Chinese citizens covered by the country's National Medical Insurance Scheme (NMIS) are now able to access more diverse medicines at much reduced prices as 91 new drugs have been brought under the NMIS.
China's National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) said in a statement that the price of the newly included drugs, which include medications for tumours, diabetes, rare diseases and anti-infective and psychiatric drugs will drop by 63% on average in 2025.
According to the estimates released by NHSA, this move will result in a reduction of CNY50bn ($7bn) in patient expenditures.
NHSA has adjusted the national medical insurance catalogue for seven consecutive years, increasing the total number of medications to 3,159 and significantly expanding the medical insurance coverage for chronic diseases, rare diseases and paediatric medications.
In addition to expanding the drug catalogue, the government has also worked to lower prices through bulk procurement and price negotiation programmes.
China Pharmaceutical University scholar Lu Yun told Xinhua that the new batch features both commonly used drugs and high-end medications, including a variety of medicines for underlying health conditions related to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, digestive and metabolic issues. It covers a wide range of demographics and will improve the quality of medication for patients and boost their chance to regain health.