Over 1.12 bln people have health insurance e-certificates in China

BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- More than 1.12 billion people enrolled in China's basic health insurance program have received electronic certificates from the government, the country's National Healthcare Security Administration announced Tuesday.

With the e-certificates, people only need to show the QR code instead of their physical health insurance cards for doctor appointments, hospital visits, medical tests and reports, as well as medicine acquisitions, according to the administration.

The e-certificate can be used in more than 800,000 healthcare institutions nationwide, said Xie Zhangshu, an official with the administration.

The e-certificate is part of the services offered by China's national healthcare insurance online platform, which allows insured individuals to access information and obtain various services.

Besides the e-certificate, the administration will also promote the use of electronic medical bills and prescriptions, Xie said.