Health Policy Manag.  2021 Dec;31(4):423-436. 10.4332/KJHPA.2021.31.4.423.

The Development Path of China’s Private Health Insurance and Its Role in the Health Care System

• Jung KT
• Fan JC
• Chen WY

• KMID: 2525766
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4332/KJHPA.2021.31.4.423

Abstract

This article summarizes the structure of China’s current social health insurance system and reviews the development status of China’s private health insurance (PHI). China’s medical security system is mainly composed of two parts: basic medical insurance (BMI) and PHI. Among them, the BMI provides reimbursement of basic medical expenses for the insured persons according to different proportions. PHI is a necessary supplement to the BMI and provides assistance to the insured persons in the event of illness or accident. By having PHI, people can obtain medical protection outside the coverage of BMI. In the development of PHI in China, the total medical cost is high and the insurance market size is large, but the proportion of PHI expenditure is low and the personal burden is high. Through this Chinese case, it will be helpful for mutual development between Korean PHI and national health insurance, for Korean insurance companies to enter the Chinese market, and for removing the medical burden on the people.

Keyword

China’s private health insurance; Social health insurance system; Healthcare market of China; Basic medical insurance