The sixth batch of national organized centralized procurement of high-value medical consumables has been opened for bidding, with a total of 440 products to be selected.

On January 13th, the sixth batch of national centralized procurement of high-value medical consumables (referred to as "bulk procurement") in the Tianjin bidding generated the selected results. This batch of bulk procurement includes 12 types of medical consumables in two categories: drug-coated balloons and urinary intervention, with 496 products from 227 companies bidding and 440 products from 202 companies selected. Mainstream companies with large demand from medical institutions actively participate in the selection, ensuring a diverse and abundant supply of products. Drug-coated balloons improve vascular stenosis by expanding blood vessels and releasing drugs. They can be divided into coronary and peripheral vascular balloons based on the location of the vessels. In this round of bulk procurement, drug-coated balloons were included to effectively complement the previously procured cardiac and peripheral vascular stents. A total of 42 products from 32 companies of drug-coated balloons were selected, matching clinical usage rates and reducing the financial burden on the public. Urinary intervention consumables are used for stone removal surgery in patients with kidney or ureteral stones, and different types of consumables are used for different surgical procedures, making the product selection process complex. Previously, this area was a "blank space" in bulk procurement. A total of 454 products from 195 companies in urinary intervention consumables bidding, with 398 products from 170 companies selected. Additionally, specialized products like drug marking balloons and pressure measuring catheters were also selected to meet specific clinical needs. This round of bulk procurement follows the deployment requirements of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council to optimize procurement policies, adhering to the principles of "keeping clinical stability, ensuring quality, preventing price wars, and avoiding collusion." Firstly, the competition was grouped to ensure the continuity of clinical use. Each product category was clearly defined based on the size of medical institution demand and national supply capacity, ensuring that products with high clinical recognition and strong supply capability are selected to maintain clinical stability. Secondly, special product functions were taken into account. Considering the prevalence of "micro-innovation" in the consumables field, for products with certain functional innovations, a comparative price coefficient based on clinical value was formed to reflect price differences and enhance clinical usage. Thirdly, the selection rules were optimized to prevent price wars. Instead of simply selecting the lowest price, a benchmark price control of 65% of the average price was used when the lowest price was too low. In this round of bulk procurement, 8 out of 20 competitive groups triggered this rule, playing an important role in preventing individual companies from significantly lowering prices and affecting the overall prices of products in the group. Since 2020, the medical insurance department has conducted six batches of national centralized procurement of high-value medical consumables, successfully procuring 142 types of medical consumables in 9 categories, covering major clinical fields such as cardiology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, vascular surgery, otolaryngology, and urology. The selected results of this round will be officially announced soon after the publication of this article and are expected to be implemented around May 2026. At that time, patients will be able to use the high-quality and cost-effective products selected through bulk procurement. This article is a selection from the "National Joint Office of High-Value Medical Consumables Procurement", edited by GMTEight: Jiang Yuanhua.