100 million migrant workers to get new healthcare benefits

Each province, autonomous region or municipality previously had an independent system for medical reimbursement, making it extremely difficult for people working in other places to enjoy their legitimate rights for reimbursement.

It's good news for Liu, because the new reimbursement will get rid of his financial worries and apprehension as he will not lose any compensation he is supposed to get under the rural cooperative medical care system.

"For decades, migrant workers like me had been dealing with unexpected injuries under separated medical care systems. Not just me, many of my fellow workers, will be happy to see the policy when it takes effect," Liu added.

For Xiang Chunhua, a senior editor at the China Social Security magazine, the off-site settlement has eased complex procedures for medical reimbursement and will improve the healthcare for participants.

Last year, problems arising in the separated reimbursement systems topped the 10 questions raised by netizens to the premier in an online survey before the annual gathering of the National People's Congress. When meeting with the media in March 2016, Li promised to solve the problem within two years. The State Council executive meeting was the latest follow-up of what the premier promised in his Government Work Report this March.

Li said at the meeting that most migrant workers go to grassroots hospitals when they get sick or injured at work. They would not go to see doctor at hospitals not integrated with the national system. "We promote the direct settlement and must get the 100 million migrant workers to enjoy the benefits from the policy," the premier said.

Zhai Shaoguo, deputy director of the social security department at Northwest University in Xi'an in Shaanxi province, said that China's fast urbanization has made it a practical need to reimburse medical payments in other cities as an increasingly large number of people are moving from one place to another.

As urbanization proceeds, more migrant workers will enter cities. Off-site settlement will not only ensure their health and social fairness, but will also improve the competitiveness of enterprises they are working for, the premier added.