A REGULATION for Qingdao’s new rural medical insurance to take effect July 1 was passed by the city’s legislative authority Dec. 23, 2010.

    The regulation would legalize a new type of rural cooperative medical care system which provides medical insurance for rural residents.

    Under the regulation, the government will pay insurance for people with disabilities.

    About 4.5 million rural residents had already joined the system since it was launched in 2003, covering more than 90 percent of the rural population.

    Farmers included in the scheme have 47.5 percent of their inpatient expenses covered.

    So far, a total of 1.53 billion yuan (US$231m) has covered about 11 million cases of medical treatment.

    “The regulation stipulates that the insurance is mainly financed by government subsidies and rural residents can choose to join of their own free will,” said Wan Zhendong, a member of Qingdao’s CPC legislative committee.

    (Chen Ting, Yang Xiaoxing)