Medical refunds give hope to impoverished rural households

When I entered Zheng Liangshui's house, I could hardly believe the 50-year-old farmer has been severely ill with cancer. That was because his well-furnished three-story home, containing a tricycle-trailer, a motorcycle and electrical appliances, indicated a decent standard of living for a rural resident.

Appearances can be deceptive, though. In truth, Zheng's family, in Macheng, a city in Central China's Hubei province, is desperately poor.

The family once made a good living by running their own pig farm, but in 2014, Zheng's wife, Tao Congxiang, 49, was diagnosed with sepsis.