Public Health and Medical Insurance Policy Seminar Held in Jilin

On April 21^st, 2018, the China Hepatitis C Elimination Alliance Public Welfare Project team held a seminar on hepatitis C public health and medical insurance policy in Changchun, Jilin province. Relevant leaders and experts exchanged opinions during the half-day pragmatic and efficient meeting. They chose Changchun and Jilin as two pilot cities to first include hepatitis C drugs into medical insurance list. With hospitals issuing prescriptions and pharmacies selling drugs to patients, it would help solve the problem of drug reimbursement for hepatitis C patients as soon as possible.

During the meeting

The meeting received tremendous support and guidance from relevant departments of Jilin province. Li Hongkun (director of Medical Insurance Office under the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Jilin Province), Xu Qingfeng (director of Changchun Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau), Zhang Delin (director of Jilin Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security), Professor Niu Junqi from Jilin University First Hospital, and Yuan Zhaoxin (president of Jilin Medical College), were invited to attend the meeting. Li Mingyang, director of China Liver Health, chaired the meeting. Representatives of China Hepatitis C Elimination Alliance partners also participated in the event.

Prof. Niu Junqi introduced the status quo of hepatitis C in Jilin province.

Prof. Yuan Zhaoxin

First, Prof. Niu Junqi and Prof. Yuan Zhaoxin introduced the infection and treatment situation of hepatitis C worldwide, in China and in Jilin province from an expert perspective.

Prof. Niu analyzed the economic benefits of hepatitis C treatment based on literature, pointing out that the treatment benefits would be better and the treatment cost would be lower when the patient was at a younger age or in the early stage of disease. However, the current medical insurance mainly covers drugs for the treatment of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer when the disease is at an advanced stage, while most of the drugs for treating early-stage hepatitis are not covered. This situation should be changed.

Prof. Yuan provided suggestions for achieving the goal of eliminating hepatitis C in Jilin province by 2030: to lower the price of therapeutic drugs and improve the access to treatment, to include effective treatment methods into medical insurance list through negotiation, and to strengthen health education for the public so as to eliminate the discrimination against hepatitis patients.

Director Li Hongkun, Director Xu Qingfeng and Director Zhang Delin introduced the status quo and challenges of medical insurance from the perspective of provincial and municipal government administrator.

Director Li introduced the “three medical insurance management catalogues” (i.e. basic medical insurance drug list, diagnosis and treatment items, medical service facility standards), "two types of designated agencies" (i.e. designated medical institutions, designated pharmacies) and "one settlement method" (i.e. medical insurance payment). Currently, drugs effective for the treatment of hepatitis C have been included into 2018 Jilin province medical insurance catalogue and managed as class B drugs.

Director Xu and Director Zhang introduced the medical insurance expenditures in Changchun and Jilin city, and consulted experts on the cost of hepatitis C drugs and medical insurance plan.

Director Li Mingyang introduced the medical insurance situation of various regions learnt during the implementation process of China Hepatitis C Elimination Alliance Public Welfare Project. In Zhejiang province, hepatitis C drugs have been included into the critical illness insurance program. In Tianjin, hepatitis C drugs follows the single disease payment mode. Yulin, Shaanxi Province, is promoting screening tests for hepatitis C so as to accelerate the inclusion of hepatitis C drugs into medical insurance list. Changsha, Hunan province, has similar ideas and plans to start screening tests from migrant workers.

Director Li said that China Liver Health is willing to carry out relevant work with experts under the guidance of various departments of Jilin province so as to help promote the reimbursement of hepatitis C drugs in Jilin province and to ensure that patients with hepatitis C can benefit and recover as soon as possible.