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Review
. 2020 Mar 19;5(3):e002086.
doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002086. eCollection 2020.

Towards universal health coverage: lessons from 10 years of healthcare reform in China

Wenjuan Tao #  1 , Zhi Zeng #  1 , Haixia Dang  2 , Bingqing Lu  3 , Linh Chuong  4 , Dahai Yue  4 , Jin Wen  1 , Rui Zhao  5 , Weimin Li  6 , Gerald F Kominski  4   7
Affiliations
Review

Towards universal health coverage: lessons from 10 years of healthcare reform in China

Wenjuan Tao et al. BMJ Glob Health. .

Abstract

Universal health coverage (UHC) is driving the global health agenda. Many countries have embarked on national policy reforms towards this goal, including China. In 2009, the Chinese government launched a new round of healthcare reform towards UHC, aiming to provide universal coverage of basic healthcare by the end of 2020. The year of 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of China's most recent healthcare reform. Sharing China's experience is especially timely for other countries pursuing reforms to achieve UHC. This study describes the social, economic and health context in China, and then reviews the overall progress of healthcare reform (1949 to present), with a focus on the most recent (2009) round of healthcare reform. The study comprehensively analyses key reform initiatives and major achievements according to four aspects: health insurance system, drug supply and security system, medical service system and public health service system. Lessons learnt from China may have important implications for other nations, including continued political support, increased health financing and a strong primary healthcare system as basis.

Keywords: health policy; health systems; public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overall framework and road map of the new round of healthcare reform. *12th Five-Year Plan on deepening the medical system reform. **13th Five-Year Plan on deepening the medical system reform.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The priorities and relationship among the three healthcare reform plans.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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