China to expand and strengthen community-level healthcare services — official report

China to expand and strengthen community-level healthcare services — official report

China to Expand and Strengthen Community-Level Healthcare Services — Official Report

China has established the world's largest healthcare system, with over 90% of households within 15 minutes of a healthcare facility, according to a 2025 think tank report. The report, titled The Critical Stage toward Basically Realizing Chinese Modernization, highlights efforts to extend high-quality medical resources to community and rural institutions while addressing regional disparities as detailed in the report.

The expansion aligns with decades of health reforms, including the 2009 initiative that achieved near-universal social health insurance coverage by 2011. By 2020, government health expenditure had grown at an average annual rate of 16.3%, with fiscal subsidies for public health increasing from RMB15 to RMB84 per capita between 2009 and 2022. Despite these gains, out-of-pocket expenditures remain a challenge, accounting for 27.7% of total health spending in 2020.

Recent governance reforms aim to address affordability and accessibility. The 2018 establishment of the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) consolidated health insurance programs, enabling collective drug procurement that reduced prices by an average of 53%. Additionally, telemedicine and digital health platforms, such as Alibaba's collaboration with Zhejiang province, have expanded access to remote care.

According to a 2023 initiative by the National Health Commission, talent development for community-level services is emphasized, with Wang Hesheng, NHC deputy director, noting that "talent team building is the key component to enhancing community-level healthcare services." This follows a 2018 capacity-building program for grassroots medical professionals.

The World Bank underscores the urgency of shifting from hospital-centric care to cost-effective primary care to curb rising healthcare costs, which are projected to grow at 8.4% annually until 2035. China's focus on community-level infrastructure and governance reforms reflects a strategic effort to balance accessibility, affordability, and fiscal sustainability in its evolving healthcare landscape.

Source: Xinhua News Agency, 2025
(2022)
Source: Healthcare IT News, 2023
(2023)