Tencent Releases 2018 WeChat Electronic Social Security Card Annual Report, Now Available Across Dozens of Provinces and Cities

As more cities across China support the electronic social security card, an increasing number of citizens are experiencing the convenience of “smart healthcare.” Currently, electronic social security cards issued via WeChat cover dozens of provinces and municipalities nationwide, including Shenzhen, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, Guangxi, Yan’an, and Changshu.

The electronic social security card is uniformly issued and managed by the National Social Security Card Service Platform. It corresponds one-to-one with the physical social security card, featuring a unique mapping and synchronized status. Once issued, it enables convenient, on-demand access to social security information, as well as services such as purchasing medications at pharmacies, registering for medical appointments at hospitals, and paying for medical expenses.

Recently, Tencent released the “2018 WeChat Electronic Social Security Card Annual Digital Report,” summarizing the convenient and efficient medical care experience delivered to the public through six “annual key figures.”

Number One: 10 Seconds—Open WeChat and Easily “Sign Up in Seconds” in Just 10 Seconds

“No need to arrive early for registration or wait in line to pay; check test results on your phone…” By issuing an electronic social security card via WeChat, you can complete outpatient registration, payments, and medical insurance expenditure inquiries without queuing or running errands. Enjoy the convenience of smart healthcare services with just a tap of your fingertips, saving time and worry.

Figure 2: 60 Hospitals—Guangzhou Leads China with 60 Hospitals Supporting WeChat Medical Insurance Payments

WeChat Medical Insurance Payment Now Covers 60 Hospitals in Guangzhou, Including Over 30 Grade-A Tertiary HospitalsWeChat’s medical insurance payment service now covers 60 hospitals in Guangzhou, including more than 30 Grade-A tertiary hospitals, such as Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, and Huadu District People’s Hospital of Guangzhou. This makes Guangzhou the city with the largest number of enrolled hospitals nationwide.

Number Three: 25 Times—China’s First WeChat Medical Insurance Payment Demonstration Hospital Increases Queue Efficiency by 25 Times

WeChat medical insurance payment not only resolves the issue of rapid reimbursement but also provides patients with convenient operations throughout the entire medical consultation process, turning WeChat into a “medical care assistant” for patients. Shenzhen People’s Hospital, the first demonstration hospital for WeChat medical insurance payment in China, has integrated WeChat-based services across the full spectrum of medical care. This smart healthcare service has been widely welcomed by patients, making Shenzhen People’s Hospital the hospital with the highest annual volume of WeChat medical insurance payment transactions.

At Shenzhen People’s Hospital, residents can access services such as appointment registration, point-of-care payment, process tracking, and in-hospital navigation through the hospital’s official WeChat account and mini-program. This enables a fully online medical consultation process, with WeChat handling most of the cumbersome legwork, significantly reducing patients’ waiting time and improving consultation efficiency. The average queuing time has been reduced from over 50 minutes to just 2 minutes, increasing consultation efficiency by more than 25-fold. Meanwhile, this approach also optimizes the utilization of hospital equipment resources and reduces personnel management costs, thereby enhancing outpatient service utilization rates.

Figure 4: 5 Days—The Youngest National WeChat Electronic Social Security Card User Was Only 5 Days Old

As a pilot city for WeChat-based medical insurance payments, Shenzhen has extended this service to 50 hospitals and nearly 500 pharmacies across the city. Shenzhen is also the first city in China to enable the issuance of children’s electronic social security cards via WeChat. Parents can simply issue their child’s electronic social security card on WeChat, allowing them to pay registration and consultation fees through their medical insurance directly on the platform, thereby eliminating the hassle of waiting in line. The youngest user of an electronic social security card via WeChat in China was just five days old.

After successfully enrolling their child in the Children’s Medical Insurance program, parents must first designate a Community Health Center or a Tier-2 hospital. By issuing the child’s electronic social security card via WeChat, they can then use their own social security card to cover outpatient visits and medication purchases for their child at any designated medical institution. All these procedures—including enrollment, premium payment, inquiries, and selection of a Community Health Center—can be completed directly through the “Shenzhen Social Security” WeChat official account, offering convenient services from the comfort of home. Currently, this service is available at Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, and The General Hospital of Shenzhen University.

No. 5: 100%—WeChat is accepted for medical insurance payments at all pharmacies in Changshu

Innovations in health insurance payment are not only being implemented in hospitals but are also rapidly expanding to pharmacies. Currently, WeChat-based health insurance payments cover thousands of pharmacies across China. Notably, Changshu has become the first city in China to achieve 100% coverage of WeChat-based health insurance payments at pharmacies. After activating their electronic social security cards on WeChat, residents can enjoy the convenience of scanning codes to purchase medications at nearly 400 pharmacies throughout the city.

Always forgetting to bring your social security card when buying medication at the pharmacy results in unnecessary extra costs. By activating an electronic social security card on WeChat, citizens can enjoy the convenience of purchasing medication with just their smartphone. Simply scan the QR code at the pharmacy to use medical insurance payment, saying goodbye to the hassle of forgetting your physical card.

Figure 6: 120 Million—Fingertip Convenience Saves Users Across China 120 Million Minutes

Online medical insurance payments via WeChat have significantly reduced long wait times for registration, consultations, and payment, thereby enhancing patients’ healthcare experience. WeChat’s medical insurance payment service has cumulatively saved users 120 million minutes.

WeChat’s medical insurance payment not only integrates various healthcare processes but also continuously expands service scenarios, maximizing benefits for patients throughout the entire medical journey and healthcare services. For instance, Xiamen has implemented WeChat-based family doctor contracting services, Changsha has launched WeChat-enabled social security payment services, and Zhengzhou has introduced prescription outflow services supporting WeChat medical insurance payments, allowing residents to handle social security inquiries and other tasks without leaving home.

Source: Northeast News Network