National healthcare security covers 67% of medical bills for COVID-19
China's national healthcare security system has paid more than 1.2 billion yuan ($171.34 million) for patients confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 infections as of July 19, the healthcare authority said on Tuesday.
According to the National Healthcare Security Administration, a total of 1.232 billion yuan has been covered, accounting for 67 percent of the total 1.847 billion yuan for the COVID-19-related bills on the system.
The administration introduced a policy at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak to prioritize medical treatment process over payment, to ensure patients can get timely medical attention without worrying about the medical bills. The administration has also allocated special funds to medical institutions undertaking COVID-19 treatment.
China has been putting forward policies to alleviate financial pressure on individuals and businesses from the coronavirus crisis. Starting from February, local healthcare authorities reduced the amount of healthcare insurance that needs to be paid by companies for employees. The policy is expected to reduce the overall bill by over 1,150 billion yuan for enterprises.
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