The National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) recently released a notice on the key points of the new rural cooperative medical system to map out its highlighted work.

According to the notice, it further increases the fundraising standard. Financial subsidizations at all levels will grow to 320 yuan ($51.80), and the national average per capita payment standard will increase to about 90 yuan. The reimbursement proportion of hospitalization expense will stay above 75 percent, and the reimbursement proportion of outpatient medical expenses will increase to 50 percent. Funds for the new rural cooperative medical system will be used to buy major medical health insurance, helping patients who suffer from childhood leukemia, end-stage renal disease, severe mental illness, AIDS infection and lung cancer. Village doctor general fees will increase 1 yuan based on their previous level. Generally the fee will be no less than 5 yuan.

The notice requires that the grading diagnosis and treatment system should be set up. The supervision to the raising, depositary and use of the fund should be carried out by local healthcare institutions. Healthcare institutions should standardize their services, control the unreasonable increase of medical expenses and increase the efficiency of the funding of the new rural cooperative medical system.

The notice also stressed that provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) should step up the construction of the information platform of provincial new rural cooperative medical system, making sure it can be connected with the national information platform. It will undertake efforts to make such connection in 15 provinces, fully using the information platform to supervise the expense of out-of-town hospitalization.