Thousands of Chinese orphans receive free health insurance
More than 70,000 orphans from two Chinese provinces receive free health insurance at the start of the school year.
The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) and China Children Insurance Foundation (CCIF) gave free health insurance to the children of Sichuan Province and Guangdong in China. The children were the latest beneficiaries of the program that started in 2009.
The insurance is funded by donations and lasts for at least 12 months. To date, the program has already served more than 440,000 orphans, says Heidi Lu, CCIF Managing Director.
Every child in the program is insured for 100,000 yuan (US$16,339) at an annual premium of 50 yuan to cover costs of 12 critical ailments. The coverage includes treatment for malignant tumors and organ and stem cell transplants. Health insurance contracts are annually renewed, but in some areas, coverage is extended to three years.
“Based on the amount of money donated, we are trying to help more children with a longer period of coverage,” said Lu. She added that the program is receiving small donations private organizations/persons though their website: baoxian.cctf.org.cn. In the past, donations mainly come from large companies.
There are an estimated 570,000 orphans in China, but the actual number is believed to be higher. Orphans may have been overlooked since they live in remote areas or migrated with relatives.
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