Rural medical care

China's rural medical care system will cover more than 80 percent counties, said Wen.

"The trial area of the new type of rural cooperative medical care system will be expanded this year to cover over 80 percent of all counties, county-level cities and city districts in China. Areas possessing the proper conditions may expand the trial faster than others," said Wen.

The allocations from the central government budget to subsidize this trial will amount to 10.1 billion yuan (1.3 billion U.S. dollars) this year, a 5.8 billion yuan (750 million U.S.dollars) year-on-year increase, according to the government work report.

NPC deputy Li Changshui, a village head from Hunan Province, said the move shows the strong commitment and resolution of the central government in improving the lagging-behind rural health service system in the approach to build a new socialist countryside.

Under the new cooperative medical care program launched in 2003, a farmer participant pays 10 yuan (1.3 U.S.dollars) a year, while the state, provincial, municipal and county governments jointly put in another 40 yuan (5.2 U.S.dollars) for the cooperative fund.

The participant can have part of his expense reimbursed in case he is hospitalized. The rate of reimbursement varies according to different kinds of illness and the actual cost of medical expenses incurred.

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