Patients see light again under new regulation

A large number of senior Chinese people who suffer the common disease of age-related macular degeneration can get timely medical treatment and see the light again, thanks to the government's accelerated healthcare reform.

A total of 17 provincial-level regions in China announced the implementation of 36 expensive drugs covered by medical insurance since Sept 1, according to information shared at a press conference held by the Beijing Tongren Hospital and Novartis Group (China), a global pharmaceutical giant, on Friday.

"The move brings hope for patients who cannot afford curing the age-related macular degeneration,"Wei Wenbin, a professor at Beijing Tongren, said while at the conference, adding more than 70 percent of Chinese patients do not receive necessary treatment due to high-cost medicines.

Age-related macular degeneration is a common disease in people aged more than 45 years, and its prevalence rate in China – about 13 percent – increases year-by-year, according to statistics. One out of ten patients will become blind if they do not receive treatment. However, Lucentis – the effective drug curing the illness – is expensive, which leads to many older people giving up treatment.

Patients now only need to pay 1,000 yuan ($152.69) to 2,000 yuan for one treatment following the new regulation, compared with almost 10,000 yuan before, according to Chen Youxin, a professor at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Generally speaking, 10 times the treatment is needed to maintain good therapeutic effect.

"I believe a growing number of high-priced drugs will be covered by China's medical insurance with China's economic strength enhanced," Chen said.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced, on July 19, the prices of 36 pharmaceuticals would be put into the list covered by the medical insurance fund, after the authorities negotiated substantial price reductions.

The 36 drugs share two points in common – they were so expensive ordinary patients could hardly afford them; they are also necessary for certain illnesses and there is no substitute for them.

"With the deepening of the medical reform and the accumulated experiences, the reimbursement process will become more and more standard and reasonable," Wei added.