Long-term care insurance assists China's elderly

HANGZHOU - Lu Yonglin, 79, now has people to help him look after his paralyzed wife, thanks to long-term care insurance introduced in October in Jiashan county, Zhejiang province.

An eldercare provider comes to Lu's home minutes after he calls a service company. A one-hour care package, which includes personal hygiene services and clinical care, costs between 20 yuan ($3) and 80 yuan, and will be covered by his wife's insurance.

Each month, his wife, Zhu Aiying, who receives home-based care, gets 300 yuan in cash plus electronic coupons worth 300 yuan to cover costs.