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

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- 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 U.S. dollars), of which 2.41 million yuan was covered by medical insurance funds.