Social stability and harmony highlight the progress of a society, but a social security net, which covers all members of society, is needed to guarantee that stability and harmony. One of priorities of the government, therefore, is to put in place such a security net.

Among all social insurance, medical insurance is the most important one, and since 2011 commenced Yuxi City of Yunnan Province implemented a regulation aimed at improving the quality of basic medical care and health levels of rural residents in Hongta District and Xinping County.

According to the regulation, Yuxi will raise government subsidies on basic medical insurance for farmers within the framework of the new rural cooperative medical system to 250 yuan from 100 yuan per person per year.

If an individual joins the rural cooperative medical system, the inpatient reimbursement at a township hospital is 95 percent, 65 percent at a county hospital, and 40 percent at a provincial hospital. The maximum refund rises to 60,000 yuan, which is twice as much as the previous amount. Outpatient reimbursement also rises to 200 yuan.

Additionally, if the inpatient costs exceed 10,000 yuan, members are eligible for a critical disease reimbursement of no less than 45 percent of the cost paid by the individual, with a maximum of 50,000 yuan.

Farmers' general lack of wealth means health care costs can quickly manifest into a major burden or worse. Kong Xianggeng, secretary of Yuxi City Party Committee, said the city's GDP and fiscal revenue have quadrupled the past eight years, but farmers' income has not.

"According to the concept of 'serving the people,' we need to enable people to enjoy the achievements brought by social development. So the regulation to largely improve farmers' medical insurance is a policy to enable them to enjoy those achievements," Kong said.

Farmers account for 70 percent of the Chinese population and have contributed significantly to the development of the nation. However, differences between rural and urban areas prevent them from getting the same access to medical services as urban residents receive.

Many farmers seldom go to a hospital when they get a minor disease and refuse to get any medical treatment when they are seriously ill because of the high costs. An illness is enough to reduce some families to poverty. Yuxi's regulation enables farmers to get the same medical services as urban residents.

Some have dismissed the effort to improve people's medical care and health levels as excessive welfare, but medical insurance is essential for a civilized society. That's why China is attempting to advance its medical reforms to ensure that coverage is broad, basic, and sustainable.

2,000 years ago a Chinese philosopher said his ideal of a civilized society was one in which individuals respect the old and love the young of their families, and also extend such respect and love for the old and young of other families. In effect, this is what Yuxi City is trying to create – a necessary social security net that covers all members of the community.

The author is a reporter of China Daily based in Kunming.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn

(This article was translated by Zhang Ming'ai.)