The third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China convened in Beijing from July 15-18, 2024. This pivotal meeting, held approximately every five years, is instrumental in charting the country’s social and economic policy directions. The 2024 session highlighted two central themes: ‘further deepening reform comprehensively’ and ‘advancing Chinese modernization,’ with a target to complete all reform tasks by 2029.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the healthcare sector, several key initiatives were announced:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The central government is committed to establishing a robust social security system, which includes enhancing the national pooling system for basic pension insurance and creating a unified national social security public service platform. A priority will be placed on social security funding security, including the establishment of a supervisory mechanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New mechanisms for funding and adjusting benefits for basic pension and medical insurance will be introduced, with a gradual increase in the basic pension insurance for urban and rural residents. The government will also work to improve the social security system for flexible employment, migrant workers, and new employment forms, expand coverage for unemployment, work-related injury, and maternity insurance, and eliminate restrictions on insurance access for those employed outside their home provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The development of a multi-level and multi-pillar pension insurance system will be accelerated, expanding pension system coverage and fully implementing a personal pension system. This will bolster the supplementary protection role of commercial insurance offerings and promote provincial pooling of Basic Medical Insurance (BMI) schemes. Reforms will also deepen medical insurance payment methods, including improvements to major illness insurance and medical assistance systems. The government will ensure a robust social assistance system to safeguard the rights and interests of women, children, and individuals with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n