China’s National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) has released the “Notice on Further Strengthening the Protection of Workers’ Medical Security Rights and Interests.” The notice suggests that all localities promote megacities to completely eliminate registered residence restrictions on flexible employment personnel to participate in insurance in the place of employment, ensuring that workers participate in basic medical insurance (BMI) as much as possible.
Support for Local Initiatives
The document supports localities with the conditions to explore first, allowing flexible employment personnel to participate in employee medical insurance while simultaneously paying for maternity insurance, and enjoy maternity insurance benefits according to regulations.
Employment and Insurance Requirements
The notice requires that if an employee has a stable employment relationship with the employer, they should participate in the employee BMI with the employer, and the employer and individual should jointly pay the premiums. Other workers can participate in employee medical insurance as flexible employees and also participate in BMI for urban and rural residents. On the basis of personal payment, they can enjoy financial subsidies to encourage them to participate in employee medical insurance in their place of employment.
Implementation and Settlement Rates
All localities should implement BMI coverage for people holding residence permits, loosen the registered residence registration restrictions on flexible employment personnel who have non-local registered residence registration to participate in BMI in their permanent residence and employment, and promote megacities to completely cancel the registered residence restrictions on flexible employment personnel who participate in BMI in their employment. The cross-provincial settlement rate of hospitalization expenses in various regions should be maintained at over 70%.
Maternity Insurance and Benefit Processes
The document promotes the direct settlement of medical expenses for childbirth, improving the process of cross-provincial application of maternity insurance benefits, and completing the review and payment of maternity allowances within 10 working days.
Benefit Continuity and Payment Ratios
The document makes it clear that for workers who move across coordinated regions for employment and participate in insurance and payment according to regulations, their benefits will be guaranteed to be smoothly connected. If the employee continuously participates in the employee medical insurance in the place where the relationship is transferred according to regulations, the payment will be made in the current month and the benefits will be enjoyed in the same month. During the process of relationship continuity, if the employee continues to make contributions, ensure that their benefits are not interrupted. If the hospitalization medical expenses of insured workers are within the scope of the BMI policy, the payment ratios of employee medical insurance and resident medical insurance will reach about 80% and 70% respectively. The employee medical insurance (including maternity insurance) premiums that should be paid by individuals who receive unemployment insurance benefits in various regions should be paid from the unemployment insurance fund, and individuals do not need to pay.
Significance of the Notice
This notice from the NHSA highlights the government’s commitment to enhancing medical security for workers, particularly those in flexible employment. By eliminating barriers and promoting access to insurance, the NHSA aims to improve the overall health coverage and financial support for workers across China.-Fineline Info & Tech
