Taian, Shandong Launches Internet-Based Medical Insurance Services for Chronic Diseases Across 15 Hospitals to Ensure Uninterrupted Access to Care and Medication

“I had my prescription filled at the Chronic Disease Internet Hospital yesterday, paid via medical insurance on my phone, and the medication was delivered to my home today!” Mr. Zhai, a resident of Taishan District in Tai’an City, has suffered from diabetes for many years and typically visits Tai’an Central Hospital every month for follow-up consultations and prescription renewals. Under normalized epidemic prevention and control measures, the government has advocated reducing offline gatherings, prompting Mr. Zhai to try obtaining his medication through the Chronic Disease Internet Hospital for the first time.

Benefiting from Tai’an City’s establishment of China’s first internet hospital dedicated to chronic disease management and its ongoing efforts to advance the construction of a digital health consortium for chronic diseases, an increasing number of patients with chronic conditions are experiencing the safety and convenience of online medical consultations, just like Mr. Zhai. Particularly during the pandemic prevention and control period, this initiative effectively ensured uninterrupted access to life-saving medications for patients with severe chronic diseases.

Chronic Disease Management Centers at 15 Hospitals in Tai’an City Provide Integrated Online and Offline Services for Patients

Recently, with the strong support of the Tai’an Municipal Health Commission and the Municipal Healthcare Security Administration, 11 hospitals in Tai’an City launched online medical insurance services for outpatient chronic diseases as part of the second phase. To date, a total of 15 secondary-level and above hospitals across the city have been integrated into the Chronic Disease Internet Hospital Platform. Over 7,000 physicians from these 15 hospitals now provide comprehensive online services to patients, including medication guidance, virtual follow-up consultations, e-prescribing, online medical insurance payment, and home delivery of medications. As a result, 236,000 Tai’an residents suffering from major outpatient chronic conditions can now access integrated healthcare services comparable to those offered in offline hospitals, all from the comfort of their homes.

15 Hospitals in Tai'an City Launch Online Medical Insurance Services for Outpatient Chronic Diseases

Residents of Tai’an City with chronic diseases requiring long-term outpatient care can follow the “Health Taishan” WeChat official account, click on “Consultation & Medication Purchase,” select “Medication Purchase via Medical Insurance,” locate their designated hospital, and choose a physician for online follow-up consultations and prescription renewals. They can complete payment through the online medical insurance system, with medications delivered directly to their homes. Additionally, the platform offers self-pay consultation and medication purchase channels for internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, traditional Chinese medicine, otolaryngology and ophthalmology, dermatology, and general practice.

“Health Taishan” Official Account: Medical Insurance Drug Purchase Process for Outpatients with Chronic Diseases

Reporters’ firsthand experience revealed that the “Health Taishan” online service features specialists from various departments across 15 hospitals, including Tai’an Central Hospital, Tai’an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Tai’an First People’s Hospital. Most follow-up consultation services are offered as “free clinics at zero cost,” available in two formats: text-and-image consultations and telephone consultations. The text-and-image option allows for unlimited exchanges within 24 hours of the initial response, while telephone consultations provide up to 15 minutes of communication time, enabling patients to thoroughly discuss their medical conditions.

“Patients with chronic diseases should not only focus on treatment but also take measures to prevent and reduce the occurrence of complications. For instance, patients with diabetes need to engage in scientific self-management through diet, exercise, and blood glucose monitoring, while collaborating with physicians on health management to actively prevent complications,” said Yang Song, a physician in the Department of Endocrinology at Taian Central Hospital.

Leveraging the advantages of an internet hospital platform for chronic diseases that connects medical institutions at all levels, Tai’an City is promoting a three-tier coordinated model of chronic disease management featuring “collaborative care by three professionals”—specialists, general practitioners, and health managers. This approach establishes comprehensive, end-to-end chronic disease management spanning both in-hospital and out-of-hospital settings, strengthens daily guidance, follow-up, and interventions for patients, and effectively integrates treatment with prevention.

It is understood that, to better meet the public’s needs for medical care and medication under normalized epidemic prevention and control measures, a Digital Chronic Disease Health Consortium—spearheaded by the WeDoctor Taishan Internet Hospital for Chronic Diseases, jointly established by the Tai’an Municipal Government and WeDoctor, and actively participated in by medical institutions at all levels—is being accelerated. The recent upgrade of services on the “Healthy Taishan” WeChat Official Account represents one of the tangible outcomes of this initiative. As the construction of the Digital Chronic Disease Health Consortium deepens, Tai’an City will gradually establish an integrated health service system and a tiered diagnosis and treatment pattern, thereby achieving whole-process, full-lifecycle health management for patients with chronic diseases.