规范养老机构预收费监管

Core Viewpoint - The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Financial Regulatory Bureau have issued guidelines to strengthen and standardize the prepayment supervision of elderly care institutions, ensuring the protection of the legal rights of the elderly [1] Group 1: Regulatory Framework - The new guidelines aim to enhance the regulatory framework for prepayments in elderly care institutions, addressing issues such as insufficient occupancy rates and operational inefficiencies that can lead to financial instability [1] - Since 2022, the Ministry of Civil Affairs has intensified its efforts to prevent and address illegal fundraising in elderly care institutions, resulting in a decrease in the number of illegal fundraising cases, participants, and amounts involved [1] Group 2: Special Account Usage - A key highlight of the guidelines is the requirement for elderly care institutions to deposit collected deposits and membership fees into dedicated accounts, effectively isolating these funds from operational risks [2] - The guidelines define the rights and obligations of both the elderly care institutions and the custodial banks, emphasizing that custodial banks are not responsible for marketing or dispute resolution [2] Group 3: Monitoring and Risk Management - The guidelines specify four categories of abnormal fund flows, including large transactions and suspicious activities, which trigger a need for custodial banks to halt expenditures and alert the Ministry of Civil Affairs [3] - A shared mechanism for reporting illegal fundraising issues has been established between the Ministry of Civil Affairs and financial regulatory departments to facilitate early detection and response [2][3] Group 4: Challenges and Recommendations - Despite clear policies, challenges remain in resolving prepayment disputes, including the potential for smaller institutions to evade compliance and the lack of awareness among the elderly regarding the new regulations [3] - Experts suggest that collaboration among regulatory bodies, the industry, and institutions is essential to enhance the safety and security of elderly care services, including linking compliance with institutional ratings and subsidies [3]