Survey: Chinese most concerned about health care, as China pledges to revamp system

The rising cost of health care topped Chinese citizens' concerns in a government survey released Wednesday, a day after Beijing announced plans to reform the country's medical system.

The study by the National Bureau of Statistics covering 31 Chinese provinces and 101,029 families found affordable health care was the most important issue. Concerns over morals, education and employment were also raised.

While Chinese received free services from health care workers at basic rural clinics in the early days of the Communist regime, the government started to dismantle the system amid market reforms in the 1980s.

A widening rich-poor divide in China has led to unaffordable health care for many, as hospitals without government support have jacked up costs to make money. Hospitals and doctors have also clustered in cities, leaving scant coverage for the vast majority of people in the countryside.

The government announced at a national health conference that ended Tuesday that it would reform the medical system to provide universal basic services at "reasonable prices," according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The medical reform plan aims to reduce the involvement of hospitals in drug sales, and spend more government money to establish basic health care services for both rural and urban citizens, it said.

Health officials hope to reduce health costs through increased government subsidies and a "reasonable rise in medical service fees," according to Xinhua.

The government subsidy will be doubled to 80 yuan (US$11; euro8) per person, Health Minister Chen Zhu was cited as saying by Xinhua.

Rural residents will be asked for a 20 yuan (US$2.8; euro1.9) contribution a year — twice what they are now paying.