Shandong to hand out $26 mln in medical relief this year
Shanghai. January 12. INTERFAX-CHINA - Shandong Provincial Finance Bureau announced on Jan. 11 it will allocate RMB 180 million ($26.35 million) in medical assistance to low-income residents in the province in 2010.
According to the announcement, the allocation will be distributed to low-income residents in Shandong's rural and urban areas covered under the urban resident medical insurance and new rural cooperative medical insurance programs who are unable to pay their insurance premiums.
In addition, medical relief will also be given to poverty-stricken residents who are not covered under the two state medical insurance programs and are unable to afford severe disease treatment.
Shandong's medical relief program was first introduced in 2004. From its inception to the end of last year, Shandong's medical relief program has assisted 49,000 patients with severe diseases to foot their medical treatment fees. During the period, it has also helped 108,000 urban residents and 1.08 million rural residents to pay for their state medical insurance premiums.
The announcement noted that the allocation this year stands at twice the amount in 2009.
-YCX