A person in Chengdu, southwestern China Sichuan province shows a COVID-19 antigen test at a local pharmacy on March 17, 2022. Photo: VCG
China is moving to include temporary coronavirus antigen detection reagent and relevant tests in the country’s provincial health insurance system as the country takes action to improve health security policy and measures to prevent epidemic prevention and control following a wave of COVID-19.
According to a notification issued Monday by the National Healthcare Security Administration, related expenses incurred in specific local medical institutions should be reimbursed in accordance with the region’s existing health insurance regulations, while the cost of antigen detection agents included in specific Retail pharmacy stores can be sold, paid for through personal accounts under the health insurance system.
This would greatly reduce the amount of money for these services. Prices recorded in AliHealth’s online pharmacy store have shown that a standard package of Coronavirus Antigen Test (for 10 tests) currently costs more than 200 Yuan ($ 31).
According to the note, China’s provincial health security departments should further standardize and perfect the pricing policies for coronavirus antigen detection services of public medical institutions.
It also noted that the new coronavirus drug, which was accepted in the country’s latest COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment protocol, should be included in the payment area of the local health insurance funds of the provincial health security departments.
Like nucleic acid tests, coronavirus antigen tests help determine if a patient is currently infected with the COVID-19 virus. They are often used in the early stages (within seven days) of symptomatic COVID infection, and show results within about 15 minutes.
China has already included coronavirus nucleic acid testing and health insurance by 2020.
As of Monday, China had 266,482 confirmed coronavirus cases.
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