China processed 238 million cross-province medical settlements in 2024, reducing upfront payments by about 195 billion yuan (27 billion U.S. dollars), the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) announced on Wednesday.
This was significant growth driven by expanded services for chronic and special diseases and an increase in designated facilities nationwide.
The NHSA said the new measures have improved access to direct settlement services for outpatient treatments, reducing the financial burden on patients.
By August 2024, all counties in China had at least one designated facility offering cross-province settlement services for five key conditions: hypertension, diabetes, cancer therapies, uremia dialysis, and post-transplant anti-rejection treatments.
Coverage was further expanded by December to include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis, coronary heart disease, viral hepatitis, and ankylosing spondylitis.
That month, 20,300 cases were settled under these services, saving about 5 million yuan (about 682 ,000 U.S. dollars) in upfront costs.
The network of designated medical institutions and pharmacies providing cross-province settlement grew to 644,000 by the end of 2024, marking a 16.99 percent increase compared to the previous year. This included 72,100 institutions designated for outpatient treatment of chronic and special diseases, up 24.40 percent, and 413,700 retail pharmacies, a 17.48 percent rise year on year.
Efforts to streamline the system also involved upgrades to the NHSA’s digital service platform, which now allows easier online registration and access to information. Over 11.72 million individuals registered for cross-province medical services through the platform in 2024, reflecting a 45.85 percent year-on-year increase.
These developments highlight China's efforts to reduce financial barriers for patients, promote healthcare equity, and improve access to medical treatment across regions.
China expands cross-province medical settlements, cutting healthcare costs in 2024
The 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting will be held from May 22-23 in Suzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, with preliminary consultations and seminars kicking off on Monday.
Multiple consultations have commenced, including discussions on the joint statement to be issued at the meeting and ways to promote cooperation in digital trade.
Additionally, the "Big Market for All: Export to China" Suzhou special event and the Suzhou products promotion event opened Monday.
Experts emphasized that the minister's meeting will play a timely role in advancing regional economic integration and tackling emerging trade challenges through deeper cooperation in digital and green sectors.
"APEC is the highest-level and most influential economic cooperation mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region. On the 20th anniversary of the vision for a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), the 2026 Suzhou APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting will play a positive role in safeguarding the multilateral trading system, stabilizing Asia-Pacific cooperation, and leading global open development, countering the increasingly intensifying wave of trade protectionism," said Yuan Qian, deputy director of the trade and investment research division of the Institute of World Economics and Politics, which is under the administration of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
"At the same time, as a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation accelerates, this meeting takes cooperation in emerging areas such as digital and green as important content, better aligning with the trend of global technological innovation and development, countering global economic growth pressures, and opening up new spaces for regional cooperation and development," the expert added.
Terms such as digital economy, electronic bills of lading, and green supply chains appear frequently in the agenda of the APEC trade ministers' meeting.
"Although electronic bills of lading may seem small, their impact on international trade is very critical. They can improve customs clearance efficiency and reduce customs clearance costs. If promoted, it will not only affect these developed economies and large traders, but more importantly, it will significantly enhance the ability of some small and medium-sized economies and some developing countries to participate in international trade and improve their trade efficiency," said Zhou Mi, deputy director of the Institute of American and Oceania, Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, which is under the administration of the Ministry of Commerce.
This year, a key topic of the meeting is the digital economy.
"In the past, people thought the digital economy was an option; now it has become a must. Because having advantages in digital economy development means having greater advantages in international trade. They (member economies) have seen some of China's practices and approaches in the digital economy field and hope to use such a platform to further improve their own technology and strengthen coordination with China," said Zhou.
Founded in 1989, the APEC is the highest-level, broadest and most influential economic cooperation mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region. About 700 representatives from 21 APEC economies and international organizations will gather in Jiangsu for the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting.
Preliminary consultations begin for APEC trade ministers' meeting
