China adjusts medical insurance to ease financial burden of COVID-19 patients

BEIJING -- Regional medical authorities in China are adjusting medical insurance policies to address the medical needs of COVID-19 patients.

These policies specified the medical insurance reimbursement rates for medical bills generated from COVID-19-related outpatient and inpatient treatment and online medical services.

In the meantime, local medical authorities in several provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Hubei, Guangxi, Yunnan and Anhui, have made a number of drugs used for treating COVID-19 infection symptoms reimbursable as well.

These adjustments have significantly relieved COVID-19 patients of their financial burdens. For instance, as per a new local policy introduced in East China's Anhui province in December, residents covered by medical insurance can have 70 percent of the fees generated from outpatient COVID-19 infection treatment reimbursed.

As of Tuesday, the medical bills from these outpatient treatments in the province totaled 3.69 million yuan (about $535,357), of which 2.41 million yuan was covered by medical insurance funds.