“社保第六险”覆盖近3亿人 长护险从试点迈向全面建制

Core Insights - The Long-term Care Insurance (LTCI) system in China has covered nearly 300 million people and benefited over 3.3 million disabled individuals, with total fund expenditures exceeding 100 billion yuan, resulting in an average annual reduction of about 12,000 yuan per person [1][2] - The LTCI system is transitioning from a pilot phase to a comprehensive establishment during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with a focus on providing coverage for severely disabled individuals and enhancing service quality [1][2] Group 1: Impact on Families - LTCI is referred to as the "sixth insurance" in China, aimed at providing basic living care and related medical services for long-term disabled individuals, thereby alleviating family caregiving pressures [2] - The program has significantly reduced the economic burden on families, as evidenced by the case of an elderly woman receiving home care services, which has eased her family's financial strain [2] Group 2: Institutional Development - The introduction of LTCI has improved the operational vitality of nursing institutions, with occupancy rates increasing by 5-6 percentage points due to stable payments and standardized requirements [3] - The number of caregivers in institutions has nearly doubled, reflecting a trend towards a younger and more professional workforce [3][4] Group 3: Industry Growth - LTCI has stimulated the growth of the elderly care industry, with the number of designated service institutions reaching 12,000, ten times the initial number [5] - The program has led to the establishment of 162 new care institutions in Ningbo, creating a market worth over 1 billion yuan and generating nearly 10,000 jobs [6] Group 4: Technological Integration - The LTCI system has fostered innovation in the elderly care sector, with companies developing smart solutions like "smart beds" for comprehensive care and "smart supervision" for real-time service monitoring [6] - The National Healthcare Security Administration is committed to promoting new technologies and products within the LTCI framework to enhance service delivery [6]