Source: SHINE Editor：Zhang Liuhao
Five private health facilities have been included in Shanghai’s medical insurance system.
And the city will release restrictions on private health facilities and self-employment by medical professionals.
The measures are in accordance with a new health policy issued in July to increase local health reform and develop high-end health services, officials from the Shanghai Health Commission said yesterday.
“This new policy is to push forward a diversified and more international health system in Shanghai to speed up its medical development and meet increased demand,” said Wu Jinglei, director of the commission.
The health authority will also include qualified hospitals in the regional health system, which consists of one leading public hospital and several district-level hospitals and neighborhood health centers. This will offer patients services near their homes and better use health resources.
Officials from Jiahui International Hospital, one of the five hospitals, said being included in the city’s medical insurance system is highly regarded.
The number of patients at the hospital has doubled since it was included in the insurance system in October. It has also signed agreements with leading public hospitals such as Renji Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Fudan University for professional training.
Under the policy, patients can have their medical bill settled for the part covered by the city’s insurance, and pay the remainder in cash or with their commercial insurance.
“Shanghai will further release the restriction for private facilities and doctors’ self-employment, and give more supportive policies and services for their development,” Wu said.
“A guideline for doctors opening general practitioner clinics has been released and will be put into use next month. More policies such as nursing registration and streamlined procedures to approve private health facilities are also under discussion for a more open and dynamic market.”
According to the guideline, doctors can open a GP clinic if meeting the professional criteria, instead of a complicated application and approval procedure.
Also yesterday, Tongji Hospital’s Shanghai Xinshijie Eye Center, the city’s first eye medical center set up by a public hospital and a private health group, began operation in Changning District.
It is a new cooperation to help solve the big workload and large number of patients in public hospitals, while boosting the development of private health facilities, health officials said.
Doctors in Tongji can work in the joint eye center and bring patients to the private hospital, which usually has fewer patients.
Patients needn’t wait for a long time to get a chance to see the specialists or receive surgery, while doctors at the private hospital can have a chance to see more patients and participate in more surgeries.
“It is a good trial under the city’s health reform and encouraging for the development of the private health sector,” said Zhang Rong, vice director of Changning’s health commission.
