Longyan Digital Health Community Makes New Progress: WeDoctor's Longyan Internet Hospital Enables Online Medical Insurance Payment

Revolutionary Base Area of Longyan, Fujian, Achieves Breakthrough in “Internet+” InnovationOn June 29, WeDoctor (Longyan) Internet Hospital officially launched online medical insurance payment services to facilitate follow-up consultations and prescription refills for residents of Longyan. This move has further improved and enhanced the integration of online and offline services. Henceforth, patients with hypertension and diabetes enrolled in the special outpatient disease program (“Men Te”) under medical insurance will no longer need to make repeated trips to hospitals. Instead, they can access a comprehensive suite of services via their mobile phones, including online follow-up consultations, prescription issuance, medical insurance settlement, and home delivery of medications.

It is understood that this convenience service primarily targets employees participating in the urban employee basic medical insurance scheme and urban and rural residents enrolled in the basic medical insurance scheme in Longyan City. Patients with hypertension or diabetes who are registered for special outpatient care will enjoy the same reimbursement rate whether they receive treatment through the Internet Hospital or at offline primary-level hospitals. Eligible residents can follow the WeChat official account “Longyan Weiyi Internet Hospital,” click on “Medical Insurance Follow-up Visit” under the “Chronic Disease Follow-up Visit” section to access the Internet Hospital. After providing details of their condition, patients can consult with physicians, who will issue prescriptions based on the individual’s clinical situation. Upon completing online payment, patients can wait at home for medication delivery.

It is worth noting that, to ensure the safety and convenience of this service, users who have not yet claimed their Electronic Medical Insurance Certificate must claim and activate it as prompted during their first use before they can proceed with online consultations and prescription services. The Electronic Medical Insurance Certificate is the sole identity credential for all national online medical insurance services in China; it employs real-name and real-person verification along with encryption algorithms to safeguard personal information.Safetyand the security of medical insurance fund usage, making it more convenient to consult doctors and prescribe medications via internet hospitals after activation.

As one of the demonstration provinces for “Internet + Healthcare,” Fujian Province has consistently focused on key areas and critical links in deepening healthcare reform to facilitate and benefit the public. Recently, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Fujian Provincial Committee and the People’s Government of Fujian Province issued the Opinions on Further Deepening the Reform of the Medical and Health Care System, which clearly states that Fujian will build itself into a demonstration province for “Internet + Healthcare,” strengthen the development of smart hospitals and internet hospitals, implement initiatives to improve medical services, and promote such measures as mutual recognition of examination and test results, appointment-based diagnosis and treatment, online follow-up consultations, long-term prescriptions for chronic diseases, and high-quality nursing care.

To enhance the city’s “Internet + Healthcare” capabilities, the Longyan Municipal People’s Government and WeDoctor Group officially launched the “Healthy Longyan” initiative in 2019 to build a health service consortium. In January 2020, this effort culminated in the establishment of the province’s first platform-based internet hospital—WeDoctor (Longyan) Internet Hospital.

This internet hospital was established through a collaboration between WeDoctor and Longyan People’s Hospital. It has successively launched services such as convenient outpatient clinics, remote consultations, and specialized centers for renowned experts. During the COVID-19 pandemic last year, it took the lead in mobilizing specialists from various departments to provide online services to citizens, thereby minimizing the risk of cross-infection in offline settings. In March this year, Longyan People’s Hospital and WeDoctor (Longyan) Internet Hospital jointly initiated the construction of a “Chronic Disease Medical Consortium.” Leveraging the advantages of the leading hospital and relying on the internet hospital platform, they have built a digital platform that integrates online and offline services to deliver diagnosis, treatment, and health management for chronic diseases, thereby better serving patients with chronic conditions across the city.

As of December 31, 2020, WeDoctor operated 27 internet hospitals across China, 17 of which supported medical insurance settlement, making it the largest digital healthcare service platform in the country. Digital healthcare services, represented by internet hospitals and digital chronic disease management, are gaining broader recognition.

“Western Fujian is fertile ground for the development of ‘Internet + Healthcare,’ with innovative models such as internet hospitals and digital health communities being effectively promoted and developed,” said a representative from WeDoctor (Longyan) Internet Hospital. The next step, under the guidance of the Longyan Municipal Health Commission and the Municipal Healthcare Security Administration, will be to leverage the internet hospital platform to expand service reach, implement more convenient and beneficial “Internet + Healthcare” services, and explore innovative online-offline integrated models such as digital health communities and digital chronic disease management, thereby making it more convenient for people in this former revolutionary base area to seek medical care and manage their health conditions.