Basic medical insurance covers 1.36 bln Chinese: official

(ECNS) -- The basic medical insurance scheme in China has covered more than 1.36 billion Chinese people over the past decade, said Li Bin, vice minister of National Health Commission at a press conference held Wednesday.

Li said medicine varieties on the national essential drugs list increased to 685 and the proportion of personal health to total health expenditure decreased to 27.7 percent in the past 10 years.

The three-level medical and health service system covering both urban and rural areas has been improved with 90 percent of Chinese families having access to medical services in 15 minutes over the past ten years, said Li.

China has effectively solved several issues, including the high cost of accessing medical services and realized the transformation from a treatment-centered to health-centered approach.

Li added that the average life expectation has increased from 74.8 years to 78.2 years in the past decade and main Chinese health indicators rank at the forefront of middle- and high-income countries.