China mulls adding coronavirus-related medicines to medical insurance list

Chinese authorities are planning to officially include medicines used in the treatment of diseases related to novel coronavirus in the country's regular medical insurance programs.

Staff workers at a TCM pharmacy in Yichang in Hubei province, pack Chinese medicine for patients, on March 27, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

The National Healthcare Security Administration has published a draft work plan regarding adjustments to the list of medicines covered by the medical-insurance system, inviting the public to provide comments and opinions on the draft.

According to the draft, medications for respiratory diseases related to COVID-19 will be added to the list.

As of July 19, China's medical-insurance system had covered 1.23 billion yuan (about 176 million U.S. dollars) of the treatment costs of COVID-19 patients, dealing with 135,500 insurance settlements that involved both confirmed and suspected patients.

The adjustment to the list of medicines is expected to further support the containment of COVID-19 on a regular and long-term basis.

In addition to the COVID-19-related medicines, the draft plan also includes some other newly-approved medicines that are deemed to be in urgent clinical need and several new pediatric drugs.

China adjusts the list of medicines covered by the medical-insurance system on an annual basis.