A rural health insurance program launched by China's central government in 2003, after the idea had been proposed at a 1996 National Rural Health Conference and formally adopted at the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2002, aimed at addressing healthcare inequity in rural regions with inadequate infrastructure and relative poverty. The New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme, abbreviated NRCMS, was designed to improve rural residents' use of health services and to prevent households from falling into catastrophic health spending, and its voluntary enrollment grew rapidly, from 21 percent national coverage in 2005 to 97 percent of the rural population by 2011. By the end of 2014, some 736 million people had joined the scheme, a participation rate of 98.9 percent, making it one of the largest health insurance expansions in the world.
Facts
Program StatusActive and expanded to near-universal rural coverage, reaching 97.5 percent of Chinese farmers by 2012 1 Sponsoring BodyChinese central government; the scheme was proposed by the National Rural Health Conference in 1996 and formally adopted at the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2002 1 Target PopulationRural residents of China; covered 832 million rural residents, or 97.5 percent of Chinese farmers, by 2012 1 Health GoalClose the rural health insurance gap and reduce inequity in access to health care for the rural population 1 Geographic ScopeRural China, nationwide 1 Measured Results832 million rural residents covered (97.5 percent of Chinese farmers) by 2012; government premium contribution rose from 10 RMB in 2003 to 240 RMB in 2012 1 Classification
Program KindHealth Insurance or Financing Program 1 Connections
Delivers Practice
Entity-backed identity for the program-kind enum value this public health program already carries, resolved to a health practice by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The program-kind fact itself stays on the program unchanged.
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Asia, found in there.
Sources
1. New Cooperative Medical Scheme and Equity in Access to Health Care Study (Int J Equity Health, 2013)
International Journal for Equity in HealthPMC Int J Equity Health article (2013), NCMS history paragraph, sentence 1
In response to the dire need for affordable health care, the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) was brought to life in China in 2003.
PMC Int J Equity Health article (2013), NCMS history paragraph, sentence 2
The scheme was initially proposed by the National Rural Health Conference in 1996, and formally adopted during the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2002.
PMC Int J Equity Health article (2013), NCMS history paragraph, sentence 1 (NCMS)
In response to the dire need for affordable health care, the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) was brought to life in China in 2003.
PMC Int J Equity Health article (2013), 2012 Report paragraph, sentence 1 (rural residents/farmers)
According to the 2012 Report on the Work of the Chinese Government, the scheme had covered 832 million rural residents, or 97.5% of Chinese farmers by 2012; government contribution to insurance premium increased from 10 RMB(US$1.60) in 2003 to 240 RMB(US$38.51) in 2012.
PMC Int J Equity Health article (2013), 2012 Report paragraph, sentence 1 (coverage figures)
According to the 2012 Report on the Work of the Chinese Government, the scheme had covered 832 million rural residents, or 97.5% of Chinese farmers by 2012; government contribution to insurance premium increased from 10 RMB(US$1.60) in 2003 to 240 RMB(US$38.51) in 2012.
PMC Int J Equity Health article (2013), Introduction section, sentence on NCMS significance
the launch of the NCMS in 2003 is considered as a crucial step in closing the insurance gap and reducing inequity in access to health care for the rural population.
PMC Int J Equity Health article (2013), Introduction section, sentence on rural population
the launch of the NCMS in 2003 is considered as a crucial step in closing the insurance gap and reducing inequity in access to health care for the rural population.
PMC Int J Equity Health article (2013), 2012 Report paragraph, sentence 1 (coverage as of 2012, program status)
According to the 2012 Report on the Work of the Chinese Government, the scheme had covered 832 million rural residents, or 97.5% of Chinese farmers by 2012; government contribution to insurance premium increased from 10 RMB(US$1.60) in 2003 to 240 RMB(US$38.51) in 2012.
Program classification, entity description sentence
A rural health insurance program launched by China's central government in 2003, after the idea had been proposed at a 1996 National Rural Health Conference and formally adopted at the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2002, aimed at addressing healthcare inequity in rural regions with inadequate infrastructure and relative poverty.
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