The number of people in China covered by medical insurance totaled 119.41 million in late September this year, 10.39 million more than that at the end of last year, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security Thursday.

Statistics from the ministry show that the national medical insurance fund paid out 59.5 billion yuan (US$7.2 billion ) from its 76.8 billion yuan (US$9.25 billion) during the first three quarters of this year. The expenditure and income were well balanced.

Meanwhile, Hu Xiaoyi, the ministry's spokesman, acknowledged that September's list of medicine covered by medical insurance and industrial injury insurance, now includes 98 percent more traditional Chinese medicine and 42 percent more Western medicine.

"The new list can not only reflect the progress made in pharmaceutical technologies China has attained in recent years, but also meet people's reasonable demands for drugs," Hu said.

China also reports 40.92 million women covered by maternity insurance by the end of this September, up 13.1 million year-on-year, according to the ministry's statistics.

In the first nine months of this year, the national maternity insurance fund brought in 2.1 billion yuan (US$253 million) and expended 1.2 billion yuan (US$145 million). About 270,000 women had received payment from maternity insurance.

Hu said the ministry would next strive to take more people from non-public sectors or those with no fixed jobs into the insurance network, and to explore ways of settling medical insurance for workers at state-owned enterprises with financial difficulties.

"We will also enhance management of the medical insurance fund and require related local departments to make rational analytical reports on fund operations," Hu noted
 
(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2004)