(Source: Economic Daily)
Source: Economic Daily
As China's population ages, the demand for elderly care services is becoming increasingly diverse. Beyond the steady rollout of the social security "sixth insurance"—the long-term care insurance system—many regions have introduced affordable commercial nursing insurance products to complement and connect with the policy-based long-term care insurance.
Multiple regions launch inclusive commercial long-term care insurance
On 10 14, Beijing Life Insurance launched "Jing Hubao," a one-year exclusive internet medical insurance product. It integrates rehabilitation medical expenses with six nursing responsibilities under a single coverage framework, offering support for up to 180 days. This aims to provide accessible coverage spanning multiple care stages—from in-hospital rehabilitation to home-based nursing—at a low entry threshold.
Previously, PICC Health launched "Huli Bao" in Shanghai; PICC Property and Casualty issued the first city-customized inclusive commercial long-term care insurance policy in Nanjing and implemented an inclusive supplementary long-term care insurance program in Huzhou.
At the same time, multiple local Huimin Bao plans are accelerating the inclusion of nursing-related coverage. The 2026 version of "Shenzhen Huimin Bao" added a no-deductible caregiving service; the 2026 Nanning "Huiyongbao" introduced a nursing insurance booster pack; and the 2026 version of "Tai'an Citizen Bao" added optional post-operative in-hospital nursing coverage.
Analysis of inclusive nursing insurance pilots across regions shows that implementing affordable commercial long-term care insurance with a focus on nursing services supports a multi-tiered protection system combining "public long-term care insurance as the foundation and commercial insurance as a supplement." Chen Hui, Director of the China Actuarial Technology Laboratory at Central University of Finance and Economics, noted that while policy-driven long-term care insurance primarily targets severely disabled individuals, inclusive products offer low entry barriers and broad coverage to fill gaps for mild-to-moderate disability cases and insufficient benefit limits.
"Inclusive nursing insurance can alleviate the financial burden of family caregiving, lower enrollment barriers for middle-aged and older adults, and leverage market resources to expand home-based and rehabilitation care services. At the same time, it helps commercial nursing insurers accumulate data on disability assessments and claims, offering practical value in addressing population aging and resolving the critical social issue of 'one disabled family member disrupting the entire household,'" Chen Hui further stated.
Multi-layered support through collaborative efforts
There are currently 3.2 billion people aged 60 and above in our country, including approximately 4500 million with disabilities or cognitive impairments and about 3500 million who require long-term care. However, disability is not limited to the elderly; accidents such as falls, traffic collisions, sports injuries, stroke sequelae, and severe illness complications can suddenly leave even previously healthy individuals unable to care for themselves.
A representative from the health insurance division of a major life insurer stated that establishing long-term care insurance nationwide lays the institutional foundation for a multi-tiered long-term care protection system. Policy-based long-term care insurance ensures basic coverage, while commercial long-term care insurance enhances quality; together, they complement each other and are both essential to form a complete protection framework.
Policy-level initiatives continue to guide the growth of commercial long-term care insurance. In 2025 9, the National Financial Regulatory Administration issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting High-Quality Development of Health Insurance," which calls for accelerating the development of commercial long-term care insurance and disability income loss insurance, while fully launching conversion services between life insurance liability and nursing payment liability.
In 2026, the Beijing Municipal Healthcare Security Administration, the Beijing Financial Regulatory Bureau, and other agencies jointly issued "Supporting the Development of Commercial Nursing Insurance and Disability Income Loss Insurance," which emphasizes promoting commercial nursing insurance and disability income loss insurance. The Shanghai Financial Regulatory Bureau, the Shanghai Municipal Healthcare Security Administration, and other entities jointly released "Several Measures to Promote High-Quality Development of Commercial Health Insurance and Support Innovation in the Biomedical Industry," encouraging insurance institutions to accelerate the research and development of insurance products tailored to diverse care needs, including home care, community-based care, and institutional care. The measures also stress strengthening the integration of commercial nursing insurance with nursing services and actively exploring the establishment of standards for commercial nursing insurance service delivery.
However, the current supply of commercial long-term care insurance remains significantly insufficient. According to the "Health and Long-Term Care Insurance Protection Index (2025)" report, jointly released by Xiaoyusan Insurance Brokerage, Shouhui Insurance Agency, and the School of Finance at Nankai University, as of the end of 2025, personal insurance companies offered a total of 4607 health insurance products. Among these, only 152 were commercial long-term care insurance products, representing just 3.3% of the total. The proportion of premiums from these products relative to total health insurance premiums has consistently remained below 2%. The product mix is notably unbalanced, with a severe shortage of affordable, pure-protection term consumption-style and inclusive long-term care insurance options.
How can inclusive care insurance and policy-driven long-term care insurance (LTCI) better coordinate? Chen Hui suggests: first, align assessment standards by sharing disability levels and provider lists to reduce redundant evaluations; second, clarify coverage boundaries so inclusive products cover mild disabilities, excess costs, and value-added care needs; third, encourage insurers to participate in LTCI administration to build industry data for refining inclusive product actuarial models; and fourth, strengthen public education to help people understand the distinct roles of each scheme, fostering a "social security foundation with commercial insurance enhancement" model.
A senior executive from the health insurance division of a major life insurer stated that tax incentives for commercial long-term care insurance should be expanded in both scope and benefit level to boost consumer enrollment. Additionally, insurers should be encouraged to integrate medical and elderly care resources, combining cash benefits with service delivery. This approach would ensure that commercial long-term care insurance not only provides financial compensation but also delivers essential services, effectively addressing caregiving challenges for families with disabled members.
