The reimbursement rate for hospitalization expenses under the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme will be raised by more than 5 percentage points again this year.

Xinhua News Agency, Lanzhou, July 5 (Liang Jun, Li Chunyan) - Li Bin, director of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said on July 5 at the National Health Poverty Alleviation Work Conference held in Lanzhou, Gansu, that this year the reimbursement rate for hospitalization expenses within the scope of China's New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme policy will be raised by more than 5 percentage points again.

Li Bin introduced that according to data from the poverty registration records of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, 42% of China's rural poor population became poor or returned to poverty due to illness, and in some places the figure is as high as 50%. Among various causes of poverty, illness-induced poverty ranks at the top in every region.

It was introduced that at present China's New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme has covered more than 97% of rural residents, and the reimbursement rates for outpatient and hospitalization expenses within the scope of the policy have reached about 50% and 75% respectively, further strengthening the ability of the universal medical insurance system to guard against major illness and provide a bottom line.

"The reimbursement rate for hospitalization expenses within the scope of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme policy must be raised by more than 5 percentage points again this year. Through measures such as lowering the deductible line for critical illness insurance and raising the reimbursement rate, we will effectively reduce the burden of medical expenditures on rural poor patients with major illnesses," Li Bin said.

Li Bin said that next, China will strive to achieve full coverage of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme, critical illness insurance and medical assistance for major and extremely serious diseases for the rural poor population, make New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme and critical illness insurance policies favor the rural poor population, and, in combination with classified treatment, "group-style" paired assistance, tiered diagnosis and treatment, and preventive health care, promote the implementation of the health poverty alleviation project with practical results. (End)