By Pan Weiyi
Purchasing medical insurance has increasingly become a hot topic in China. This Wednesday, experts from government and industries shared their insights and opinions on the commercial medical insurance industry. Professor Zhu Minglai compared healthcare reforms transpiring in the US and China.
When the US embarked on its recent reforms in 2009, healthcare coverage stood at 85 percent. In 2009, China also implemented its own reforms to its healthcare system. China has built up its network to cover more of the population, an action similar to the extension of healthcare in the US to reach to the low-income, uninsured population in America.
Zhu concluded by pointing out some things that China should consider from the US's example, such as the importance of government support and regulations on commercial health insurance.
The other speakers also shared their words of advice:
– Deputy Director of National Health and Family Planning Commission Zhuang Ning (pictured) encouraged Chinese public hospitals to become nonprofit organizations.
– Sun DongYa, the Deputy Director of the Chinese Insurance Regulatory Commission, said there are preferential tax policies for individuals who wanted to buy the commercial healthcare insurance.
– Cai Yu, the Deputy Secretary General from the Insurance Society of China, had a request for the audience: the past, present and future supporters of the insurance industry should give more feedback to the Insurance Society of China.
Pan Weiyi is a Communications Intern at AmCham China.