China has launched a nationwide reform to allow individuals to share their employee health insurance accounts with family members, a move aimed at improving access to medical funds across the country. The reform, which was officially rolled out on December 9, now enables eligible health insurance holders to link their personal accounts to those of close relatives, including spouses, parents, children, and other family members, through an online platform.
The initiative marks another step in China’s ongoing efforts to modernize and expand its health insurance system. Since 2021, the government has been gradually widening the scope of who can benefit from an individual’s health insurance personal account. Initially, the program was extended to spouses, parents, and children. Earlier this year, in July, the scope was broadened to include extended family members such as siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren.
The National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) reported that by November 2024, over 325 million instances of shared usage of employee health insurance accounts had been recorded. In terms of financial impact, 34.31 billion yuan (approximately $4.77 billion) was spent on medical expenses at designated healthcare institutions, while 2.07 billion yuan went towards purchases at retail pharmacies. Another 7.48 billion yuan was used for a variety of other purposes, including contributions to the residential basic health insurance program.
While all provincial regions in China have now implemented this system within their own territories, cross-provincial sharing is still in progress. Once fully operational, the reform is expected to help lower healthcare costs for families and provide more efficient ways to manage medical funds, even for relatives living in different provinces.
“The cross-provincial sharing program involves over 300 million employees and nearly 1 billion residents covered by health insurance, making it one of the largest reforms of its kind,” said Huang Huabo, deputy director of the NHSA. “We anticipate that the program will be fully implemented by 2025, ensuring more accessible and sustainable healthcare options for all.”
This expansion of health insurance sharing reflects China’s commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility and reducing the financial burden on families across the country.
Related topics
