China expands medical insurance coverage to enhance affordability of rare disease drugs

BEIJING -- More than 50 out of the 75 rare disease drugs approved for marketing in China have been incorporated into the catalog of medicines covered by medical insurance, according to the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA).

To enhance the accessibility and affordability of rare disease drugs, the NHSA has added more qualifying medications to the medical insurance drug list by optimizing the admission procedure and reducing entry barriers.

Efforts have been made to ensure the supply of rare disease medications. As of the end of June 2023, a total of 229,000 designated hospitals and pharmacies nationwide have been stocked with rare disease medicines covered by medical insurance.

The NHSA said that more eligible rare disease medications will be included in the medical insurance drug list to reduce the burden on patients.