Number of Chinese residents covered by basic health insurance programs 2021, by type
Two programs based on employment status
The Chinese national medical security system has multiple layers, with the publicly funded basic medical insurance program now covering over 95 percent of the Chinese population, while medical aid and commercial medical insurance provide additional services.The basic medical insurance system consists of two types of insurances. Employees and pensioners who were employed for more than 15 years before retirement are insured under the employee basic medical insurance program which is mainly funded by mandatory contributions of the employees and their employers. Citizens who are not part of the employee medical insurance program, such as children, students and many residents in rural areas are covered by the resident basic medical insurance.