The information office of Qingdao municipal government recently held a press conference to inform how the basic medical insurance program has boosted industrial development and facilitated the building of Qingdao into China’s wellness-oriented bay area. The Qingdao Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau rolled out 22 measures to ensure that medical insurance would help boost industrial development and facilitate the building of Qingdao into “China’s wellness-oriented bay area. These measures are designed to help the medical insurance program inject impetus into the cause of building Qingdao into “China’s wellness-oriented bay area” across the board from the supply, service, industry and safeguard dimensions.

According to Qingdao’s initiative for building “China’s wellness-oriented bay area”, high-quality health-oriented communities or communities that combine medical, health and elderly care services will set up or introduce designated medical institutions like outpatient sites as well as high-end rehabilitation and medical institutions. According to the provisions, these institutions can file application for management under the medical insurance program, and designated hospitals at the second level or above will be given support to pursue the integration of medical and health care services.

To make direct settlements of cross-regional medical bills unimpeded, Qingdao takes advantage of 1,768 designated medical and pharmaceutical institutions to offer all kinds of cross-regional settlements ranging from hospitalization, outpatient services to childbirth. As a result, 99.2% of medical bills were directly settled in Qingdao. This can make it more appealing for the insured in other places to travel to Qingdao for sojourns or wellness services.  (Huang Fei)

A medical insurance service outlet in Qingdao is providing services to citizens.