Medical reforms for rural China

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Source: CCTV.com | 04-07-2009 13:58

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The following is a closer look at how farmers in the countryside are dealing with the challenges of health care. For a long time, high prices in large hospitals have prevented many rural area patients from accessing health services.

For a long time, high prices in large hospitals have prevented many rural area patients from accessing  health services.

Wang Laishun is a peasant in Cunrui township, in north China's Hebei province. He suffers from asthma. The local hospital advised him to go to a larger hospital, because his asthma is quite serious. Wang, who is a grandfather, went to a county hospital. But he returned home after just a few brief checkups.

Like most peasants, Wang Laishun is covered by the New Rural Cooperative Medical System. Under the system, the reimbursement rate for hospitalization in county hospitals is 60 percent. For a township hospital, it is 80 percent.

The existing system aims to relieve the economic burden on peasants when they have serious diseases. The reimbursement mainly covers hospitalization costs, which means the outpatient fees have to be paid in full.