Medical insurance is a social security system established by the state to protect people's health and life, which is jointly paid by the state, employers and individuals, and can be used to reimburse or subsidize medical expenses. Recently, it has been reported that the medical insurance payment period in some regions and industries will be extended from the original 15 or 20 years to 25 or 30 years, raising questions about whether it means an increased burden. At the same time, some regions have also begun to implement the policy that medical insurance payment can be enjoyed the next day, which makes people feel convenient and cared for. This article will introduce the relevant content of the extension of medical insurance payment period from the following aspects:
- Reasons and purposes for the extension of the medical insurance contribution period
- Who and what conditions for the extension of the period of medical insurance contributions
- The impact and response to the extension of the medical insurance contribution period
- The policy and significance of entitlement to the next day of medical insurance payment
I hope this article can help readers understand the policy content of the extension of medical insurance payment years and plan for the health of themselves and their families.
Reasons and purposes for extending the period of medical insurance contributions
The number of years of medical insurance contributions refers to the minimum number of years that a person participating in medical insurance needs to pay medical insurance premiums cumulatively when he reaches the statutory retirement age in order to enjoy medical insurance benefits after retirement. According to the provisions of the Social Insurance Law [^1^][1], the number of years of medical insurance payment shall be stipulated by the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the minimum period shall not be less than 15 years. The specific payment period shall be determined by each locality according to factors such as the local economic development level, the aging of the population, and the allocation of medical resources, and adjusted in a timely manner according to the actual situation.
In the near future, the medical insurance payment period in some regions and industries will be extended from the original 15 or 20 years to 25 or 30 years, mainly to cope with the pressure of the aging population and maintain the balanced and sustainable development of the medical insurance fund. With the economic and social development of the mainland, people's life expectancy has been continuously extended, and the problem of aging has become increasingly prominent. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics [^2^][2], by the end of 2020, the elderly population aged 60 and above in mainland China reached 254 million, accounting for 18.7% of the total population; The elderly population aged 65 and over reached 191 million, accounting for 13.9% of the total population. It is estimated that by 2025, the mainland elderly population aged 60 and above will reach about 300 million. Aging not only increases the demand and expenditure in social pension, medical care and other aspects, but also reduces labor supply and social wealth creation.
In order to cope with this challenge, the state has taken a series of measures, such as promoting delayed retirement, improving the old-age service system, and increasing the level of pensions. One of them is to extend the medical insurance payment period to increase the income of the medical insurance fund, reduce the time to receive benefits after retirement, reduce the burden of contributions for units and individuals, and ensure the balanced and sustainable development of the medical insurance fund.
Who and what conditions for extending the medical insurance payment period
According to the notice issued by the relevant departments, the main targets for the extension of medical insurance payment period are the following two categories:
- Employees who participate in the basic medical insurance for urban employees and officially retire before December 31, 2022. Including retired employees of various employers such as state organs, public institutions, and enterprises.
- Employees who participate in medical insurance of institutions and institutions and officially retire before December 31, 2022. It is mainly retired employees who continue to participate in the medical insurance system of organs and institutions after the transformation of the original organs and institutions.
The following conditions must also be met in these two types of objects:
- The cumulative (including deemed same) payment period for men is 25 or 30 years, and the cumulative (including deemed same) payment period for women is 20 or 25 years, subject to local regulations. The cumulative (including deemed same) payment period refers to the sum of the actual payment years for participating in medical insurance and the deemed payment years recognized in accordance with national regulations, such as joining the army and giving birth.
- The actual payment period has reached 10 years. The actual payment period refers to the number of years of actual payment of medical insurance premiums for medical insurance, excluding the deemed payment period.
The impact and response of the extension of the medical insurance payment period
The extension of medical insurance payment period will have different impacts on different groups of people, mainly in the following situations:
- For those who have reached or exceeded the original minimum contribution period, but have not yet reached or exceeded the new minimum contribution period, they need to continue to make up the difference on a monthly or one-time basis in order to enjoy post-retirement health insurance benefits. For example, if a male employee has accumulated (including deemed to have) contributions for 20 years, he can enjoy medical insurance benefits after retirement at the age of 60, but if the new regulations require cumulative (including deemed contribution) contributions for 25 years, then he needs to pay another 5 years to enjoy medical insurance treatment after retirement at the age of 65.
- For persons who have reached or exceeded the new minimum contribution years, but have not yet reached the statutory retirement age, they can choose to receive health insurance benefits early or continue to pay health insurance contributions. For example, if a female employee has paid contributions for 25 years in total, if the new regulations require a cumulative (including deemed contribution) contribution for 25 years, then she can receive medical insurance benefits in advance at the age of 55, or she can choose to continue to work and pay medical insurance premiums until she retires at the age of 60 and receives higher medical insurance benefits.
- For persons who have not yet reached the original or new minimum contribution period, but have reached the statutory retirement age, they can choose to make up the difference in one lump sum or forgo their health insurance benefits. For example, if a male employee only accumulates (including deemed to contribute) contributions for 10 years, if the new regulations require cumulative (including deemed contribution) contributions for 25 years, then he needs to make up his medical insurance expenses for 15 years at one time to enjoy medical insurance treatment after retirement at the age of 60.
The extension of the medical insurance payment period is an important part of the adjustment of the medical insurance system, aiming to improve the accumulation and protection level of the medical insurance fund. Insured personnel should understand the specific requirements of the new policy, strengthen their awareness of payment, and ensure that medical insurance fees are paid on time. By continuously improving the medical insurance system, we can enjoy higher quality medical security and jointly create a healthy and happy social environment.