BEIJING, April 5 -- China's healthcare security system provided medical assistance to 250 million patients in 2023, according to the country's National Healthcare Security Administration.

The medical assistance program, a key part of China's healthcare security system that ensures basic medical services for the vulnerable population, was piloted in the country's rural and urban areas in 2003 and 2005, respectively.

According to the administration, China's medical assistance funds increased from 1.38 billion yuan (about 194.5 million U.S. dollars) in 2005 to 74.5 billion yuan in 2023.

The medical assistance program has expanded its coverage to a wider group of individuals. Through 20 years of development, the program has honed its targeting methods and made them more efficient, it added.

Currently, in most parts of China, patients living on subsistence allowance or in extreme poverty no longer need to pay a minimum medical bill amount, as required in the past, to receive medical assistance. Furthermore, the medical assistance funds now account for a higher ratio of the medical costs, according to the administration.