异地就医直接结算(yìdì jiùyī zhíjiē jiésuàn): Direct settlement of nonlocal hospitalization bills

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the building of an "expressway" for the direct settlement of cross-provincial hospitalization expenses has been finalized.

This is good news for the hundreds of millions of people who work and live far from their hometowns.

By the end of August, 1.03 billion people, or 74.7 percent of the national population, were covered by the social security system, and they will be able to apply for reimbursement of their medical care expenses anywhere in the country.

The move means patients' information will be stored in the database of the national social security system. Yet, the reform requires nonlocal patients to register with local governments first. Before hospitalization, nonlocal inpatients should keep their hometown government informed, obtain its approval and send the approval to the hospital where he or she will be treated.

After the treatment, they should mail the bills back to their hometown government, and then send the government's approval to the hospital. After that they can apply for reimbursement.