Govt to streamline health insurance payments over next 3 years

China plans to enhance the convenience and efficiency of healthcare insurance payments over the next three years, the National Healthcare Security Administration announced on Thursday.

The initiative aims to address widespread issues such as long waiting lines for payments at hospitals and cumbersome procedures.

The administration said it will promote the establishment of an integrated, convenient payment system that incorporates facial recognition, one-code, mobile and credit payment options across outpatient, emergency and inpatient services.

Facial recognition payment eliminates the need for physical cards or mobile devices, making it particularly accessible for elderly patients who may forget their cards or are less familiar with smartphones.

One-code payment enables patients to complete medical insurance reimbursement, personal account deductions, and out-of-pocket payments with a single scan, while mobile payment significantly reduces the need for in-person queuing.

Credit payment, based on contractual agreements between insured individuals and banks, allows banks to cover patients' out-of-pocket medical expenses within a preapproved credit limit, offering the option of seeking treatment first and paying later.

In addition, provincial healthcare security authorities are required to select at least two cities next year to pilot and advance the convenient payment system, with the goal of implementing it across all designated insurance hospitals nationwide by 2028.