Information connects the Yangtze Delta better than ever

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02:57

The Yangtze Delta Region is becoming more interconnected than ever because of the rapid flow of information within the region, which has been enabled by better and increased internet access.

Since 2009, senior citizens in the Yangtze Delta have been able to apply for pensions online instead of needing to return to their hometown.

“In the past, we used traditional operations and the materials had to be handled manually. The process took one week,” said Shi Jun of the Jiaxing Social Security Bureau.

This system became simpler and faster in 2013. After a person's information is entered into the system and is reviewed, the settlement information will be automatically transmitted to the medical insurance system in Shanghai. The reimbursement will then be deposited automatically in the person's bank account.

VCG Photo

A remote medical insurance reimbursement platform was finally launched to cover the entire country in 2017. Up to that point, only twelve cities could handle remote reimbursements.

Remote settlements for in-patient medical insurance is just the beginning. People now expect real-time settlements for out-patient and emergency room expenses in the Yangtze River Delta too.

On the national data platform of the Shanghai Medical Insurance Center, the top three places that patients come from are Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui. These three provinces account for more than 60 percent of the patients who need remote settlement in Shanghai.

Prior to the implementation of the remote settlement policy, the almost all medical insurance expenditure was completely reviewed and settled by the medical insurance systems in various regions.

The remote medical insurance settlement completely changed the supervision model, and the settlement review process is now handled where medical services are received.