COVID-19 related medical bills in China top 2.84 billion yuan in 2020

BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- About 2.84 billion yuan (around 434 million U.S. dollars) worth of medical bills related to COVID-19 treatment were paid in China in 2020, showed a report released by the country's National Healthcare Security Administration.

A novel coronavirus patient gives a thumbsup to doctors at a hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, February 10, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)

According to the report, about 1.63 billion yuan worth of these medical expenses were covered by the country's medical insurance funds.

Besides, the funds granted by regional medical insurance departments to designated COVID-19 treatment facilities topped 19.4 billion yuan.

During the pandemic, the administration took swift measures to ensure that timely medical treatments for COVID-19 patients are not obstructed by payment issues.

The administration also brought medical supplies and medicines used in COVID-19 treatment under the ambit of medical insurance coverage, reducing the prices for nucleic acid test and antibody test reagents by more than 70 percent and 40 percent, respectively.