China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and the Ministry of Health have jointly issued a document to implement reform of the country's medical system.

The new document, which is called Opinions on Further Improving Medical Aid In Urban and Rural Areas, is said to be a benchmark in the development of China's medical aid service. Opinions outlines tasks and measures for China's medical aid work and states that efforts will be made to fix the basic medical insurance–a most practical and emergent problem for vulnerable groups in urban and rural areas–further improve the medical aid service, and consolidate medical insurance. Opinions says that a medical aid system with solidly funded support, standard management, and aid efficiency will be set up in about three years.

Opinions states that patients from economically-disadvantaged groups such as low-income families will be gradually included into the medical aid and multi-ways will be developed to help the poor.

Opinions stresses that a scientific medical aid subsidy measure shall be set up at various levels according to the total value of the medical aid fund and procedures are to be simplified to bring the role of medical aid into full play.

Opinions also offers suggestions on how to strengthen the link between medical aid and the relevant medical insurance systems.

Opinions states that the civil affairs department of various levels will work with the local health departments to encourage the prompt settlement of medical services and authorizes civil affairs departments to prepay the funds where necessary.

To date, a medical aid system has been fully in place in China.

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