The State Council issued a plan on April 30 aimed at further improving the country’s comprehensive medical financial assistance system for critical and serious illnesses.

The plan, jointly drafted by five ministries and departments, aims to reduce healthcare costs of cash-strapped families and individuals, and ensure they receive necessary medical services.

The basic medical insurance system and several other kinds of complementary medical insurance systems — including commercial health insurance — will be connected and the society should play a role in the medical financial assistance system.

The government will strive to create an open and transparent system by providing information on the policies, process and implementation of the medical assistance.

According to the plan, the authorities will combine the current urban medical assistance system with the rural one by the end of 2015, so as to create a comprehensive and effective medical assistance system and protect the basic medical rights and interests of urban and rural citizens.

Families who receive the minimum living allowance and poverty-stricken individuals are set to be the main recipients of the medical assistance.

In order to efficiently carry out the plan, a reasonable standard should be set, considering the financial situation of the recipients and the local governments.

Local governments should also invite the society to join the medical assistance system through implementation of preferential fiscal measures and tax relief policies, thus attracting donations for the medical assistance system — and strengthening the government’s medical assistance.