Li Bin: Deepening the Reform of the Medical and Health Care System

(en.nhfpc.gov.cn)

Updated: 2014-08-24

4. Giving the General Public Tangible Benefits and Arousing the Enthusiasm of the Medical Staff

The ultimate goal of these efforts to deepen the health care reform is to benefit the people. As public welfare, the provision of medical and health services is oriented toward the whole society and to the general public in a universal manner. Whether it comes to the effort to deepen the reform of the health care system or it comes to the effort to promote the development of the health care sector, we must always adhere to the principle of providing health services to the general public. Efforts will be made to safeguard health rights and interests of the general public, as well as create a good atmosphere in which doctors and other medical workers are respected. Efforts will also be made to fully arouse the enthusiasm of the medical staff, induce their initiative and creativity, and enable them to voluntarily participate in the reform, support the reform and stand up for the reform.

III. Further Defining the Key Tasks of Deepening the Health Care Reform

The near future is a decisive stage during which the efforts to deepen the health care reform will see breakthroughs. It will be a heavy and arduous task for us to deepen the reform. The fundamental philosophy that basic medical and health care should be provided for all Chinese people as a public good must be adhered to and efforts will be made to further deepen the reform in such areas as medical guarantee, medical services, public health, and the system of medical supplies. This requires following the standards to strengthen institutions at the community level, establishing relevant mechanisms and make overall planning advance in a progressive manner.

1. Improving the Universal Health Care System

The universal health care system is the foundation of the basic medical and health care system with Chinese characteristics. In next-stage reforms, more efforts will be made to improve the system. Firstly, efforts will be made to gradually increase subsidies for those covered by the basic health insurance system for urban residents and the new rural cooperative medical system; push forward the establishment of the medical insurance system for urban and rural residents with major diseases; and improve the payment capability of the basic medical and health care system and the level of security standards for serious and major diseases. Secondly, more efforts will be made to reform the payment system of basic medical and health care and promote such comprehensive forms as diagnosis related groups (DRGs), capitation and global budget. This will help achieve the dual goal of improving the quality of medical services while curbing the rapid increase of medical cost. Thirdly, efforts will be made to improve the management and services of basic medical and health care, push forward real-time reimbursement of payment for basic medical and health care and medical aid, and establish the settlement mechanism for the reimbursement of payment for medical and health care in places other than the residence of a patient. At the same time, efforts will be made to gradually improve the management system, strengthen management functions and improve operational efficiency of the management. Fourthly, efforts will be made to improve the medical aid system for urban and rural residents, accelerate the improvement of the medical insurance system for serious and major diseases and the medical aid system, improve the illness emergency rescue system, and lay a more solid foundation for medical security. Fifthly, efforts will be made to develop commercial health insurance, support the development of commercial health insurance coupling with basic medical and health care insurance so as to meet the multi-layered needs of health security.