In recent years, the mainland has made remarkable progress in medical and health services, but the problem of sustained and rapid growth in medical expenses has become increasingly prominent. Li Ling, a professor at Peking University, pointed out that the mainland's annual expenditure on medical expenses is close to 9 trillion yuan, and it is showing a rising trend. However, despite the huge investment, the medical pain points of the people have not been effectively solved. This phenomenon has been vividly called the "American disease" by Professor Li Ling, reflecting the severe challenges faced by the mainland's medical system.
Looking back at the growth of medical expenses in the mainland, the national medical expenses were only about 10 billion yuan in 1978, increased to about 1 trillion yuan in 2009, and have now soared to 9 trillion yuan. This rate of growth is rare on a global scale. However, the rapid increase in medical costs has not led to a corresponding improvement in the quality of medical services and patient satisfaction. On the contrary, people still face many difficulties and pain points in the process of seeking medical treatment.
The reasons for this situation are manifold. First of all, the mainland's current medical insurance system is flawed. Professor Li Ling pointed out that at present, the actual reimbursement rate of medical insurance for mainland residents is only about 50%. This means that patients still have to pay half of their out-of-pocket medical bills, which is still a significant burden for many families. Second, medical costs are rising too fast, even if only 50% is paid, which is still a heavy economic pressure for ordinary people.
What's more, the existing medical system and reform measures have not only failed to effectively control costs, but have stimulated the behavior of hospitals to "desperately generate income" to some extent. This has led to a waste of medical resources, rising medical costs, and patients who really need help are not receiving the care and treatment they deserve.
In the face of this dilemma, we need to think deeply and take effective measures. First, it is necessary to re-examine the existing health care reform policies to identify the factors that may lead hospitals to overly pursue economic gains, and adjust accordingly. Secondly, it is necessary to establish a more scientific and reasonable medical cost control mechanism, which not only ensures the normal operation of medical institutions, but also avoids the waste of resources caused by unnecessary examinations and treatments.
In addition, it is necessary to further improve the medical insurance system, increase the reimbursement ratio, and reduce the financial burden of patients. At the same time, the construction of the primary medical service system should be strengthened, and the implementation of the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system should be promoted, so that more common and frequently occurring diseases can be effectively dealt with in the community and primary medical institutions, so as to alleviate the pressure on large hospitals and reduce the overall medical cost.
Another important aspect is the strengthening of regulation and regulation in the medical industry. It is necessary to establish a stricter system for evaluating the quality of medical services, effectively supervise the diagnosis and treatment behavior of medical institutions, and put an end to excessive medical treatment and unnecessary examination and treatment. At the same time, it is also necessary to strengthen the construction of medical ethics and medical style, cultivate the professional ethics and sense of responsibility of medical personnel, and make them truly put the health and interests of patients first.
Finally, we need to focus on the role of preventive medicine and health education. By raising public awareness of health, popularizing health knowledge, and cultivating a healthy lifestyle, the occurrence of diseases can be reduced at the source, and medical needs and costs will be reduced.
To solve the problem of rising medical costs and increasing burdens on the people, we need the joint efforts of the government, medical institutions, insurance institutions and all sectors of society. Only by taking a multi-pronged approach can we truly build a fair, efficient and sustainable medical and health system and achieve the grand goal of "Healthy China". We look forward to continuous exploration and reform to eventually find a medical development path suitable for China's national conditions, so that every citizen can enjoy high-quality and affordable medical services.