Tongxin Medical and Zhonghui Mutual Launch Strategic Partnership to Safeguard Patients with Intracranial Aneurysms

On the afternoon of September 13, 2021, Tongxin Yilian Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Tongxin Yilian”) and Zhonghui Property Mutual Insurance Association (hereinafter referred to as “Zhonghui Mutual”) officially entered into a strategic cooperation agreement. Both parties will leverage their respective professional capabilities, resource advantages, and technological strengths,"Engage in deep collaboration on the assurance of AI-powered neurology products, providing customers with specialized, comprehensive protection and services.". It is reported that the first collaborative product between the two parties, focusing on insurance coverage for patients with intracranial aneurysms, has already been launched.

Product Details Page:https://static.pubmi.org/%2Fu%2Fcms%2Fwww%2F202109%2F14105052p5ru.pdf

(Left: Liu Weiqi, Right: Li Jing)

Attendees at the signing ceremony included Liu Weiqi, Chairman of Tongxin Medical Alliance; Ma Xuesheng, Vice President; Chen Xiaoyan, Deputy Director; Li Jing, Chairman of Zhonghui Mutual; Feng Wei, Vice President and Board Secretary; Chen Xiaolin, Chief Physician and Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Tiantan Hospital; and Liu Qingyuan, Head of Scientific Research.

Intracranial aneurysms are the most common cause (70%) of subarachnoid hemorrhage in clinical practice. Subarachnoid hemorrhage resulting from aneurysm rupture carries a poor prognosis, with a mortality rate of approximately 35%–40%. Moreover, most patients exhibit no obvious symptoms or signs prior to rupture, leading to intracranial aneurysms being vividly referred to as “ticking time bombs” within the brain. Furthermore, intracranial aneurysms are not rare; the prevalence in the Chinese population is approximately 3.5%–7%.

Management of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: Active Intervention or Conservative Treatment? This decision involves two key questions. First, what is the natural risk associated with unruptured intracranial aneurysms—specifically, how stable is the aneurysm, and what is its inherent risk of rupture? Second, what are the risks of surgical intervention? Surgical treatment should only be considered when its anticipated benefits outweigh both the procedural risks and the natural history risks of the disease.

Under the guidance of Professor Wang Shuo, Chairman of the Neurosurgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Sophmind has collaborated with experts from Tiantan Hospital to jointly develop an artificial intelligence model for assessing the risk of intracranial aneurysms. According to Director Chen Xiaolin, Sophmind is currently working with the Neurosurgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, the Cerebrovascular Surgery Branch of the Chinese Stroke Association, and Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, among others, to build an AI-powered platform for evaluating the risk of aneurysm rupture, thereby facilitating precise assessment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms. This platform is developed based on the project “Establishment of an AI Platform for a Network Registry of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms Across 100 Regional Medical Centers in China and Population-Based Follow-Up Study,” and will become the world’s largest aneurysm data platform in terms of scale and number of participating hospitals.

In recognition of Sophmind’s AI-powered medical products, and to provide enhanced protection for this specific patient population, Zhonghui Mutual has dedicated four months to product design and development, creating a customized insurance solution titled “Zhonghui Property Mutual Insurance Society’s Supplementary Insurance Product for Death Due to Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysm” (hereinafter referred to as the “Product”). By allocating insurance funds, this product offers inclusive coverage to eligible patients with intracranial aneurysms, demonstrating a proactive commitment to safeguarding life and health.It is reported that the product was successfully registered on September 1 (Registration No.: C00022131922021090113803) and will be officially launched into the market.

Director Chen stated that the Department of Neurosurgery at Beijing Tiantan Hospital boasts exceptional strength in both clinical expertise and scientific research, and can play a significant professional role in the future promotion of Sophmind’s aneurysm products. He expressed strong interest in the current collaboration with insurance companies, viewing insurance as a catalyst for an innovative model that integrates the Neurosurgery Alliance with the insurance sector. This approach aims to enhance the technical and professional capabilities of alliance members. He hopes that future communications will spark further intellectual exchange, fostering mutual benefits and shared development.

Through this collaboration with Zhonghui Mutual, Tongxin Medical Alliance will also provide more comprehensive protection for patients with intracranial aneurysms, beyond mere technical services, further benefiting society.

Tongxin Medical Alliance is one of the founding members of the Tsinghua Global Healthcare Innovation Alliance, an enterprise incubated at Tsinghua Science Park, and a high-tech enterprise in Zhongguancun. The company focuses on AI-powered products for neurology, collaborating with top domestic brain specialists to develop artificial intelligence solutions for diagnosis and assisted diagnosis of major neurological conditions, including cerebrovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and brain tumors. In the future, it will jointly establish a Neurosurgery Alliance with multiple Grade III Class A hospitals to set industry standards and provide AI products and technical services to more primary healthcare institutions. Meanwhile, by integrating its existing internet hospital with offline physical medical facilities, the company aims to build an integrated medical technology service platform.

Zhonghui Mutual is the first national mutual insurance organization established with the approval of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) and as a pilot program endorsed by the State Council. As a “membership-based” insurance organization, Zhonghui Mutual has adhered since its inception to the core philosophy of “co-construction, co-governance, and benefit-sharing among members.” It consistently upholds the principle that “insurance is fundamentally about protection,” returning to the essence of insurance, and remains faithful to its original mission of “addressing gaps and filling voids.” By practicing the core value of “nurturing the power of goodwill,” and against the backdrop of the “Healthy China” national strategy, Zhonghui Mutual focuses on the specific protection needs of targeted populations. Upholding the principles of “mutual assistance and shared risk,” it strives to develop distinctive mutual-aid medical insurance products, effectively linking healthcare institutions with public health protection needs. This provides the public with better medical conditions, more affordable prices, and higher-quality medical resources, making healthcare services accessible and affordable. Meanwhile, Zhonghui Mutual actively supports the new-era reforms coordinating healthcare, health insurance, and pharmaceutical sectors (“Three-Medical Linkage”), offering inclusive insurance coverage that bridges social security and commercial insurance. It also provides comprehensive lifecycle risk management services for individual health and for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), thereby meeting the multi-tiered and diversified health protection needs of the population. In doing so, Zhonghui Mutual aims to set a strong foundation and lead by example in sustaining the healthy development of mutual insurance in China.