"Ai Jie Li - Cheng Hui Bao" Medical Assistance Public Welfare Project Specifically Designed for Low-Income Groups Officially Launched
Poverty alleviation has been a goal that China has tirelessly pursued over many years of development. The outcomes presented at the National Commendation Conference for Poverty Alleviation in February 2021 demonstrated that, under the current standards, all 832 impoverished counties have been removed from the poverty list, 98.99 million rural residents living in poverty have been lifted out of poverty, regional overall poverty has been resolved, and the arduous task of eliminating absolute poverty has been accomplished.
In active response to the call from the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to consolidate the achievements of poverty alleviation, the “Ai Jieli – Cheng Hui Bao” Medical Assistance Public Welfare Project was officially launched in Beijing on March 22. The project was jointly initiated by the China Association for Poverty Alleviation and Development, the China Charity Federation, Ping An Pension Insurance Co., Ltd., Beijing Yuanxin Huibao Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yuanxin Huibao”), and Ai Jieli Health Management (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Specifically, the project donates exclusive inclusive supplementary medical insurance products to households previously registered as impoverished and low-income individuals, aiming to prevent residents in China’s 832 counties that have lifted themselves out of poverty, as well as those in underdeveloped regions, from falling into or returning to poverty due to illness. It is reported that Ping An Pension Insurance Company of China, Ltd., Beijing Branch, serves as the underwriter for this insurance product, while Yuanxin Huibao provides technical support for its design and implementation.
Upon launch, the project will fulfill its roles of “pre-illness protection, immediate assistance upon diagnosis, and emergency relief,” thereby strengthening the effective linkage between consolidating poverty alleviation achievements and rural revitalization. It aims to alleviate pressure on the basic medical insurance fund and public finances, achieve seamless integration between basic medical insurance and supplementary insurance, meet the public’s healthcare security needs, reduce the financial burden of medical expenses on individuals, and provide a safety net for the life and health of beneficiaries.
On-Site Launch Ceremony
As a major livelihood initiative critical to the health and well-being of the public, healthcare security requires the collaborative participation of multiple sectors of society. Therefore, in its design, the “Love Relay – Chenghui Bao” project has united six key stakeholders: local governments, social organizations, families, insurance companies, medical institutions, and charitable enterprises. This collaboration aims to maximize inclusive benefits for the general public, closely align with China’s national basic medical insurance, and provide low-income households with million-yuan-level insurance coverage and convenient health services at affordable prices, thereby helping beneficiaries alleviate financial burdens.
Compared with other inclusive insurance and commercial health insurance products, “Ai Jie Li – Cheng Hui Bao” has a more pronounced public welfare nature. According to Wei Xiangdong, Director of the “Love Relay – Medical Poverty Alleviation” project under the China Association for Poverty Alleviation and Development, the project adopts a non-profit insurance model with zero profit. Any premium surplus remaining after annual claims payments will be automatically carried forward to the next year to continue covering claims. Upon completion of the project, any remaining premium balance will be fully donated to charitable organizations to support medical security for low-income residents in the local area.
As an inclusive medical insurance plan tailored for low-income residents across China, “Ai Jieli – Chenghui Bao” not only embodies a public-welfare nature but also features six key highlights: maximized public benefit, targeted assistance, broad coverage of aid, full information transparency, high efficiency, and innovation. With an annual premium of only RMB 78 and a maximum sum insured of RMB 2 million, the plan imposes no restrictions on age, occupation, or household registration (hukou), requires no medical examination, and allows enrollment even for individuals with pre-existing conditions. This design extends greater benefits to urban and rural low-income groups, including registered impoverished households, individuals eligible for the “Five Guarantees” program, and recipients of minimum living allowances. During the enrollment process, policyholders can upload reimbursement vouchers online, enabling rapid claims settlement through digital verification. Throughout the entire process, from fundraising to claims payment, blockchain technology ensures complete information transparency.
Regarding specific insurance coverage and limits, “Ai Jieli – Chenghui Bao” effectively aligns its coverage responsibilities with basic medical insurance policies. It provides 100% reimbursement for inpatient and outpatient special disease medical expenses covered by social insurance that exceed RMB 15,000 out-of-pocket after reimbursement from both basic medical insurance and critical illness insurance. For high-incidence, difficult-to-treat cancers such as breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, and lymphoma, “Ai Jieli – Chenghui Bao” has selected 20 domestically available and 18 overseas new drugs with proven efficacy that are not included in the national medical insurance catalog. The plan offers coverage with a zero deductible, an 80% reimbursement rate, and a benefit limit of RMB 1 million, thereby providing patients with serious illnesses access to superior treatment options and enhanced financial protection.
In addition to providing medical expense coverage for insured individuals, the newly launched “Ai Jieli – Cheng Hui Bao” also offers value-added services such as direct payment for specialty drugs, expedited claims for specialty drugs, home delivery of medications, charitable drug distribution, online consultations, and disease progression management. This initiative effectively integrates insurance, pharmaceutical, and healthcare resources, breaks down industry barriers, and enables timely and effective prevention and treatment of chronic and critical illnesses.
Since “Ai Jielì-Chenghui Bao” involved local governments, social organizations, families, insurance companies, healthcare institutions, and charitable enterprises in its design and implementation, the participation of the platform company became a key link in connecting resources.
“As the technical service provider for ‘Love Relay – Chenghui Bao,’ Yuanxin Huibao has consistently and actively facilitated the integration of the ‘medical-pharmaceutical-patient-insurance’ service loop throughout the project’s development and implementation,” said Peng Xuan, CEO of Yuanxin Huibao. In product design, Yuanxin Huibao placed significant emphasis on its public-welfare nature while incorporating specialized drug services from the Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone into the offering. Moving forward, Yuanxin Huibao will continue to provide product services and technical support to facilitate targeted health-focused poverty alleviation and advance poverty eradication efforts toward higher quality and greater effectiveness.
At the press conference, multiple charitable organizations, including Yuanxin Huibao, were honored with plaques and certificates. They donated a total of 4,200 units of the “Love Relay – Chenghuibao” public welfare insurance product to 14 pilot counties and districts, namely Jia County, Wuzhi County, Hua County, Wuyi County, Chicheng County, Qinglong County, Hongsibu District, Pengyang County, Fuyu County, Tongjiang City, Jixian County, Dorbod County, Huinan County, and Lintan County.
Donation Ceremony
It is reported that the insurance period for “Ai Jieli – Cheng Hui Bao” is one year, effective from 0:00 on March 22, 2021. Residents in various regions can purchase the insurance through the “Ai Jielei Ai Jielei – Cheng Hui Bao” WeChat official account or by scanning the enrollment QR codes provided by participating organizations. An alternative enrollment method involves corporate donations to charitable organizations, which then distribute the coverage to formerly registered impoverished households and low-income individuals.
As the aging of the population deepens, a gap remains between the existing basic medical security system and commercial health insurance. The newly launched “Ai Jieli – Chenghui Bao” not only seamlessly integrates with basic medical insurance but also includes coverage for specialty drugs akin to that offered by commercial health insurance, all at an affordable price. Consequently, it is poised to play a significant role in consolidating poverty alleviation achievements while simultaneously alleviating the financial burden on basic medical insurance.
Overall, China’s insurance market still holds significant room for growth, creating opportunities for the development of inclusive insurance products such as “Ai Jieli – Chenghui Bao.” Meanwhile, the introduction of such inclusive insurance schemes can, to some extent, encourage the emergence of more high-quality and innovative insurance products in the market, thereby promoting its healthy and sustainable development.