2011-03-09 16:54

BEIJING - Eight million more Chinese will be covered by the urban basic health insurance in 2011, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said Wednesday.

That will bring the total number of urban residents covered by health insurance to 440 million, or 90 percent of urban residents, from 432 million at the end of 2010, said a report of the ministry, which was released at a press conference in Beijing.

China's health insurance scheme includes urban basic health insurance for urban dwellers and rural cooperative health insurance for rural residents.

The press conference on the latest development of China's healthcare reform was held on the sideline of the nation's ongoing annual parliament session.