By Fineline Cube China’s National Health Commission (NHC), together with the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, issued the “Notice on Issuing Several Measures to Further Deepen the ‘Six Expansions’ and Strengthen the Implementation of Family Doctor Contracted Services”, laying out 10 specific requirements to reshape primary care delivery across the country.
Policy Overview
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Issuing Agencies | NHC, National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Disease Control and Prevention Administration |
| Document | Notice on Further Deepening the “Six Expansions” and Strengthening Family Doctor Contracted Services |
| Core Framework | Deepening “Six Expansions”; family doctor first‑visit responsibility system; categorized contracted services; optimized service content; digital & AI empowerment |
| Total Measures | 10 specific requirements |
| Issue Date | 25 Aug 2026 |
The “Six Expansions” Framework
The Notice centers on accelerating six structural expansions of contracted services:
- From general practitioners to specialist doctors, promoting categorized direct participation of clinical and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners at primary‑level institutions.
- From primary‑level healthcare institutions to secondary and tertiary public hospitals, advanced in a phased manner.
- From public healthcare institutions to private medical institutions, promoted in an orderly fashion.
- From team‑based to individual‑based contracting, fully advanced.
- From chronic disease management to integrated management of both chronic and infectious diseases, fully advanced.
- From fixed contracting periods to flexible contracting periods, fully advanced.
Service Delivery & First‑Visit Reform
- Family Doctor First‑Visit Responsibility System: In principle, contracted residents seeking care at primary‑level institutions should be prioritized for consultation by their family doctor, with referrals made to specialists within the same institution or to higher‑level hospitals based on medical condition.
- Categorized Services for Different Populations: Contracting will be promoted primarily based on place of residence or place of work/functional units, tailored to the characteristics and needs of different groups, with family‑based contracting encouraged.
- Optimized Service Content: Targeted contracted services will be provided for key populations in residential communities, populations in functional units, and the general public.
Digital and AI Empowerment
- “AI+” Contracted Services: The Notice calls for deeply promoting “AI+” contracted services and optimizing the national health information platform.
- Safe, Controlled Deployment: Localities are encouraged — on the premise of ensuring safety and controllability — to advance AI applications that empower family doctors, serve contracted populations and facilitate service management.
Policy Implications & Market Outlook
- Primary Care Reinforcement: The expansion from primary institutions to secondary and tertiary hospitals, and from public to private providers, signals Beijing’s intent to make family doctor contracting a universal layer of the healthcare system rather than a grassroots‑only program.
- Digital Health Opportunity: The explicit push for AI‑powered contracted services creates opportunities for health IT vendors, clinical decision‑support platforms and telemedicine operators serving China’s primary care market.
- Chronic Disease Economics: With integrated chronic and infectious disease management now a mandate, demand for long‑term monitoring, follow‑up services and risk‑stratification tools is expected to grow — a structural tailwind for diagnostics, preventive care and disease‑management providers.
Forward‑Looking Statements
This brief contains forward‑looking statements regarding the implementation of the Notice and its implications for primary care, digital health and related markets in China. Actual outcomes may differ due to risks including local execution timelines, funding allocation and regulatory developments.-Fineline Info & Tech