China acts to make artificial heart implantation surgery affordable

BEIJING - China has taken steps to make the expensive artificial heart implantation surgeries more affordable, cutting expenditure to a minimum of 700,000 yuan (about 97,600 U.S. dollars), the National Healthcare Security Administration said on Friday.

Artificial heart refers to ventricular assist devices. The reduction in surgery costs will undoubtedly benefit terminal patients, as the device implantation is a critical therapy for managing heart failure.

There are approximately 16 million people suffering from chronic heart failure in China and the incidence rate continues to rise, according to the administration.

The administration said it has issued a set of trial guidelines, encouraging medical device manufacturers to cut excessive price hikes in the distribution process.

The guidelines will also address the high price tags associated with device extraction and adjustment in a bid to promote the clinical popularization of the surgeries.

The authority said it has communicated with five approved artificial heart manufacturers to reduce the prices of the device. The cost of implantation surgery has fallen from the million-yuan-level to as low as 700,000 yuan.

The price cut is helpful for translating medical progress into practical use and ensuring that medical technology benefits more people, said the administration.