三级aa视频在线观看-三级国产-三级国产精品一区二区-三级国产三级在线-三级国产在线

National

Regional

Taiwan, HK, Macao

Special Coverage

Focus

Society

Profiles

Healthcare aid to reach more needy families

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-22 19:16

BEIJING: China will gradually expand healthcare assistance over the next three years, by making services accessible to more needy families in both rural and urban areas, according to a government document issued Monday.

Assistance would be expanded to low-income people with serious illnesses and others according to local government standards, said the document issued by the ministries of health, civil affairs, finance, and human resources and social security.

Related readings:  County to continue free healthcare trial  Traditional medicines introduced into basic healthcare program  US$3B in subsidies for rural healthcare  Panacea for a pressing healthcare predicament  Chinese shares up on healthcare reform plan

The scale and the scope of the aid would vary in different parts of the country in accordance with local economic development, and should be decided by local civil affairs and finance departments, it said.

The Chinese government already provides healthcare assistance to urban and rural residents who live on their local minimum living standard and those who receive the "five guarantees" -- food, clothing, medical care, housing and burial expenses -- provided by local governments to those without relatives or employment.

The aid covers their fees to join the new rural cooperative program or to purchase medical insurance, and provides subsidies should their healthcare costs be too high.

But the minimum living standard and the "five guarantees" can only be enjoyed by those who have local residence registration, or "hukou," thus making the healthcare assistance inaccessible to many low-income groups, such as migrant workers in the cities.

A standardized medical aid system with stable funding to provide low-income groups with effective, convenient and timely aid should be established in three years, the document read.

The government will allocate 8.1 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion), a 60-percent increase year on year, from the central budget and the lottery fund this year to provide healthcare assistance for the needy.