Medical insurance to cover serious diseases

HU XIAOYI, VICE-MINISTER of Human Resources and Social Security, recently told reporters that the ministry will fully introduce nationwide social medical insurance for serious diseases within the year. Comments:

Public opinion tends to welcome every move that extends the social security net. Actually, with the social security system covering a high percentage of medical costs, patients will be insensitive to prices and choose expensive treatments that might be unnecessary. This might increase the cost of the social security system and bring huge losses that could lead to its collapse. Moves are needed to prevent this.

Feng Jin, a professor of economics at Fudan University, March 18