Currently, Chinese citizens must pay first and then apply for a 70 percent reimbursement covered by medical insurance.

 

　　Hospitals are said to be welcoming the new method. Hu Jing, who's a department head at a county hospital, says now they won't have to go after patients for the bills.

 

　　A staff member (L) of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital gives a lantern to a little patient at the hospital in north Tianjin's Municipality, Feb. 6, 2013. [Photo: Xinhua]

 

　　"In the past, we had a manager as a debt collector. Any patients waiting to receive an operation would first fill out a form about their medical costs. Their family will then take the form and pay the bill before the patients get their operations. The practice was likely to cause disputes between patients and medical providers."

 

　　Once the new system is implemented, patients will receive treatment first and then only pay the part not included in the medical insurance.

 

　　The rest will be paid by the government.

 

　　The new "pay after" plan is expected to be implemented in over 20 provinces later this year.

 

　　The Health Ministry says it won't be adopted nationwide yet, due to an immature social credit and medical insurance system.