Kathy+(Heath+care)

[|gloster]

 Heath care in china Heath care in chain The State Council, China's Cabinet, announced Monday that the central government would fund the construction of more than 300 county hospitals, while state media said the maximum retail prices of some commonly used antibiotics and other drugs will be reduced by an average of 21 percent. That is expected to save Chinese patients $1.5 billion. The central government plans to spend 172 billion yuan ($26 billion) this year on health care, an increase of 16.3 percent from the previous year, the Finance Ministry said Saturday. That includes increasing annual government subsidies for insurance premiums to 200 yuan ($30) per person from 120 yuan ($18).  Health consultant IMS Health predicts that China will have the fastest growing pharmaceuticals market in the world, expanding at 20% per year. And by 2013, it could rise from the ninth largest in value terms… to the third. The country’s median age is fast approaching 35, compared with 20 in 1970. And within the next five years, analysts expect the 60+ crowd to comprise nearly 20% of the population, while in 1990, it only accounted for 10%. In 1981 this additional network provided approximately 25 percent of the country's total health services. Health care was provided in both rural and urban areas through a three-tiered system.