Story By: Lee Bullen,Sub Editor: Joseph Golder,Agency: Asia Wire Report
China has reportedly spent an average of nearly 2,000 GBP per COVID-19 patient during the worldwide pandemic.
Xiong Xianjun, a senior official from the National Healthcare Security Administration, told local media that China has spent an average of 17,000 RMB (1,940 GBP) per case with 65 percent of the cost coming from the country’s healthcare system and the rest from local government.
According to the study, before 15th March, patients in China had cleared 93,238 medical bills worth a total of 1 billion RMB (114 million GBP) as some people had visited a clinic multiple times.
Reports said that 44,189 confirmed COVID-19 patients had 65 percent of their bills covered by the healthcare system and 35 percent from local government.
The health authorities reportedly allocated 19.3 billion RMB (2.2 billion GBP) to medical institutions across China to ease the pressure of advance payment, according to local media.
Around 3.7 billion RMB (421 million GBP) went to the province of Hubei where Wuhan is located, the hardest hit region in the country.
Services and medication included in the national treatment plan, such as the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines which cost 60,000 to 100,000 RMB (6,826 to 11,380 GBP) every day once turned on, are also covered.
According to a Wall Street Journal report on 22nd March 22, the situation is very different in the US where medical bills for citizens varied for every person based on whether they were insured and how serious the symptoms were.
For US workers in employer-based health insurance plans, the total cost for treating pneumonia with major complications exceeded 20,000 USD (16,145 GBP) on average.
Meanwhile, many patients had to pay an average of 1,300 USD (1,050 GBP) for extra costs, according to reports.
The Wall Street Journal’s report added that without complications, the average patient’s cost was 9,763 USD (7,886 GBP).
According to the reports, nearly half of US residents have employer-based medical insurance, around 20 percent have Medicaid and 14 percent have Medicare.
Meanwhile, around nine percent of the population, roughly 27 million US residents, are reportedly uninsured.
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