On May 14, on its official website, Zibo Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau published the Notice on Further Regulating the Payment Scope of Individual Account of Basic Medical Insurance for Urban Employees, specifically defining that “physical fitness, health maintenance and prevention, health food and food that are not directly associated with disease treatment shall not be paid by the individual account of medical insurance.”

According to monitoring data, the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau or the Medical Insurance Bureau in Pingtan of Fujian, Nanjing of Jiangsu, Guangxi province, Xuancheng of Anhui province, and Zibo of Shandong province have successively issued documents since April to regulate the scope of individual account of basic medical insurance for employees. However, the actual content differs in various ways. Due to the localization administration of health insurance, the regulations and their expressions vary from place to place. Taking the above five places/cities as examples, they fall into two groups.

Group I

The payment scope of individual account of medical insurance “rejects” health food.

For example, Zibo of Shandong province, Nanjing of Jiangsu province and Xuancheng of Anhui province

Zibo of Shandong province

“Physical fitness, health maintenance and prevention, health food and food that are not directly associated with disease treatment shall not be paid by the individual account of medical insurance.”

Nanjing of Jiangsu province

Individual medical insurance does not cover health food.

Xuancheng of Anhui province

Individual medical insurance does not cover health food, but medicines (health-care medicines) with CFDA Registration No. GUOYAOZHUNZI B**.

Group II

Includes health food in the payment scope of individual medical insurance.

For example, Guangxi and Pingtan of Fujian province.

Pingtan of Fujian province

Individual medical insurance includes “the cost to purchase drugs (CFDA Registration No. GUOYAOZHUNZI H/S/Z/B**, TCM decoction pieces), medical devices (CFDA Registration No. SHIYAOJIANXIEZI ** No. **, Food and Drug Administration Registration No. YAOJIANXIEZI(xxxx) No. **], disinfection supplies (Ministry of Health Registration No: WEIXIAOZI (** No. **), and health foods [CFDA Registration No. GUOSHIJIANZI G/J ** and Ministry of Health Registration No. WEISHIJIANZI(xxxx) No.xxxx with a “blue cap” as a special mark at designated retail pharmacies.

Guangxi

The employees who join basic medical insurance may purchase drugs, medical devices, medical materials, disinfection supplies with Ministry of Health Registration No: WEIXIAOZI **) No.xxxx and Ministry of Health Registration No WEISHAZHUNZI, as well as health foods with CFDA Registration No. GUOSHIJIANZI G/J** at designated pharmacies with individual medical insurance.