China's on-spot medical bill settlement policy continues to benefit people

BEIJING -- A growing number of individuals seeking medical treatment have benefited from China's policy allowing cross-provincial on-spot settlement of medical bills through basic medical insurance accounts.

Under the current basic medical insurance scheme, migrant workers, elderly people who relocate to be with their children, and other migrant individuals are allowed to directly settle their medical expenses incurred outside their home provinces.

In 2023, the total number of direct settlements of cross-provincial medical bills reached 129 million, an annual increase of 238.67 percent, according to the latest figures released by the National Healthcare Security Administration.

As of the end of December 2023, on-spot settlement service for cross-provincial inpatient medical bills had been implemented at about 82,300 designated medical institutions nationwide, with over 11.25 million settlements completed during the past year.

Direct settlements of cross-provincial outpatient expenses also saw a surge in 2023, totaling 118 million cases, the administration said.