More than 57 percent of China's rural families that
joined the new rural cooperative medical care system had made
claims for reimbursements of medical expenses by 2005, according to
a survey released on Tuesday.
The survey showed that the families were reimbursed
25.7 percent of their total medical expenses, with an average
refund of 731 yuan (about US$91). The survey polled 19,195 rural
families in 32 counties of 17 provinces.
The new rural cooperative medical care system,
launched in 2003,is aimed at helping farmers cover the cost of
medical services.
Under the system, each farmer family pays 10 yuan per
family member to a medical fund every year. The state and local
governments also contribute 10 yuan to the fund. A farm family
member is then entitled to a refund of a proportion of the cost of
medical treatment.
The survey also showed that 90 percent of families who
participated in the system are willing to stay in the
system.
Statistics show that by June 2005, the system covered
495 million rural residents and the refunds totaled 14.412 billion
yuan (US$1.8 billion) for 282 million medical cases.
By the end of last September, the system had been
extended to 1,433 counties, accounting for 50.1 percent of the
country's total.
About 406 million farmers, or 45.8 percent of the
total rural population, joined the system last year.
The survey said that management, accounting, auditing
and supervision mechanisms for the fund had been established to
ensure the effective and safe operation of the system.
The survey was jointly conducted by Peking University,
the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Agriculture
and the Ministry of Health.
(Xinhua News Agency January 24, 2007)
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