North China's Shanxi province has realized interprovincial direct settlements of general outpatient expenses in all its counties, according to a statement released on Sept 1 by Shanxi Healthcare Security Bureau.

The new settlements process enables Shanxi residents using their medical insurance cards to pay treatment expenses in outpatient clinics when going to hospitals outside Shanxi. In turn, people from outside Shanxi can use their medical insurance registered in their hometowns to pay treatment expenses in outpatient clinics when going to hospitals in Shanxi. 

Shanxi ramped up the interprovincial direct settlements system for general outpatient expenses from the start of the year, while it extended interprovincial direct settlements of hospitalization expenses across the province.

Currently, all 117 counties, districts and county level cities in Shanxi have launched interprovincial and intercity direct settlements services for general outpatient expenses. 

From January to July, there were 48,300 direct settlements of general outpatient expenses between Shanxi and 24 other provinces, costing 14.66 million yuan ($2.27 million). 

Respectively, Shanxi-born people completed 46,200 direct settlements of general outpatient expenses during the same period – costing 11.11 million yuan – in 10,161 medical institutions in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities outside Shanxi. 

Meanwhile, people from 21 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities outside Shanxi completed 2,100 direct settlements of general outpatient expenses costing 3.55 million yuan when seeking medical treatment in 279 medical institutions in Shanxi.

Moving forward, Shanxi will focus on introducing interprovincial direct settlements of treatment costs at outpatient clinics for five chronic diseases – namely hypertension, diabetes, malignant tumor radiotherapy and chemotherapy, uremic dialysis and anti-rejection therapy after organ transplantations – by the end of 2021.