Medical burden still heavy for Chinese

Chinese medical reform fiscal measures have lined the pockets of hospitals and companies but not done much toward advancing China’s health care system, experts said on Wednesday, reports the state news agency Xinhua.

Since restructuring measures began in 2009, medical spending has increased by more than 20% annually. The central government has earmarked another increase for personal health care for 2015, which will provide urban and rural citizens with 360 renminbi ($58.90) of coverage, according to the government's five-year plan.

Yet, despite financial injections from the government, it is far from enough to cover the medical needs of many citizens, according to a medical reform bluebook released Tuesday by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Social Sciences Academic Press.