Private health insurance set to boom

Growing elderly population is putting pressure on current system, official says

Commercial insurers are expected to play a more important role in providing medical insurance to a rapidly aging population in China, a top health official said on Friday.

The government will encourage the development of various types of commercial insurance to increase people's ability to deal with risks posed by major diseases, Ma Xiaowei, deputy minister of national health and family planning, said at a news conference .