Red Star News:

According to the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, it calls for promoting coordinated development and regulation of medical insurance, medical services, and pharmaceuticals. What work has been done in this regard? And what work should be considered in the next step? Thank you. 

Li Tao:

Thank you for your questions. Since the establishment of the NHSA, it has attached great importance to the fundamental role of medical insurance in the coordinated medical service, medical insurance, and pharmaceutical reforms. It has also promoted positive interaction and coordinated reforms between the medical security system and medical service system, as well as the drug supply system.

First, we focus on reducing the burden of seeking medical treatment for the general public. By improving the medical security system with basic medical insurance as the main body, medical assistance as the support, and with the joint development of other tools, such as supplementary medical insurance, commercial health insurance, and charitable donations, the proportion of health care expenses borne by individuals has constantly reduced.

Second, we have promoted the high-quality development of medical institutions. We have improved payment methods and incentive and constraint mechanisms for medical insurance and comprehensively promoted the diversified, compound medical insurance payment model based on disease-related payment. In 2022, 206 cities in China adopted the new payment model, which charge hospitalization fees based on DRG and DIP classification. We have guided medical institutions to change their development models, taking actions to control costs, and regulating medical behavior. 

Third, we have supported and encouraged pharmaceutical technological innovation. Through measures such as bulk government purchases, and making timely adjustments to the catalogue of medicines covered by medical insurance, we have supported the rapid entry of innovative drugs and medical devices into clinical use, and promoted the high-quality development of the pharmaceutical industry.

In the next step, in accordance with the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we will continue to further promote the coordinated development and regulation of medical insurance, medical services, and pharmaceuticals.

First, we will promote both a well-functioning government and an efficient market. We will make bulk government purchase a regular and institutionalized practice, upgrade the functions of the pharmaceutical procurement platform, improve the pricing mechanism for pharmaceutical services, and deepen the supply-side reform of pharmaceutical services.

Second, we will promote better coordinated reforms of medical insurance and public hospitals. We will deepen reform of public hospitals to see that they truly serve the public interest, coordinately advance the expansion and balanced regional distribution of quality medical resources. We will also support the modes of graded diagnosis and treatment, and the healthy development of community-level healthcare institutions.

Third, we will promote medical insurance reform and pharmaceutical innovation to reinforce each other. We will make timely adjustments to the catalogue of medicines covered by medical insurance so as to ensure the new drugs and technologies be able to benefit people in a timely manner and jointly promote the high-quality development of the pharmaceutical industry. Thanks.

Xing Huina:

Due to time constraints, there will be two final questions.