China to solicit public opinions on health care reform
(Xinhua) Updated: 2008-03-05 14:05 Song Yayang, manager of a company in the southern Guangdong Province and lawmaker who paid constant attention to health care in rural areas, saw behind the measures that public welfare is becoming a major area attracting funds from China's national treasury. Health care was ranked fifth among the 16 "topics of most concern" of Chinese netizens who hope this year's parliamentary session would address, according to an online survey by several leading Chinese websites including xinhuanet.com and sina.com. China established the rural cooperative medicare system in 2003, according to which a farmer participant pays an amount of money, usually 10 yuan a year, while the state, provincial, municipal and county governments jointly contribute 40 yuan to him for the cooperative fund. The scheme has covered 730 million farmers, or 86 percent of the total, by the end of last year, Vice Premier Wu Yi told a national conference in mid-February. |
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