China's basic medical insurance covers 95 pct of population

BEIJING, July 24 (Xinhua) -- During the 2021-2025 period, China's basic medical insurance has maintained a coverage rate of around 95 percent, with over 1.32 billion people enrolled in 2024, according to the National Healthcare Security Administration.

Zhang Ke, head of the administration, unveiled the data at a press conference on Thursday.

From 2021 to 2024, nearly 20 billion medical visits received insurance reimbursements, Zhang said, noting that the number in 2024 was 1.6 times higher than in 2020.

Medical assistance schemes benefit approximately 80 million people each year, helping to ensure their participation in the insurance program, Zhang said.

According to Li Tao, deputy head of the administration, during the 2021-2025 period, relevant authorities nationwide spent about 72.3 billion yuan (about 10.1 billion U.S. dollars) to assist people from disadvantaged groups, providing support for 350 million instances of insurance coverage.

Thanks to this support, over 99 percent of the low-income population and those lifted out of poverty in rural areas are now covered by medical insurance in China. ■