Medical insurance system evolution in China

Healthcare financing and payment in China are mainly based on medical insurance. This paper examines the key issues of the Chinese medical insurance system, with a particular emphasis on basic social medical insurance, which has the broadest coverage in China. It reviews the evolution of the basic social medical insurance system, describes how the system functions, and analyzes the existing and emerging problems with the system. The paper concludes with a discussion of some suggestions for the future development of the system.