A Study Of The Government's Responsibility To Medical Security In China

Medical security refers to a system which ensures that citizens are entitled to necessary medical services or economic compensations offered by the society, enterprise or institution for which they work when they are suffering from an illness, bearing a child or injured. Scientific and reasonable medical security system plays a very important role in meeting the healthy medical requirements of citizens, maintaining a stable order in society and protecting fundamental human rights of citizens. At present, the reforming effect and current development of medical security in China are far from being satisfied. Faced up with all those difficulties in reforming China's medical security system, we should make a serious consideration for how the government functions in the reforming process. The present paper first discusses the appropriateness and necessity of the government's responsibility to medical security. After elaborating on the innate connections between the government's responsibility and the medical security system, this paper focuses on the current state of medical security system in China, and makes some political suggestions for the further development of medical security from the angle of completing the government's responsibility by drawing on other countries'advanced experiences.This paper consists of four chapters:Chapter One introduces the theoretical base of the government's responsibility to medical security.Firstly, appropriateness of the government's responsibility to medical security. Based on the profound theoretical connections between the government's responsibility and the medical security system, this paper elaborates on the appropriateness of the government's responsibility to medical security in terms of political responsibility, public responsibility, social responsibility and economic responsibility.Secondly, necessity of the government's responsibility to medical security. This part clarifies the theoretical necessity of the government's responsibility to medical security, that is, the government's intervention in the medical security system is an effective compensation to the market failure, the government's special function of legislature is a chief prerequisite for the development of medical security, the government's coerce offers the fundamental impetus to the development of medical security and the government's ability to bear the risks is an important guarantee for the development of medical security.Chapter Two talks about the historical and current states of the government's efforts in reforming and developing medical security in China.Firstly, the historical review of the government's promotion of reforming and developing medical security in China. The author reexamines the historical development of the government's responsibility to medical security by reviewing the government's promotion of the medical security reformation for urban staff and workers and the rural cooperative medical service reformation.Secondly, the analysis of difficulties of the government's promotion of reforming and developing medical security in China. There is no doubt that China's government has contributed a lot to reforming and developing medical security. However, the government still finds itself with some difficulties in financial funds, system construction, market monitoring, and responsibility clarity. The author also analysis and discusses how to solve the problems mentioned above.Chapter Three compares the developing patterns of medical security system outside China and draws on other governments'experiences.Firstly, comparison of developing patterns of medical security system outside China. Since medical security concepts and governments'responsibilities differ all over the world, the medical security system in developed countries can be divided into four patterns, namely, medical security system for all the citizens, social medical security system, commercial medical security system and savings medical security system. The author also makes a comparison of the four patterns here.Secondly, drawing on the experiences of other governments'promotion of the development of medical security. China can benefit a lot in drawing on the invaluable experiences of constructing and promoting medical security made by governments in different countries.Chapter Four discusses how to complete the government's responsibility and advance China's medical security.Firstly, clarify responsibilities and make a macro-control. The government has to clarify its own responsibilities and make a macro-control in order to ensure the further development of medical security. The government can distinguish its own responsibilities from other main parts in the medical security field through the following three aspects. Aspect One: introduce the market system to the medical security system properly to promote the socialization of medical security. Aspect Two: enhance citizens'awareness to take an active part in medical security and promote personal savings. Aspect Three: clarify those who can enjoy medical security and implement compulsory medical security.Secondly, enact laws and make a permanent control. One of the government's important duties is to provide a strong legal protection for the reformation and development of medical security in China. Furthermore, the government should also make a permanent control on medical security for the sake of developing medical security. There are three main measures to complete the government's legal protection of medical security. Firstly, pay attention to enacting law systems of medical security and administrate by law. Moreover, complete the administrating and monitoring system of basic medical security funds and medical market. At last, strengthen the regulation of the government itself.Thirdly, increase funds and make reasonable compensations. That is, try to complete the government's economic responsibility to medical security step by step by rising funds for the basic medical security and increasing reasonable financial compensations to the rural medical security.Fourthly, standardize services and enhance regulations. For the time being, our government should actively standardize services and enhance regulations of medical security. The government's responsibility of public administration to medical security should be completed by defining the service scope and standard of the basic medical insurance, standardizing the administration of medical institutions and medical personnel, and actively promoting basic medical health services in communities.