First get outpatient chronic disease certification, then register for cross-regional medical care — hypertension, diabetes, cancer radiotherapy/chemotherapy, dialysis, and anti-rejection treatment can then be covered by yibao across regions

2. First get outpatient chronic disease certification, then register for cross-regional medical care — hypertension, diabetes, cancer radiotherapy/chemotherapy, dialysis, and anti-rejection treatment can then be covered by yibao across regions

Cost: No cost at all. You can complete the cross-regional medical registration once, right from your phone, via the yibao app before you travel.

In plain terms: Patients with hypertension, diabetes, outpatient radiotherapy/chemotherapy for malignant tumors, dialysis for uremia, and anti-rejection treatment after organ transplants can now use their yibao coverage for outpatient care anywhere in the country. They won’t need to pay out-of-pocket first and then seek reimbursement back home. However, this only works if they first obtain outpatient chronic disease certification in their home region, then register for cross-regional medical care. Both steps are required for it to take effect.

Benefit: According to official documents from the National Healthcare Security Administration, this system is now largely in place. The exact wording reads: “Cross-regional direct settlement of outpatient expenses for five chronic conditions — hypertension, diabetes, radiotherapy/chemotherapy for malignant tumors, dialysis for uremia, and anti-rejection treatment after organ transplants — is now largely accessible at the county level.” “Accessible at the county level” means this service is available county-wide. The documents also mention plans to add five more conditions to this list in the future.

Evidence grade: A

Sources: Office of the National Healthcare Security Administration of China, General Office of the Ministry of Finance (2024). Notice on the steady and orderly expansion of the scope of chronic and special diseases in inter-provincial direct settlement outpatient clinics (Medical Insurance Banfa [2024] No. 19). <https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202409/content_6974467.htm>

Notes: Both steps are mandatory: first get outpatient chronic disease certification in your home region, then register for cross-regional medical care. Progress on adding those five new conditions varies by region; exact details are determined by local healthcare security authorities.