In a significant development for the healthcare sector in China, the National Healthcare Security Administration has made crucial updates to the national medical insurance drug list. The list has seen an addition of 91 new drugs while 43 have been removed. This latest revision is part of an ongoing effort to optimize the range of medications covered and enhance the overall healthcare support system.
The newly incorporated drugs span a diverse range of treatment areas. They include therapies for tumours, which are of utmost importance in the fight against cancer. Additionally, drugs for chronic conditions like diabetes, which affect a large portion of the population, have been added. Treatments for rare diseases, often a challenge due to limited availability and high costs, are also now part of the list. Anti-infective drugs and those for psychiatric disorders further expand the scope of coverage. Remarkably, the price of these newly included drugs will experience an average reduction of 63%. This is set to bring about a significant reduction in patient costs, estimated to be over $7 billion in 2025 alone.
This marks the seventh consecutive year of such revisions, with the total number of covered medications now reaching 3,159. The core objective of these continuous updates is to widen access to treatments, especially for chronic diseases that require long-term management, rare diseases that often lack affordable options, and pediatric conditions. The updated list is scheduled to be implemented across the nation starting 1 January 2025, promising a new era of more comprehensive and affordable healthcare for patients in need.
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