Long-term care trial covers 38m elders

A pilot insurance program for seniors who require long-term care due to illness or disability now covers more than 38 million people in 14 cities, the top social security authority has said.

Four cities have already paid compensation to claimants, including Shanghai and Qingdao, Shandong province, and 300 million yuan ($45.3 million) was paid out to reimburse the costs of more than 400,000 long-term care services last year, according to Lu Aihong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

On average, claimants are refunded 70 percent of their costs, which can help relieve many families of an economic burden, he said.