential health care, thanks to health insurance, which covers almost 90% of the country's population.

Pharmaceutical industry in China

China cooperates with many countries of the world, the number of which is equivalent to a hundred, in the field of medical care, scientific research and training of specialists. Thanks to this extensive cooperation, the World Health Organization has built a number of traditional medicine and pharmacology centers in China. Recently, the development of the pharmaceutical industry is gaining momentum at a rapid pace, and recipes and technologies of traditional medicine are widely used in the drug production process.

About the availability of medical services in China
The most modern type of medical institutions, providing high-class medical services thanks to qualified personnel and equipment, are located in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, as well as some other large cities. Common hospitals in China are "gaogan bingfang" - they are equipped with modern medical equipment and experienced qualified doctors, most of them provide medical services to foreign citizens, local nurses and doctors speak English, which greatly facilitates the provision of medical care to foreigners.

In most large clinics, doctors have a high level of training thanks to training in ancient and prestigious medical universities of the country, and some of them are hereditary healers, which ensures that they find a way to treat the most strange and unexpected diseases, while leaving effective treatment for common diseases inherent in our time .

Additional information for foreigners
All medical services in the Republic of China are paid. Both Chinese citizens and foreigners receive emergency medical care without delay, but with subsequent reimbursement of the full cost of the services provided. A cash deposit is required before elective surgery.

Do not forget that when visiting medical institutions you often have to hire a translator, otherwise the diagnosis, name of the medicine and prescriptions will be impossible to understand. In pharmacies it is not always possible to find the medications that a European or a foreigner is accustomed to, so it makes sense to take the most frequently used ones with you. In Chinese pharmacies you can find bizarre combinations of drugs: from medicinal herbs and traditional Chinese potions to European medicines.

All treatment and medicines for foreign citizens in China are paid, and payment must be provided in cash. Medical insurance services are provided only in certain hospitals, the list of which must be reviewed in advance with the insurance company. In some clinics, medical services are paid in cash on the spot, but upon returning home they are reimbursed by the insurance company according to the invoices provided.

In the event of poor health occurring while outside a large city, all tourists are strongly recommended to call a taxi or use other transport in order to get to the nearest city hospital - rural areas are poorly provided with medical services, most often only basic medical care is available there. Rural medical personnel are for the most part poorly trained, clinics are poorly equipped, and the choice of medications is limited - only for immediate life-saving measures.

The ambulance, in terms of arrival time and equipment, also leaves much to be desired.
Free treatment is provided to those citizens who come to the country to study or work.

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Foreigners traveling abroad in search of quality and affordable medical treatment are the basis of a new, thriving economy for several developed Asian countries, China among them.

In recent years, China has occupied a prominent place in global medical tourism.

Global medical tourism is valued at $40 billion a year, and China is keen to attract a significant share of tourists to its clinics.

The PRC pleases thousands of foreign patients with affordable prices for treatment, high-quality training of doctors, modern technologies and multilingual medical staff.

Medical tourists head to China for cancer treatment, cardiac surgery, orthopedics, stem cell therapy and, of course, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an alternative system that relies on acupuncture and ancient herbal medicine.

Despite the popularity of ancient techniques, the Chinese healthcare system is one of the most progressive on the planet, and local scientists have made enormous strides in cardiology, neurosurgery, traumatology, oncology, and in the study of stem cells.

China's potential as a medical tourism destination cannot be overstated because, in addition to its advanced medical infrastructure, the country has many unique sites and historical attractions. It is not surprising that Western tourists go to the Middle Kingdom for a kind of “medical vacation” - to receive treatment, relax, and at the same time enjoy the local beauty.

Why treatment in China?

China is one of the world's economic colossi, in fact the second economy on the planet. It is also a country with a rich history and diverse culture, which has become a favorite holiday destination for foreigners.

It is also a rapidly developing country, with one of its most prosperous areas being healthcare, which, along with open policies, has led to a significant increase in medical tourism in recent years. Patients from the West, as well as from other Asian countries, flock to China to combine a wonderful holiday with high-quality and inexpensive treatment.

Why should you consider China as a good place for treatment and recreation?

This country has six important advantages:

1. Low cost of treatment

Affordability is a key reason why people travel to China for treatment. For residents of Western countries with huge prices for medical services, the experience of treatment in China looks impressive: a high technological level and good service for an amount that is several times less than in America or Britain. Even a flight across the ocean won’t hurt to save on a major procedure.

2. First-class hospitals and clinics

The healthcare system of the People's Republic of China consists of an extensive network of modern hospitals providing high-quality care. The country already has 25 JCI (Joint Commission International) accredited institutions, and many more hospitals are members of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) or are approved by the American Medical Association (AMA). , American Medical Association).

3. Doctors and surgeons with American certificates

It should not be overlooked that it is important for sophisticated patients to know that they are dealing with medical professionals trained to the highest standards. There are many American Board Certified doctors in China who are fluent in English. This is partly due to the large number of doctors from the States who remained to live and practice in China.

4. A mixture of Western and Eastern medicine

Medical tourists go to China for cancer treatment, heart surgery, joint replacement, and spinal surgery. Also very popular among both local patients and foreigners are: acupuncture for the treatment of pain, depression and osteoarthritis; herbal medicine and alternative treatments for cancer, diabetes, heart disease. In many Chinese clinics, modern Western methods are combined with traditional Eastern recipes.

5. The vacation possibilities are endless.

China has become an important global tourism destination since the advent of its open policy in the 1970s, and the country has now become the third most visited country in the world. History, culture, amazing cuisine, famous places, bustling cities, shopping and entertainment centers - China has everything that can interest tourists.

6. Strong research centers

This is especially true for stem cell therapy and cancer treatment.

Regarding the first, China has the most liberal rules for embryonic stem cell research. Accordingly, in China it is much easier and faster to conduct such research than in Western countries. As a result, many Western scientists are eager to collaborate with Chinese colleagues, and thereby ensure rapid progress in this area of ​​medicine.

As for oncology, the combination of government support and private biomedical investment has led to the level of cancer research and treatment of cancer patients in the PRC almost equaling the best standards of the West.

Health care system in China

China's healthcare system is improving under the influence of the country's economic growth and competent control by the state, the goal of which is to provide high-quality and affordable medical care for all Chinese citizens.

Recent reforms have been aimed at improving the population's access to health care. The new scheme allows wealthy city residents to have health insurance so they don't have to set aside large sums of money in case of sudden illness. The government, as before, provides a guaranteed minimum of medical services for rural residents at its own expense.

In general, the People's Republic of China managed to provide about 95 percent of its population with affordable medical care by 2009, which is an outstanding indicator in the region.

Hospitals and doctors in China

The huge area of ​​China places certain demands on its medical system, and the country, it must be said, is coping with the problem quite well. In China, per 1000 population there are 3.8 hospital beds in medical institutions of all types - large and small, urban and rural, public, joint and private. The Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China conventionally divides all medical institutions into 3 levels, where the best specialized hospitals receive the highest rating - 3AAA.

Service for foreign patients in Chinese hospitals is excellent. The Chinese government decided to apply the prestigious American standards of the Joint Commission International (JCI) - the “gold standard” of hospital quality and safety recognized by the entire Western world. There are already 25 JCI-accredited institutions operating in China, which can safely offer their services to the most demanding patients from Europe and America.

Doctors in China care about patient comfort and high quality treatment, especially surgical operations. They are known for their excellence in areas such as cardiology, orthopedics, oncology and traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese stem cell therapy experts are considered among the best in the world, and many of them are trained at America's most respected medical schools.

Dmitry Levchenko

No matter how great the achievements of traditional Chinese medicine are, for centuries they were available only to the elite, and ordinary Chinese did not have access to medical care. By the beginning of the formation of the People's Republic of China (1949), the average life expectancy was about 35 years, and out of five babies born, one died... The situation changed with the beginning of the reign of Mao Zedong. And over the past 60 years, Chinese healthcare has experienced rapid, complex and at the same time extremely interesting developments to study.

Phenomenal stability of the Semashko system

Already in the early 1950s, China began to build an extensive system of public medical care, modeled on the Soviet one and with enormous help from the USSR, at an incredible pace. Semashko’s healthcare model then turned out to be the only correct way to organize healthcare in a country with a huge population and territory.

Hospitals of various levels, the first medical institutes and schools for training nurses and paramedics began to appear in cities. In rural areas, a three-stage network began to be introduced at the county, volost and village levels. Central district hospitals were organized in the districts, volost outpatient clinics were organized in the volosts, and first-aid posts were organized in the villages, as well as at industrial enterprises.

But if the treatment of workers, office workers and military personnel was carried out at the expense of the state, then the leadership of the PRC was forced to leave medical care in rural areas paid for. But what does paid mean? The paramedic in such health posts was usually from the same village, selected by the authorities for his literacy and completed short-term training courses. It was possible to pay him not only with small coins, but also with a chicken carcass, or... nothing at all, when the poorest fellow villagers came. And if the health center was located in the so-called administrative villages, the sanitary and epidemiological station and the “mother and child health care center” were located in the same building.

At first glance, what fruits could this healthcare system, created in just 10 years, bring, where there was one specialist for thousands of village paramedics and midwives? The fruits, however, were unprecedented in the history of global health, and which in 2010 remain inaccessible not only to the poorest countries in Africa, but even to India, which is as rapidly developing as China.

By the mid-1960s, 80% of China's rural and more than 90% of its urban population had access to a network of medical facilities. Life expectancy has exceeded 50 years, infant mortality has dropped from 200 out of 1000 live births to 30. China became one of the first countries in the world to eradicate a number of infectious diseases, in particular smallpox.

In addition to protecting health, this system ensured economic development and social stability and turned out to be so strong that it withstood two severe blows, which fell mainly on the qualified medical care sector. In the spring of 1960, the “great friendship” of the USSR and China ended, thousands of Soviet doctors and medical university teachers left the country. And six years later the tragic decade of the “cultural revolution” began. Thousands of intellectuals, including those in white coats, went to communes for re-education.

Give me capitalist medicine!

In the thirty years that passed from the beginning of Deng Xiaoping's reforms in 1976 to the Fifth Plenum of the CPC Central Committee, which divided the Chinese "perestroika" into two periods, the development of the country's healthcare took place in a complex and highly contradictory manner. The new leaders overestimated the role of market relations in the development of healthcare, and it has largely degraded compared to the Mao era. However, other things have gone forward.

In 2005, the country's health insurance system covered less than 50% of the urban and only 10% of the rural population. Spending on medicine fell from 2.5-3% of the budget during different years of Mao's reign to 1.7% (with three-quarters of it spent in cities, where about 30-40% of the population lived). And citizens paid more and more medical services out of their own pockets. The average cost of treatment for Chinese people increased incomparably faster than their income, and during the period from 1990 to 2004 increased more than 10 times!

By the way, today the high cost of treatment and medicine ranks first among all social problems in China. Medical expenses eat up about 12% of the family budget, second only to food expenses. The average cost of treatment for a serious illness is now about $1,000, while the average monthly income of a worker is $250, and that of a peasant is three times less.

So, the reformers hoped in vain that the state would be able to ensure the development of healthcare by lowering taxes everywhere, but at the same time reducing its expenses in this industry, while simultaneously opening the doors to medicine to entrepreneurs. Business rushed into the industry of medicines and medical products, and in real healthcare it “rested” on the effective demand of the population for medical services. In 2006, the private sector accounted for less than 5% of the market for all medical services, and today this figure has grown by only a few percent, with the lion's share of commercial healthcare being made up of institutions and private practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine.

In 2005, sociologist Yang Tuan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, wrote: “After the distribution of land plots among peasant families, their income increased, but the lack of a social security system and government allocations for the development of public welfare led peasants to return to isolated way of life. Many government institutions, such as rural schools, medical posts, and nursing homes, are in ruins. China has not invested in the health sector for two decades, relying on people to pay for themselves. Today, WHO ranks China fourth-lowest out of 190 countries for equal access to health care. Only Brazil, Burma and Sierra Leone are behind us, a result the government rightly regarded as 'embarrassing' in one of its official studies."

Address neoliberal biases

And yet, the average life expectancy of the Chinese had increased to 70 years by 2005, not only due to the fact that, thanks to the takeoff of the economy, poverty and malnutrition for the vast majority of the population were replaced by poverty, and for some, modest prosperity. The quality of medical services has increased, including in rural areas. Since 2003, a new mechanism for cooperative medical care has been launched for peasants. And the system of medical care for city residents working at state-owned enterprises has advanced compared to the Mao era. And although some businessmen shied away from the obligation to provide their employees with health insurance, a significant portion of those employed in the commercial sector also received it. The formation of national medical science began. The country was already fully self-sufficient in healthcare personnel. A small stratum of the wealthiest citizens received access to high-tech medical care in Chinese clinics.
The Fifth Plenum of the CPC Central Committee, which determined the main guidelines for the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) in terms of economic and social development, was truly a turning point in the implementation of Chinese transformations. The transition from the concept of enrichment put forward by Deng Xiaoping to the slogan of universal prosperity began, that is, the idea of ​​​​greater social equality began to be realized. The obsession with economic growth rates has given way to the doctrine of sustainable development for the sake of improving the quality of life. The goal was to strengthen social security in order to prevent distortions in economic and social development.

Launched in 2005, after the Fifth Plenum of the CPC Central Committee, health care reform was designed to preserve all the best that had been achieved, and at the same time eliminate “neoliberal distortions.” And in the 5 years since that plenum, China has begun to improve its healthcare just as decisively as in the early 1950s. Budget expenditures on it doubled, exceeding 3% of GDP. The number of newly opened village hospitals and medical posts is measured in the thousands, and the number of county hospitals in the hundreds. Every year, more than 100,000 rural paramedics and nurses take medical qualification courses.

There are other, no less impressive figures, but let’s clarify the main ones. Average life expectancy last year was 72.3 years. Of the 1.3 billion population of China in 2009, 63% of city residents and 85% of peasants were provided with health insurance. And in the second decade of the 21st century, China has plans to create a health insurance system of unprecedented proportions.

Both in breadth and in depth

In October 2008, the Chinese government submitted for public discussion a draft of a new stage of medical reforms, which was approved by the State Council early last year. Let us clarify the key goals of the project: to provide medical insurance to 90% of the population by 2011; create a powerful pharmaceutical industry, not only of generics, but also of innovative drugs; improve the infrastructure of primary basic health care. They decided to allocate $125 billion to implement these plans, and so far investments are going exactly on schedule.

But by 2020, China plans not only to provide 100% of the population with basic medical care, mainly on the basis of budget funding, but also to introduce a multi-level health insurance system. That is, it is expected that a significant part of the Chinese people (planned figures are not specified) by the beginning of the 2030s. will also be provided with insurance covering qualified treatment of most diseases, in a word, the same as is common in developed countries.

Let us remind you that there are currently 3 main health insurance programs in China. Two of them, namely the rural cooperative medical insurance scheme (RCMIS) and the basic medical insurance scheme (BMI) guarantee only basic outpatient and inpatient treatment. But since 2007, the urban resident medical insurance scheme (URMIS) has also been operational, already close to medical “European standards” and providing treatment for most diseases not covered by the BMI policy. In 2007, 41 million people had such policies, and by the beginning of 2010, there were already more than 300 million. If we add to this the wealthy Chinese who do not have insurance, but pay for quality treatment from time to time, then we can cautiously assume that access , albeit not to high-tech, but to high-quality specialized medical care today a third of the country’s population already has.

So, in 10 years will China be able to catch up with developed countries in terms of the state of its healthcare and the level of health of its citizens? The medical sector of China, like the entire Celestial Empire, still remains a land of contrasts, where well-equipped clinics coexist with the house of a village “fershal” from the stories of A.P. Chekhov. But along with the poverty that is becoming a thing of the past, China’s healthcare also has the brilliance of an offensive impulse, the precision in perceiving the best Western achievements and the ability to weave them with the experience of traditional folk medicine. In short, I want to believe that the Chinese people will be able to carry out their plans. What about ours?

5 /5 (ratings: 5)

exclusive

On January 1, 2019, the technical regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU TR 044/2017) came into force « On the safety of packaged drinking water, including natural mineral water,” adopted by decision of the EEC Council No. 45 of June 23, 2017. The relevance of approving international standards in this area is long overdue.

China occupies one of the leading places in global medical tourism. Modern clinics, advanced technologies and highly qualified personnel - Chinese medicine is one of the best in the world.

State clinic in Shanghai

The global medical tourism market is estimated at approximately $40 billion per year. China strives to attract as many tourists as possible from all over the world to its clinics. Thanks to its enormous economic power, China has one of the most developed healthcare systems in the world. Clinics equipped with the most modern medical equipment, highly qualified doctors and medical workers, as well as developed infrastructure allow us to provide medical services at the highest level, while maintaining an acceptable pricing policy.

The times when people went to China for the help of traditional Chinese medicine (based on acupuncture and phytotherapeutic procedures) are a thing of the past; now people come to China for treatment of the most serious diseases: cardiology, oncology, surgery, ophthalmology, endocrinology, etc.

Chinese healthcare system

In China, all clinics, both public and private, are under state control. At the state level, all aspects of the work of clinics are regulated: uniform standards of technical equipment, requirements for the level of education and qualifications of doctors and health workers are introduced.

Since 2003, insurance medicine has been introduced in China and therefore there are no significant differences between services in a private and public clinic. Likewise, there is no difference between serving citizens of the country and foreigners. Foreigners have the right to any medical care. If this is provided for by the insurance policy, then the treatment is free of charge; otherwise, medical services are provided on a paid basis.

Pros of medical tourism in China

Chinese medicine has many benefits:

1. Modern hospitals and clinics

Today there are 35 multidisciplinary clinics in China that have international accreditation. In China, all operating standards of hospitals, both public and private clinics, are regulated at the state level. This guarantees high quality standards of services in any medical institution. China also has advanced research centers, primarily in the fields of immunology, cardiology, oncology, and stem cell research.

1. Highly qualified doctors and health workers

Chinese doctors are trained to the highest standards. Many specialists were trained in the USA, have international diplomas and speak fluent English.

1. Competitive cost of treatment

The cost of treatment for a foreigner in China is lower than the cost of treatment in America or Western European countries. The quality of services provided by Chinese clinics meets all Western standards.

1. Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional methods of treatment are also in great demand both among the Chinese themselves and among foreign patients - acupuncture, phototherapy, stone therapy, hypnosis and other alternative methods of treatment and healing.

What is the best treatment in China?

As noted above, China has advanced diagnostic and laboratory testing methods. China has made many discoveries and know-how in the field of medicine. The following are developed at a particularly high level in China:

• prosthetic and implantation surgeries
• heart surgery
• vascular operations
• study of the hormonal system
• cancer treatment
• treatment of diseases of the digestive system
• musculoskeletal problems
• neurological diseases
• dentistry
• plastic surgery and cosmetology

With its great economic power, China is investing heavily in the development of medicine, and in the near future it has every chance of becoming a leader in global healthcare.

The Chinese government has begun to improve the healthcare and pension systems of the most populous country in the world. Many people have suffered from the global financial crisis. Banks went bankrupt. Market development has slowed down. A recession has arrived. However, amid this chaos, one potentially positive development has occurred: China has begun to take concerted action to strengthen its social safety net. With the global economy in crisis and demand for Chinese goods declining, especially in developed countries, the Chinese government turned its attention to domestic sources of demand. A large-scale fiscal expansion program was launched, with great emphasis placed on infrastructure spending.

However, policies aimed at improving China's pension system and creating a more advanced and efficient healthcare system to cover the entire Chinese population were also important. China's recent moves were just the beginning of this renewed push to create a social safety net that goes some way to reducing income inequality and improving the living standards of more than a billion people. China's reforms come as advanced economies, including the United States and many in Europe, grapple with the long-term costs of pensions and health care.

Reducing the need to save in China
In China, almost everyone saves money. Corporate savings rates are high. The government is a net saver. The population also saves money; moreover, the savings rate is highest among young and elderly groups, which in developed countries, on the contrary, are less inclined to save money than other groups of the population. Much of the high savings rate among older Chinese is motivated by preventive considerations, as people are concerned that, given the average Chinese's long life expectancy, either the rising cost of living or rising health care costs could lead to them running out of money in their old age. may become poor. Even younger families are at risk for costly catastrophic or chronic illness.

Since the market for private health insurance and private annuities is underdeveloped, it is very difficult for a Chinese resident to insure himself against individual risks. Therefore, people have a strong incentive to save more than they really need in order to insure themselves. A stronger social insurance system could reduce the need for this kind of precautionary saving and thus increase private consumption. Increased consumption is in many ways a beneficial by-product of reforms that are in themselves justifiable because they protect the poor and improve living standards. Moreover, they have a positive impact on the rest of the world: part of the growth in Chinese consumption will come from increased imports, which will help reduce global imbalances.

Improving the pension system
For years, China has struggled to address its fragmented and complex pension system, which does not cover large parts of the population and does not provide sufficient protection for those covered by the system. There are marked differences between the pension systems operating in different provinces, as well as differences in pension coverage for rural populations, migrant and urban populations, and even for representatives of different professions. Moving from this tangled tangle to a more coherent system has long been a challenge. However, significant progress has been made in recent years.

Most importantly, in the midst of a global crisis, the government introduced a new rural pension system, which already has more than 55 million participants, and by the end of this year, the system will cover about 23 percent of the population of rural counties. This program pays a basic pension of 60 to 300 yuan, depending on the region and the size of the individual account. Participation in the system is voluntary, and each participant is required to contribute annually from 100 to 500 yuan. Additional funds come from the central, provincial and local governments, but in the lower-income western and inland provinces, the central government covers the bulk of costs. This reform will boost consumption by reducing precautionary savings and, more directly, by increasing the incomes of those who join the new system: more than 16 million people have already started receiving benefits.

At the same time as increasing the coverage of basic pensions, measures are being taken to improve the existing pension system for the urban population. The Government has introduced a system whereby pensions can be transferred from one province to another, and contributions made in one province are counted towards pension benefits, even if the employee subsequently moves to another province. These reforms should help improve labor mobility. In addition, many provinces are trying to pool risk by aggregating pension fund receipts and expenses across the province.

Although changes made due to the global crisis have played an important role in improving the existing system, much remains to be done. In particular, measures could be taken to make pension plans more uniform across the country, so that pensions are more easily transferred from one province to another and to ensure equality between different geographical regions. In addition, it makes sense to simplify the existing system of regional, national and professional pensions. Policymakers should also strive to achieve the ultimate goal of risk pooling at the national level so that China's pension system becomes a truly effective social insurance system that provides a minimum living wage for all of China's elderly population while reducing incentives for high levels of precautionary savings. At the same time, China has an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of developed countries and prevent the short- and long-term fiscal costs of pension reform from getting out of control.

Expanding health system coverage
In addition to reforming the social security system, the Chinese government has announced a comprehensive three-year healthcare reform aimed at providing reliable and affordable healthcare to the entire population by 2020. Key Reform Goals: Make health care more equitable by significantly expanding health care services in rural areas, expanding access to health insurance programs, and reducing the population's share of the cost of health care services. Thus, rural families are reimbursed for 55 percent of health care costs, which demonstrates both significant progress made in recent years - in 2004 this figure was less than 30 percent - and that there is room for further improvement of the system.

Reduce costs through a range of programs designed to fundamentally change the pricing of drugs and health care services and eliminate incentives that encourage overuse of medical procedures and drugs. Over time, it is planned to abandon payment for individual medical services and move to one-time payments to service providers, the amount of which depends on the patient’s disease.

Expand risk pooling by increasing population participation in the health insurance system and increasing the availability of insurance programs throughout the country. Improve the quality of health care by expanding training and research, raising standards of oversight and regulation, and quality in physicians, hospitals, and drugs. Strengthen sanitary and epidemiological surveillance, increase the effectiveness of preventive measures, maternal and child health care, and expand access to government-funded medical education.

Due to this reform, government spending on health will increase by almost 3 percent of GDP between 2013 and 2015. About two-thirds of these additional financial resources will be used to expand health insurance for people in rural areas, as well as pensioners, the unemployed, university students and migrant workers living in cities. By the end of 2013, the government plans to cover 90 percent of the country's population with some form of health insurance program. This will be achieved in part by increasing subsidies for the rural population in connection with participation in health insurance programs. Additional funds will also be allocated to ensure that the population of all rural areas has access to district hospitals, health centers operating in cities and towns and local health posts. To ensure this, the government intends to build 29,000 health centers in cities and towns and 2,000 district hospitals over the next three years. In addition, to staff these health facilities, the government is training 1.4 million health professionals.

Although it is too early to assess results, it should be noted that the government places great emphasis on strengthening the health system, and these objectives are being addressed in a sustainable manner and in a manner that avoids the budgetary problems associated with rising health care costs that characterize many developed countries. It is clear that the Chinese government has stepped up efforts to provide universal basic pensions and quality healthcare to all its citizens. This should reduce the risks faced by older people and, over time, as it becomes clear that the government is capable of providing high-quality, universally accessible health care, it will serve to reduce the incentive for high levels of preventive savings.