Tibetan farmers and herders will have their hospital expenses partly covered by the government this year, even if they do not join a medical cooperative.

This is a new policy adopted in the Tibet Autonomous Region, said Wang Jianpeng, an official with the regional health department.

Over 80 percent of Tibetan farmers and herders have joined the medical service cooperation, a system which partly pays medical expenses.

In the autonomous region, a farmer can join for 10 yuan (US$1.2) each year. The central and local governments will share another 30 yuan for his yearly membership.

Medical service expenses of a cooperative member will be reimbursed by the cooperation pro rata and a member can get a maximum of 3,000 yuan (US$360) every year.

But those who do not join in the system have to shoulder the burden themselves when they are hospitalized.

The new policy, however, provides non-members a chance to have their expenses shared by government, Wang said.

"But cooperation members can have larger part of their expenses covered by the system," Wang said. "They can enjoy a 20 percent higher reimbursement proportion and for those who suffer serious diseases and are unable to afford a large sum of hospital expenses, the cooperation will give them further reimbursement."
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(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2004)