Heilongjiang province has launched its first provincial-level supplementary commercial health insurance scheme, branded “Longjiang Huiminbao.” The initiative is being implemented with guidance from the Heilongjiang provincial Healthcare Security Administration (HSA) bureau as a public-private partnership. The scheme is open to all citizens with active Basic Medical Insurance (BMI) coverage in the province.
Coverage and Benefits
The Huiminbao benefits cover a range of medical expenses, including hospitalization costs both within and outside BMI institutions, domestic special drug and device expenses, rare disease special drug expenses, special chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies, and 26 overseas drugs not yet approved in mainland China. Specific details regarding fees, co-pays, and coverage ceilings were not disclosed at this time.
Partnership with Hainan Boao Lecheng
The Heilongjiang scheme is notable for its partnership with the Hainan Boao Lecheng pilot zone, which has established a local insurance scheme offering patients access to drugs not yet officially market approved in China. Harbin’s Health Commission reportedly partnered with Lecheng in May this year. Lecheng has also established similar partnerships with Huiminbao schemes in Beijing, Shanxi, Hunan, Hebei, Hubei Suizhou, Gansu Lanzhuo, Guangdong Zhanjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanghai, Qinghai Xining, and other locations, providing access to its special drug insurance list.
Future Outlook
The introduction of “Longjiang Huiminbao” marks a significant step in expanding healthcare coverage and access to innovative treatments in Heilongjiang province. This public-private partnership aims to enhance the healthcare ecosystem by providing additional support to patients, particularly those in need of specialized and overseas medications.-Fineline Info & Tech
