Test gives prisoners medical insurance

China will conduct a pilot program to enroll inmates in basic medical insurance to protect their legitimate rights, a senior justice official said.

The two-year test will be conducted in Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Hainan, Guizhou and Shaanxi provinces and Chongqing before being rolled out nationally, Wang Jinyi, director of the Prison Management Bureau at the Ministry of Justice, said in an exclusive interview.

"We're in discussions with other authorities, including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and preparing to introduce a regulation to further clarify the details," he said.