Some regions in China have included some genetic tests in their medical insurance coverage, but those that are included are in the minority.
At present, the national level adopts the exclusion method to stipulate the scope of medical service items for which basic medical insurance will not pay for the costs and will pay for part of the costs, and does not exclude medical service items related to genetic testing.
Provincial (autonomous regions and municipalities) health insurance departments have determined the scope of payment for medical service programs in their respective provinces based on the development of medical technology, the operation of health insurance funds in the region and other actual circumstances. Due to the different levels of economic development and medical technology in each region, there are some differences in the specific items included and the level of payment.
From the local practical point of view, some regions have already included some genetic testing programs into the scope of medical insurance payment. However, due to the short time of clinical application, the technology is not yet very mature, as well as the higher price and cost, the genetic testing industry needs to be further standardized and other reasons, most of the places have not yet included the tumor genetic testing program into the medical insurance.
China's medical insurance has the following roles:
1. It is conducive to improving labor productivity and promoting the development of production. Medical insurance is the inevitable result of social progress and production development. In turn, the establishment and improvement of the medical insurance system will further promote social progress and the development of production.
2. It regulates income differences and reflects social fairness. Medical insurance is an important means of income redistribution by the government through the collection of medical insurance premiums and reimbursement of medical insurance service fees to regulate income differences.
3. It is an important guarantee for social stability. Medical insurance provides financial assistance to sick workers, helps to eliminate social instability caused by illness, and is an important social mechanism for adjusting social relations and social conflicts.
4. An important means of promoting social civilization and progress. Medical insurance and social mutual *** relief social system, by sharing the risk of disease costs among the participants, reflecting the "one party in trouble, eight parties to support" a new type of social relations, is conducive to the promotion of social civilization and progress.
5. It is an important guarantee to promote the reform of the economic system, especially the reform of state-owned enterprises.