Sun Xiaolei: Digital tech makes critical illness assistance more accessible

Sun Xiaolei, partner and vice-president of Waterdrop Inc, shared her insights in an interview on the sidelines of the 2026 World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum - highlighting that digital technology has greatly improved the accessibility of critical illness assistance.

She noted that digital technology, powered by mobile internet and artificial intelligence technologies, enables people in remote areas to gain easier access to comprehensive and reliable channels for critical illness assistance and to choose full-cycle protection plans at lower costs.

The application of digital technology is helping address long-standing pain points in critical illness assistance, such as isolated information, single-channel support and lengthy procedures, she added.