PUBLISHED DECISION GUIDE
Official Guide: Maternity Insurance Coverage to Be Widened
China's draft healthcare security law proposes expanding maternity insurance to cover nonworking spouses and merging funds. Learn about the proposed changes and current coverage.
China is planning to improve its maternity insurance system and expand coverage, according to a draft law recently reviewed by Chinese legislators. The draft law on healthcare security was submitted for a second reading at a session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, which concluded on Thursday.
Independently written English guidance based on cited public sources. Every public guide is human reviewed; it is not an official translation of the source publisher.
Key Provisions of the Draft Law
The draft stipulates that individuals covered by maternity insurance are entitled to benefits for childbirth-related medical expenses as well as maternity allowances. Nonworking spouses would also have their childbirth-related medical costs covered.
It also calls for merging the maternity insurance fund with the basic medical insurance fund for employees into a single accounting system.
The provisions come as the country enhances measures to foster a birth-friendly society and ease financial burdens faced by families.
Current Coverage and Expenditure
Data from the National Healthcare Security Administration shows that maternity insurance covered nearly 259.7 million people by the end of 2025, an increase of about 6.7 million from the previous year.
The fund spent nearly 136 billion yuan ($18.6 billion) on benefits, including reimbursements for prenatal examinations and inpatient deliveries, as well as maternity allowances last year.
Traditionally, the system has covered individuals enrolled in the employee insurance program, excluding those under the resident insurance plan. At its annual work conference in December, the National Healthcare Security Administration said efforts would be made to extend coverage.
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