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1、TheWorld’sLargestHealthcareUmbrellaEARLIERlastsummer,65-year-oldfarmerSongGuicaiofXinwanVillage,PunanTown,LianyungangCityincoastalJiangsuProvince,madethe10-kilometerjourneyfromhervillagetothetown’scentralhospital.Attheendofdiagnosisandcheckupintheair-conditionedfacilitysheheadedtowardthecounterwitha
2、billshowingRMB119.37.ButwhenthecashierswipedhercardfortheNewRuralCooperativeMedicalCareSystem,thecomputerscreenshowedtheamountshewouldactuallypay–RMB62.83.Thereare832millioncardholderslikeSonginChinawhoareentitledtosubsidizedmedicalservicesundertheNewRuralCooperativeMedicalCareSystem.Theirurbanpeers
3、haveaccesstoasimilargovernment-fundedmedicalinsurance,whosecoveragehasextendedto472millionpeople.Sofar,96percentofChinesearecoveredbythehealthcare24insurance.Behindthisremarkablefigureislavishstatespending–theChinesegovernmentplowedRMB1.5trillionintohealthcareoverthepastthreeyears.Recenteffortshaven
4、otgoneunnoticedoutsideofChina.AnarticleinthemagazineTheLancetearlierthisyearlaudedChina’shealthcaresystemasthelargestintheworld,sayingthatitsremarkableachievementsoverjusthalfadecadewouldhavebeenimpossibleinanyothercountry.HealthcareInsuranceforRuralResidentsSongGuicaisuffersfromesophagealcancer.Las
5、tDecembershehadanoperationattheLianyungangPeople’sHospital,whichwouldnormallyhavecostRMB31,000,abigsumforaruralfamilylivingonlessthanonehectareofland.FortunatelyshejoinedtheNewRuralCooperativeMedicalCareSystemearlierlastyear.ThepremiumofmerelyRMB30(lessthanUS$5)entitledhertoareimbursementofRMB12,000
6、.FordrugsnotcoveredbytheschemeshepaidmorethanRMB10,000.TheamountSongpaidherselfwasmanageablefor24herfamily,andtheywereabletocontinueconstructionoftheirnewhomeasplannedandsendremittancesforhergrandson’scollegeeducationinfullandontime.Inthepast,suchhealthcrisesinthevillagewouldhaveplungedwholefamilies
7、uptotheirnecksindebt.AccordingtoXuDebin,directoroftheRuralCooperativeMedicalCareSystemOfficeofthemunicipalgovernmentofLianyungang,thepreviousschemewasprimarilyfundedbymembers’contributions,andsubsidie
