CRI听力:Public Hospital Reform Proves Effective

According to statistics by the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, the number of their patients over the past two months is almost the same as that of the same period of last year. And the average medical care cost of patients has been decreasing.

For patients who have public health insurance, the average medical treatment cost at the hospital decreased from last year's 399 yuan to this year's 357 yuan, and the average cost of medicine dropped from 283 last year to 206 this year. Chen Yong, head of the hospital explains.

"All our major data shows decreases at a stable pace. What does it indicate? It tells us the effect of the medical reform measures. I think these measures can be carried out in the long term in the future. And patients will be benefited a lot from them."

The medical care service fees depend on the qualifications of the doctor. It varies from 42 yuan which equals about 7 dollars, to 100 yuan, which equals about 15 dollars. The fee replaces the current 5 yuan registration fee and 14 yuan consultation fee. Patients are reimbursed 40 yuan under medicare policies.

Meanwhile, hospitals are prohibited from selling drugs at a 15-percent markup, according to the new measures. Expert says the new measures have greatly enhanced the service quality in hospitals. Here is Doctor Yang Xinchun at the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital.

"In the past, China's public hospitals have long relied on drugs sales as a major source of income, a practice that many say drives up overall medical costs. Meanwhile, the expertise and service by doctors were not properly represented. However, under the new model, the medical care service fees, which depend on the qualification of the doctor, make the value of doctors' work recognized."

According to the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, 60 percent of their medical care service fee from patients is given to doctors through new evaluation system as bonus. Therefore, the bonus for doctors will see an obvious increase this year.

Here is Feng Guosheng, head of the Beijing Hospital Administration Bureau. He says the new medical care service fee better represents the value of physicians' work and will help improve the quality of medical care.

"A new evaluation system based on medical care service efficiency, medical treatment quality and patients' satisfaction on the medical service has been established. When allocating bonus to doctors, hospitals will observe the principle of "more work, more income, higher service quality, higher bonus", so that doctors will be encouraged to enhance their medical service quality and their passion."

Due to the low registration prices charged in the previous system, people with minor ailments tend to consult specialists. However, the initiative helps to better utilize the city's limited medical resources, as different prices for different doctors has been set to optimize the resources.

Expert says the new pricing system also helps reduce patients' out-of-pocket costs because doctors have less incentive to prescribe medicine.

The city's medical reform office's survey shows that patients visiting a general practitioner will save about 11 yuan with the new pricing plan, as 1.3 billion yuan more will be expended on the public health insurance fund for covering the fees.

For CRI, I am Zhang Wan.