[Wuding Medical Insurance] Chuxiong Prefecture launches long-term care insurance for unemployed urban and rural residents first in the province, achieving full coverage of employee and resident participation simultaneously.

(Source: Wuding Release)

Recently, the "Implementation Plan for Establishing a Long-Term Care Insurance System in Chuxiong Prefecture" was officially issued. Chuxiong became the first prefecture in the province to launch long-term care insurance for unemployed urban and rural residents, marking the first time in the province that employee and resident insurance programs were launched and established simultaneously.

Long-term care insurance provides basic living assistance and medical nursing services to insured individuals who become disabled due to aging, illness, or injury. In accordance with local jurisdiction principles, coverage extends to all participants in the basic medical insurance program, including employees, retirees, flexible employment workers, and urban and rural residents not yet employed. After paying premiums as required, insured individuals who experience a continuous state of disability lasting 6 months or more due to aging, illness, or injury may receive long-term care benefits upon application, successful assessment confirming severe disability status, and signing a service agreement with an accredited care provider. Insured persons may choose among three care options: home-based care, community-based care, or institutional care.

Long-term care insurance premiums are paid concurrently with basic medical insurance. Individual contributions are relatively low: for employed workers, the premium rate is 0.3%, shared equally between employer and employee at 0.15% each; retirees pay only individually (no employer contribution) at a rate of 0.15%; flexible employment personnel pay 0.3%, split evenly between the medical insurance fund and the individual; for unemployed urban and rural residents, personal contributions and government subsidies each cover half. The 2027 annual premium standard is 48 yuan per person, comprising 24 yuan in government subsidies and 24 yuan in individual contributions. Fully subsidized individuals with extreme poverty, as well as fixed-amount subsidies for minimum livelihood guarantee recipients and eligible households at risk of returning to poverty, are supported accordingly. Individuals under 18 years old can enroll through their parents without paying. Orphans, children in fact unable to be raised by their parents, and other special groups unable to enroll via parents are deemed enrolled according to regulations and receive long-term care insurance benefits on equal terms. Additionally, employees' medical insurance personal accounts may be used to pay premiums for close relatives.

Currently, employed workers, retirees, and self-employed individuals contributing to employee medical insurance will begin enrolling and paying premiums alongside the employee medical insurance program starting on 2027-1-1. Unemployed urban and rural residents, as well as self-employed individuals contributing to resident medical insurance, will enroll and pay premiums in alignment with the urban and rural resident medical insurance program beginning with the centralized collection period for the 2027 year. The centralized collection period for 2027 runs from 2026-10-20 to 2027-1-31. Starting on 2027-1-1, insured individuals may submit applications for disability level assessment. Benefits will be provided according to regulations beginning the month following successful assessment.

Source: "Chuxiong Release" WeChat Official Account

Editor: Wang Zihan