BEIJING — China's National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) and the Ministry of Civil Affairs have jointly released a new standard for the evaluation of disability levels to advance the country's long-term care insurance pilot program.

A comprehensive set of indicators including the ability to go about daily life, as well as cognition, perception and communication capabilities, will be taken into consideration when evaluating the disability level of an insurance recipient, according to a statement issued by the two authorities.

The pilot program currently covers 134 million residents in 49 pilot cities across the country, the statement read.

The statement said that pilot cities should follow and implement the new standard within their designated timeframes.

In the next step, the NHSA and relevant authorities will establish a unified identification and evaluation standard for long-term care insurance, with the aim of creating a solid basis for the establishment of a long-term care insurance system in China, the statement said.