Multiple departments issue a notice to expand the scale of basic medical insurance coverage for flexible employment workers and other groups.

Recently, the National Healthcare Security Administration, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transportation, and other six departments jointly issued a notice to launch a special initiative aimed at improving the quality of basic medical insurance coverage for flexible employees, migrant workers, and those in new employment forms. The notice states that over the next three years, they plan to continuously expand the enrollment of flexible employees and similar groups in basic medical insurance, with a focus on increasing the number of participants covered by employee medical insurance. China will promote the removal of household registration restrictions for flexible employees in mega cities regarding insurance participation at their place of employment or residence. While ensuring the balance of medical insurance fund income and expenditure, local areas may reasonably determine the contribution base for flexible employees by referring to the local basic pension insurance contribution base. For flexible employees participating in employee medical insurance, the contribution years can be cumulatively counted on a monthly basis, with every 12 months counted as one year of contribution. Original text as follows: Office of the National Healthcare Security Administration General Office of the Ministry of Finance General Office of the Ministry of Transportation General Office of the Ministry of Commerce General Office of the State Taxation Administration Office of the State Post Bureau General Office of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions on the Notice for Conducting a Special Initiative for Flexible Employees, Migrant Workers, and Those in New Employment Forms to Participate in Basic Medical Insurance Quality Improvement To the medical security bureaus, finance departments, transportation departments, commerce authorities, postal administrations, and trade unions of each province, autonomous region, municipality, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps: In order to thoroughly implement the work requirements of the "14th Five-Year Plan" regarding increasing the insurance coverage rate of flexible employees, migrant workers, and individuals in new employment forms (hereinafter collectively referred to as "flexible employees, etc."), and to encourage relevant personnel to participate in employee medical insurance, it has been decided to carry out a special initiative to firmly advance the expansion and quality improvement of medical insurance enrollment. 1. Work Objectives Based on consolidating the achievements of flexible employees in participating in basic medical insurance, over the next three years, through policy integration, interdepartmental cooperation, optimized services, and technological empowerment, the continuous increase in the number of flexible employees participating in basic medical insurance, especially in employee medical insurance, will be targeted. Gradually explore and form insurance and contribution models that are suitable for the characteristics of new employment forms, and continually improve the service system for flexible employee insurance. 2. Major Tasks (1) Strengthening Policy Support. Promote the removal of household registration restrictions for flexible employees in mega cities concerning insurance participation at their place of employment or residence. While ensuring fund income and expenditure balance, local areas may reasonably determine the contribution base for flexible employees by referring to the local basic pension insurance contribution base. For flexible employees participating in employee medical insurance, the initial step could involve establishing a basic medical insurance pooling fund, with the contribution rate determined by the local basic medical insurance pooling fund contributions. For the contribution years of flexible employees in employee medical insurance, monthly accumulation is permitted, with every 12 months counted as one year; upon reaching the legal retirement age and meeting the required cumulative contribution years, they can enjoy the pension benefits of employee medical insurance. For those who do not meet the contribution years, contributions will be made until the prescribed years under the regulations of the pooling area. Reasonable waiting periods for benefits for flexible employees in employee medical insurance should be set. In qualified provinces, exploration of suitable calculations for the continuity of resident medical insurance contributions corresponding to the local employee medical insurance contribution years can be implemented based on local conditions. When transferring and continuing essential medical insurance relationships for individuals participating in employee medical insurance, the contribution years will be cumulatively calculated. Local areas may not tie the handling of employee medical insurance retirement benefits to the monthly receipt of basic pensions. (2) Optimizing Contribution Methods. Local areas may, according to their actual situations, implement monthly contributions for flexible employees participating in employee medical insurance, or explore quarterly, semiannual, or annual pre-payments for flexible employees. Encourage platform enterprises to adopt individual contributions + platform subsidies or pay social insurance according to the unit worker model for workers in new employment forms who have stable order reception, and gradually institutionalize these methods when conditions allow. Encourage locals to include flexible employees in the scope of maternity insurance coverage, which can be simultaneously paid when participating in employee insurance, allowing individuals to enjoy maternity insurance benefits according to regulations. Through various methods, gradually increase the proportion of flexible employees participating in employee medical insurance. (3) Enhancing Service Efficiency. Smooth the handling channels for Wuxi Online Offline Communication Information Technology Co., Ltd., implement integrated services for "one thing for flexible employee insurance participation," combining medical insurance registration with social insurance registration matters to achieve one notification, one application form, one window for handling, online processing, and single-instance completion. Ensure smooth connections for flexible employees in medical insurance relationships and guarantee seamless access to benefits. Encourage local areas to explore the establishment of medical insurance service stations that provide insurance consultation and payment guidance services. Promote the inter-provincial shared use of personal accounts, supporting spouses, children, and parents to utilize account funds for convenient medical treatment and payment for resident insurance. (4) Promoting Inter-Departmental Cooperation. Continue to improve the application of the "one person one file" national insurance coverage database to facilitate precise publicity and mobilization. Healthcare security departments at all levels should actively cooperate with human resources, social security, commerce, transportation, taxation, and postal management departments to conduct data sharing periodically, accurately identify uninsured individuals. Support workers in new employment forms to join trade unions and encourage participation in employee medical mutual aid. (5) Strengthening Policy Promotion. Actively create easy-to-understand short videos, case interpretations, and other materials to promote policies related to insurance contributions and benefit guarantees, inviting beneficiaries to share their insurance stories. Embed contribution reminders and policy push functions in network platform apps and carry out "door-to-door policy delivery" activities in scenarios such as skill training and union welfare distribution, alongside concentrated promotion activities for national insurance during important holidays. Collaborate with group organizations, industry associations, platform enterprises, and courier companies to form promotional teams that conduct promotional activities periodically in gig markets, important business districts, delivery stations, and courier points to push publicity directly to flexible employee groups. 3. Work Requirements Local areas must elevate their political stance, adhere to a people-centered approach, strengthen organizational leadership, insist on tailored local strategies, and thoroughly implement various measures. They should research and innovate policy measures in line with national regulations, combining actual conditions to form specific implementation plans, coordinate the organization of implementation, and ensure steady development of each task. Strengthen oversight and guidance, establish inter-departmental consultation mechanisms, and timely resolve issues regarding insurance registration, policy coordination, and data sharing. Enhance workforce training to improve the policy implementation and service capabilities of handling personnel and relevant staff in platforms to ensure effective execution of measures. Major issues arising during the implementation of special actions should be promptly reported to the National Healthcare Security Administration by local healthcare insurance departments. This article is excerpted from the official website of the National Healthcare Security Administration, edited by GMTEight: Jiang Yuanhua.