The cost of medical insurance has risen year after year, and rural residents have a problem and a way out
In recent years, the cost of medical insurance for urban and rural residents has been rising, which has aroused widespread attention and discussion. Whether the minimum individual contribution standard for domestic medical insurance will rise again in 2023 has become a topic of great concern. Looking back at the past, we can predict that an upward trend is likely to occur. However, whether this year-on-year increase in health insurance costs will burden rural residents, and how to deal with this problem, is worth exploring in depth.
The nature and challenges of medical insurance for urban and rural residents
As a medical mutual aid system, medical insurance for urban and rural residents realizes the sharing and mutual assistance of medical expenses. In this system, the medical insurance fund is raised by individuals, collectives and the government, aiming to reduce the burden of insured residents by reimbursing medical expenses and avoid the problem of returning to poverty due to illness and poverty due to illness. However, in recent years, the continuous increase in the amount of insurance contributions has led to a decline in the enthusiasm of rural residents to participate in insurance, and also affected the stability of medical insurance funds.
Economic pressures have further increased
Since the nationwide implementation of the new agricultural cooperative in 2009, the amount of individual contributions has increased year by year. From the initial 10 yuan/year to 350 yuan/year in 2022, this number has skyrocketed 35 times. This surge will undoubtedly further increase the payment pressure of rural residents. Although the reform of the medical insurance system continues to improve welfare and treatment, such a huge increase is inevitably worrying, and farmers' enthusiasm for insurance will inevitably be affected.
The reasonableness of the per capita disposable income standard
Although it has been argued that comparing contribution rates with per capita disposable income does not appear to put economic pressure on farmers. Taking the per capita disposable income of rural residents in 2022 as an example, the payment standard of 350 yuan seems to account for only a small part of it. However, this apparent rationality does not fully represent the actual situation of farmers. For many rural households, this contribution rate may account for a significant portion of annual income, even exceeding disposable income. Therefore, it is not practicable to measure contributions in terms of per capita disposable income.
Find solutions
In the face of rising medical insurance costs, some NPC deputies have put forward some suggestions to try to ease the burden on farmers. One of them is to maintain the basic stability of the individual contribution component for the next 3 to 5 years, neither too high nor significantly down. This method can increase farmers' motivation to participate in insurance and reduce their burden. In addition, we can also learn from the operation mode of commercial insurance and formulate corresponding preferential insurance policies according to the actual local conditions, so as to smoothly operate the medical insurance system and improve the participation rate.
epilogue
Continued enrollment is a necessary option for rural residents with limited financial means who cannot purchase commercial health insurance. Although the price increase is only a few tens of dollars, it can buy basic medical protection for yourself and your family members to protect their health and rights. Regarding the NPC deputies' proposal to "stop" the increase in medical insurance prices, we need to continue to pay attention to whether it can be implemented. To sum up, the continuous rise in medical insurance costs has indeed brought a lot of pressure to rural residents, but through reasonable policy adjustments and institutional reforms, a solution may be found. Thanks for reading, likes, retweets and comments are welcome!
The necessity and prospect of medical insurance reform
The continuous rise in medical insurance costs has aroused widespread concern from all walks of life, and has also prompted people to think deeply about the direction of medical insurance system reform. In the face of the decline in rural residents' enthusiasm for insurance participation and the challenges of stable medical insurance funds, we urgently need to take measures to balance the sustainability of the health insurance system with the economic burden of farmers.
Promote refined management and reasonable burden sharing
The reform of the medical insurance system should move towards more refined management. First of all, the payment standard can be flexibly adjusted according to the economic level of the region and the income of residents. This means that in relatively affluent areas, the amount of individual contributions can be appropriately increased to reduce financial pressure; In areas with relatively difficult economies, the payment standard can be moderately lowered to encourage more farmers to participate in insurance. Through this kind of refined management, it is possible to better achieve reasonable burden-sharing and avoid unfairness caused by one-size-fits-all policies.
Establish a flexible subsidy mechanism to increase the enthusiasm for participating in insurance
In order to increase the enthusiasm of rural residents to participate in insurance, the establishment of a more flexible subsidy mechanism can be considered. In addition to stabilizing the individual contribution standard, the government can provide additional medical insurance subsidies to economically disadvantaged families based on factors such as family income and demographic structure. This not only reduces their financial burden, but also protects their medical needs more precisely. In addition, for special hardship groups, such as low-income households and the lonely elderly, more targeted subsidy policies can be adopted to ensure that they can obtain basic medical security.
Strengthen the construction of the medical service system and enhance the value of medical insurance
The reform of the medical insurance system is not only about financial adjustment, but also about improving the quality and value of medical services. By increasing investment in the construction of the primary medical service system and improving the medical level and service quality of primary medical institutions, insured residents can get better experience and care in the process of medical treatment. This can not only enhance farmers' sense of gain, but also improve the social recognition of the medical insurance system, so as to better maintain the stable operation of the medical insurance system.
Promote the innovation and upgrading of the medical insurance system
At present, the rapid development of digitalization and information technology provides opportunities for the innovation of the medical insurance system. Through the introduction of intelligent management system, insurance management and expense accounting can be carried out more efficiently, and labor costs can be reduced. In addition, the establishment of a "first diagnosis and treatment and then settlement" system can be explored to allow residents to enjoy medical services more conveniently and reduce the pressure on medical expenses. These innovations are expected to improve the operational efficiency and service level of the health insurance system.
epilogue
The continuous price increase of the medical insurance system is not only an economic challenge, but also an important issue involving social equity and people's livelihood. Through refined management, flexible subsidy mechanisms, medical service system construction and institutional innovation, we hope to find solutions that balance economic sustainability and people's livelihood needs. Continuing to promote the reform of the medical insurance system so that rural residents can better enjoy medical security is a challenging and promising mission.