Early appraisal of China's huge and complex health-care reforms

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 379; no. 9818; pp. 833 - 842
• Main Authors: Yip, Winnie Chi-Man, Dr Prof, Hsiao, William C, Prof, Chen, Wen, Prof, Hu, Shanlian, Prof, Ma, Jin, Prof, Maynard, Alan, Prof
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 03-03-2012; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; China; Clinical Governance; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Delivery of Health Care - economics; Delivery of Health Care - standards; Delivery of Health Care - trends; Drug Prescriptions - statistics & numerical data; General aspects; Government spending; Health care; Health care policy; Health Care Reform - economics; Health Care Reform - methods; Health Care Reform - trends; Health facilities; Health services; Hospitals; Hospitals, Public - economics; Hospitals, Public - organization & administration; Hospitals, Public - standards; Hospitals, Public - trends; Humans; Insurance Coverage; Insurance, Health - economics; Insurance, Health - organization & administration; Insurance, Health - standards; Insurance, Health - trends; Internal Medicine; Medical sciences; Migrant workers; Miscellaneous; Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care); Pharmaceutical industry; Primary care; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Reforms; Rural areas; Training; Universal Coverage; Workforce; Asia; China; Human; Medicine; Political aspect; Early; Reform; Complexes; Public health; Care; Complexity
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61880-1

Summary China's 3 year, CN¥850 billion (US$125 billion) reform plan, launched in 2009, marked the first phase towards achieving comprehensive universal health coverage by 2020. The government's undertaking of systemic reform and its affirmation of its role in financing health care together with priorities for prevention, primary care, and redistribution of finance and human resources to poor regions are positive developments. Accomplishing nearly universal insurance coverage in such a short time is commendable. However, transformation of money and insurance coverage into cost-effective services is difficult when delivery of health care is hindered by waste, inefficiencies, poor quality of services, and scarcity and maldistribution of the qualified workforce. China must reform its incentive structures for providers, improve governance of public hospitals, and institute a stronger regulatory system, but these changes have been slowed by opposition from stakeholders and lack of implementation capacity. The pace of reform should be moderated to allow service providers to develop absorptive capacity. Independent, outcome-based monitoring and evaluation by a third-party are essential for mid-course correction of the plans and to make officials and providers accountable.