China’s Medical Expenses Increased In 2008
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
According to China's Center for Health Statistics Information, Ministry of Health 2008 per-capita medical expenditure growth hit the second-highest level in the last five years. Statistics of hospital data show that per-capita medical expenses of mainland China outpatient and inpatient were RMB 146.5 and RMB 5446.5 respectively, up 7.6 percent (RMB 10.40) and 9.5 percent (RMB 427.70) when compared with 2007 figures. The director of the Center thinks inflation accounted for last year's medical spending increase; if the effects of inflation were adjusted, per-capita medical expenditures of outpatient and inpatient grew only RMB 0.10 and RMB 91.40 when compared with the previous year. (Click here for more - Chinese language)