The government yesterday issued new guidelines on the management
of the rural cooperative medical scheme, which provides subsidized
healthcare for farmers.
Jointly released by the health and finance ministries, and the
State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, they provide
provincial governments with more details of how funds should be
allocated.
Under the scheme, which was launched in 2002, for each farmer
who makes a voluntary annual payment of 10 yuan (US$1.30), the
central and local government will contribute a further 40 yuan to
the insurance fund.
In times of illness, members of the scheme can apply to have up
to 20 percent of their inpatient medical fees refunded.
Currently, in the majority of areas, the scheme does not cover
payments made for outpatient care. However, the new guidelines call
on local administrations to address this and urge them to gradually
extend the range of cover provided.
At a press conference earlier this month, health minister Chen
Zhu said the government was committed to the first principle of
medicine that prevention is better than cure.
"We won't allow minor conditions to be left unattended and
develop into serious ones," he said.
The government will continue to seek ways to add funds to the
scheme to enable more people to benefit, he said.
In June, the government allocated 9.4 billion yuan (US$1.25
billion) to the fund, which has since been distributed to local
health administrations in 23 provinces - 19 in central and western
regions, and four in the east.
The new guidelines state the fund can be used only to subsidize
farmers' medical bills and not to finance other public health
programs.
The percentage of fees reimbursed should also be "balanced"
across the country to ensure all farmers benefit from the country's
economic growth.
The guidelines further suggested that scheme members who make no
claim on the fund over a 12-month period, should be rewarded with a
free checkup.
The cost of giving birth at hospital should also be covered by
the scheme, it said.
The guideline said in all cases, it must be made clear what
percentage of their fee a farmer is entitled to reclaim.
Also, as most farmers have a limited cash flow, reimbursements
should be made on the spot, the guideline said.
(China Daily September 26, 2007)
