Core Viewpoint - Shandong province is enhancing the quality and efficiency of medical insurance services to strengthen health security for the public, focusing on reforms in outpatient chronic disease cross-province settlement, instant settlement with designated medical institutions, and long-term care insurance [2][3]. Group 1: Outpatient Chronic Disease Cross-Province Settlement - As of June 30, 2023, Shandong has 2,859 medical institutions supporting the new outpatient chronic disease cross-province direct settlement, with a total of 26,000 cases settled, reducing patient out-of-pocket expenses by 5.66 million yuan [2]. - In 2022, Shandong was the first in the country to implement cross-province direct settlement for five outpatient chronic diseases, achieving a direct settlement rate exceeding 90% [2]. Group 2: Instant Settlement with Designated Medical Institutions - Since January 2023, Shandong has fully launched the instant settlement reform, reducing the settlement cycle from over a month to within 15 working days, benefiting over 33,000 designated medical institutions [3]. - By the end of May 2023, 34.67 million medical expenses had been reimbursed through a "one-stop settlement" platform, benefiting 6.27 million individuals [3]. Group 3: Long-term Care Insurance - Shandong has achieved full coverage of employee long-term care insurance and initiated resident long-term care insurance in 2022, with 54.44 million people insured and 650,000 individuals receiving care benefits as of May 2023 [4]. - The province has also implemented cross-province payment and online application for long-term care insurance, with nearly 1,500 individuals receiving over 20 million yuan in benefits while outside their home province [4].

Core Insights - The National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) has reported that as of March 31, 24 provinces in China have implemented instant settlement of medical insurance funds, covering 246,700 designated medical institutions with a total disbursement of 165.7 billion yuan [1][2] - The NHSA aims to enhance its operational efficiency and responsiveness to the needs of designated medical institutions, promoting instant settlement reforms to empower the development of the medical sector [1] Group 1 - As of March 31, 2023, 24 provinces have implemented instant settlement, covering 246,700 designated medical institutions with disbursements of 157.4 billion yuan for medical institutions and 8.3 billion yuan for pharmacies [1] - By 2025, the NHSA plans to prepay 72.3 billion yuan in basic medical insurance funds, indicating a proactive approach to funding [1] - The NHSA is establishing various mechanisms to facilitate communication and collaboration among healthcare departments, aiming to accelerate the instant settlement reform process [1] Group 2 - Different provinces are adopting various methods to enhance the efficiency of fund usage while ensuring the safety of the medical insurance fund, such as increasing payment frequency and shortening settlement periods [2] - The NHSA will continue to provide targeted guidance to ensure that the benefits of the instant settlement reforms reach more designated medical institutions, improving patient experience and the overall healthcare ecosystem [2]

Core Viewpoint - The National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) has initiated reforms to promote the immediate settlement of basic medical insurance funds, aiming to enhance the efficiency of fund allocation and payment systems [1] Group 1: Policy Implementation - The NHSA issued a notice on January 9, 2025, to advance the reform of immediate settlement for basic medical insurance funds, requiring provinces to strictly implement prepayment of insurance funds [1] - Various provinces are adopting different methods to shorten the settlement cycle and increase the frequency of fund disbursement while ensuring the safety of the insurance fund [1] Group 2: Progress and Coverage - As of the end of February, 103 regions have implemented immediate settlement, representing 26% of the total regions, covering 43,700 designated medical institutions and 67,600 designated pharmacies [1] - The total amount disbursed through immediate settlement reached 38.731 billion yuan [1] Group 3: Provincial Initiatives - Provinces such as Anhui, Shandong, Guangdong, Henan, and Qinghai have taken the lead in issuing provincial-level immediate settlement documents [1] - Anhui was the first province to launch the reform, with 569 medical institutions providing immediate settlement services, serving 202,300 patients, and disbursing 472 million yuan in insurance funds [1]