Harvard-DRC Seminar on Ten Years of Health Care Reform in China: Review of Its Progress and Future Trajectory

In June 2019, the “Seminar on Ten-Year Health Care Reform in China: Review of Its Progress and Future Trajectory” was held with the CIKD of the Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC).

The Center for International Knowledge on Development (CIKD) is an independent non-profit institution directly affiliated with the Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC), which in turn is the national decision-making body on all important policies in China.

The seminar was co-organized by the CIKD of DRC and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to conduct in-depth analysis of and discussion on the progress made and key lessons learned in the past decade in terms of the health care reform in China and share relevant international experiences. Participants of the seminar included senior representatives from the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCP), National Health Commission of China, DRC, local governments of China, international organizations (e.g. World Health Organization, World Bank), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and academic institutions.

Day 1  June 15th, 2019

Opening Ceremony

Moderator: Zhang Junkuo, Vice-President of DRC 

Keynote Speech (8 mins each)

  • Ma Jiantang, Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of DRC

  • Li Wei, Chairman of Committee for Population, Resources and Environment, CPPCC; Chairman of China Development Research Foundation

 

  • Li Bin, Vice-Minister and Member of the Leading Party Members Group of the National Health Commission

  • Wang Chen, Academician, Vice-President of Chinese Academy of Engineering; President of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences& Peking Union Medical College

  • William Hsiao, Member of US National Academy of Science,T. Li Research Professor of Economicsat Harvard University

  • Gauden Galea, World Health Organization Representative in China

  • Martin Raiser, World Bank Country Director for China and Mongolia, and Director for Korea

Thematic Forum

Progress and Impact of China’s 10-Year Health Care Reform

At the 19th National Congress of the CPC, the Healthy China Strategy was integrated into China’s overall development strategy, which is of great practical and far-reaching historical significance. Continuing to deepen the healthcare reform is an important guarantee for implementing the Healthy China Strategy. An objective summary of the progress is helpful to better plan the direction of deepening the reform in the future. This section mainly discusses the overall effect and progress of China’s healthcare reform, evaluates the achievements and challenges in the past decade from the aspects of China’s livelihood index, domestic practices and international perspectives, and proposes future plans.

Moderator: Gong Sen, Executive Vice-President of CIKD

Keynote Speech

  • Chinas Health Care Reform: Perspective from China Livelihood Index Survey (10 mins)

Zhang Junkuo, Vice-President of DRC

  • Achievement, Challenges and Future Plans for China’s 10-Year Health Care Reform(30 mins)

Fu Wei, Director of Health Development Research Center, the National Health Commission

  • An International Perspective on China’s 10-Year HealthCare Reform (30 mins)

Winnie Yip, Director of Harvard China Health Partnership, Professor of Global Health Policy and Economics at Harvard University

Panel Discussion (8 mins each)

  • Anthony Wu, National Standing Committee Member, CPPCC
  • Ge Yanfeng, Director-Generalof Research Department of Social Development, DRC
  • Chu Fuling,Professor at School of Insurance, Central University of Finance and Economics
  • Agnès Soucat, Director for Health Systems, Governance and Financing, WHO
  • Enis Barış, Practice Manager for East Asia and the Pacific region, Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice of the World Bank

Wrap-up (20 mins)

William Hsiao, Member of US National Academy of Science, K.T. Li Research Professor of Economics at Harvard University

Panel 1: Building a Health-Centered Delivery System

The establishment of a health-centered service delivery system is the basis for implementing the Healthy China Strategy. This section mainly discusses how to take people’s health as the center and follow the guidelines of health work in the new era, as well as how to integrate public health services and medical services, integrate urban and rural healthcare delivery system, and strengthen county-level healthcare service system, so as to improve the health delivery system.

Moderator: Chen Ningshan, Deputy Director-General of Department of Law and Legislation, the National Health Commission

Keynote Speech (20 mins each)

  • Li Ling, Director of Peking University China Center for Health Development Studies
  • Ellen Nolte, Professor of Health Services and System Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

  • Ye Xinlong, Party Secretary and Director of Yuncheng Health Commission, Shanxi Province

Panel Discussion (10 mins each)

  • Zeng Guang, ChiefExpert in Epidemiology of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Dinesh Nair, Senior Health Specialist,Health Nutrition Population Global Practice, World Bank East Asia Region
  • Qiao Jianrong, Coordinator of Health Systems and Health Security Team, WHO China Office
  • Fang Lijie, Deputy Director of Social Policy Research Office, Institute of Sociology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Wrap-up (5 mins)

  • Chen Ningshan, Deputy Director-General of Department of Law and Legislation, the National Health Commission

Panel 2: Reform and Regulation of Public Hospitals with Self-motivation and Restraint

Public hospitals are the main components of China’s healthcare delivery system and the key area of the healthcare reform. Public hospital reform involves not only the government’s supervision and management, but also the hospitals’ incentive mechanism and governance system. Based on the practical experience at home and abroad, this section will discuss how to improve the supervision and governance of public hospitals, reform the incentive mechanism, and promote the coordinated development of public and private hospitals. 

Moderator: Gong Sen, Executive Vice-President of CIKD

Keynote Speech (20 mins each)

  • Zhang Zongjiu, Director-Generalof Bureau of Medical Administration, the National Health Commission
  • Zhu Hongbiao, Inspector of Department of Healthcare Reform, the National Health Commission
  • Anita Charlesworth, Director of Research and Economics at the Health Foundation

  • Wong Chiang Yin, Scribe of the Academy of Medicine of Singapore and former President of the Singapore Medical Association

  • Gabriel Leung, Dean, Faculty of Medicine at University of Hong Kong

Panel Discussion (10 mins each)

  • Yu Xiuqin, Deputy Director of Sanming Municipal Health Commission, Fujian Province
  • Wang Liejun, Deputy Director-General of Research Department of Social Development, DRC
  • Pan Jay, Vice Dean of West China School of Public Health, Vice President of West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University
  • Wang Tao, Professor at Peking University Third Hospital

Wrap-up (5 mins)

  • Gong Sen, Executive Vice-President of CIKD

Day 2  June 16th, 2019

Panel 3: Establishing a Sustainable Health Financing System

In the context of economic structural transformation and population aging, the establishment of a sustainable health financing system is crucial to the implementation of the Healthy China Strategy. This section will mainly focus on how to improve the efficient use of healthcare funds, reform the medical insurance payment system, broaden financing channels and to improve the sustainability of China’s health financing system.

Moderator: William Hsiao, Member of US National Academy of Science, K.T. Li Research Professor of Economics at Harvard University

Keynote Speech (20 mins)

  • Jin Weigang, President of the Chinese Academy of Labor and Social Security, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security
  • Lei Haichao, Director of Party Committee of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission

  • Mark McClellan, Director and Robert J. Margolis Professor of Business, Medicine and Policy, Duke University

Panel Discussion (8 mins)

  • Winnie Yip, Director of HarvardChina Health Partnership, Professor of Global Health Policy and Economics at Harvard University
  • Gordon Liu, Deputy Director, Faculty of Economics & Management at Peking University
  • Liu Yuanli, Dean of School of Public Health at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College
  • Li Zhen, Professor at School of Public Administration, Renmin University of China
  • Chen Wen, Professor at Fudan University

Wrap-up (5 mins)

  • William Hsiao, Member of US National Academy of Science, K.T. Li Research Professor of Economics at Harvard University

Panel 4: Drug Market Access and Appropriate Use

Improving the drug supply system and rational use of medicines are the foundation for deepening the healthcare reform. This section will conduct in-depth discussions on the reform of China’s drug supply security system, the current situation of drug supervision and use, and the future direction of the reform.

Moderator: Ge Yanfeng, Director-General of Research Department of Social Development, DRC

Keynote Speech (20 mins)

  • Xue Haining, Deputy Director-General of Department of Healthcare Reform, the National Health Commission
  • Wang Yue, Director of Jiangsu Drug Administration

Panel Discussion (8 mins)

  • Mark McClellan, Director and Robert J. Margolis Professor of Business, Medicine and Policy, Duke University
  • Song Ruilin, Executive President of China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Development Association
  • Zhou Qin, Director of Center for Clinical Pathways Management and Guidance, the Health Commission of Anhui Province
  • Xuan Jianwei, Director and Professor for Health Economic Research Institute,Sun Yat-Sen University
  • Zeng Yu, Director of Nanhai Institute for Health Industry

Wrap-up (5 mins)

  • Ge Yanfeng, Director-General of Research Department of Social Development, DRC

 

Resources

  • An abstract and the full-length English and Chinese texts of a review article published in The Lancet evaluating 10 years of healthcare reform in China are available here.
  • An introduction of the 10 year review article by Sir Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet, and an interview with the article’s main authors Professor Winnie Yip and Professor Wen CHEN is available here.
  • “Seminar on Ten-Year Health Care Reform in China: Review of Its Progress and Future Trajectory” held in conjunction with the State Council’s Development Research Center
  • Seminar on Ten-Year Health Care Reform in China at Harvard University
  • Seminar on Ten-Year Health Care Reform in China at Tsinghua University