Chinese lawmakers on Friday voted to adopt a new law on healthcare security to improve healthcare services and strengthen the country's healthcare security system.

The law, passed at a session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

Consisting of 56 articles in seven chapters, the law covers the healthcare security system, healthcare security funds and services, supervision and administration, and legal liability.

The legislation is part of efforts to implement the country's health-first strategy and advance the Healthy China initiative, according to the new law, which also states that the level of healthcare security should be commensurate with the level of economic and social development.

The draft healthcare security law has undergone three rounds of review by the NPC Standing Committee, with the first in June last year and the second in April this year.

The 2010 Social Insurance Law and the 2014 interim measures for social assistance contain provisions on basic medical insurance, maternity insurance and medical assistance, with further reforms following amid economic and social development.

Experts noted that a healthcare security law is needed to keep up with the healthcare security system reform and address problems such as fragmented regulations and a lack of integration.

"A multi-tiered healthcare security system for all shall be established and improved, with basic medical insurance as its mainstay," the new law reads, adding that the basic medical insurance consists of schemes both for urban workers and for rural and non-working urban residents.

Official data showed that more than 1.33 billion people were covered by China's basic medical insurance as of the end of 2025.

Web editors: Shen Jianqi, Tong Lin