A new healthcare reimbursement system has been put into force in Xinjiang as of July 1, simplifying the medical cost repayment system for its residents across the region.

The new system means that insured Xinjiang residents that require medical treatment anywhere across the region need only pay a portion of their medical fees instead of the whole amount with later reimbursement.

The program directly benefits those who work or seek medical treatment in a different city, allowing them to use their Medicare cards to pay for services in real-time in any city across Xinjiang, according to Zhang Chengjie, an official with the social security center at the Xinjiang Oil Field.

He added that patients need no longer travel back to their home city in Xinjiang to be reimbursed their medical fees.

The real-time medical fee settlement has been implemented at hospitals which treat heart and neurological conditions, as well as occupational diseases in Xinjiang. It is expected to expand to all kinds of hospitals by the end of this year.

Xinjiang is also pushing for cross-province medical fee settlement, reaching agreements with the cities of Chongqing, Xi’an, Chengdu, and the provinces of Hainan and Jilin.