Beijing Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau (2020) No. 21

This is a regulation concerning the parties including the Medical Insurance Departments of all districts in Beijing, Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area Social Affairs Bureau, and designated medical institutions.

Starting from January 1st, 2021, residents in Beijing can start to pay for the medical bills by using the electronic version of the social security card. This is to improve the medical services, enhancing the settlement efficiency of the insured patients’ designated medical institutions, and provide better convenience for the public in Beijing. The notice details are as follows,

1. The mission of the upgraded system

By upgrading Beijing’s medical insurance information system, we aim to realize real-time online reading of historical treatment information of basic medical insurance participants and ensure that the medical settlement process of social security cards remains unchanged. In addition, we will realize medical bill payment with electronic social security cards and then gradually with facial recognition technology, thereby continuously improving the effectiveness and level of medical insurance services.

(1) To realize offline payment with electronic social security cards

After activating the electronic social security cards through the certified platforms (such as Beijingtong app, National Medical insurance Service Platform APP, WeChat, Alipay and Financial Institution APP, etc.), basic medical insurance participants can confirm their identities and pay medical bills by having electronic social security cards scanned at Beijing’s designated medical institutions. Meanwhile, we will gradually explore the application of facial recognition technology in pilot medical institutions. Facial recognition will help confirm the identity of the insured person and achieve settlement.

(2) To realize online payment of electronic social security cards gradually

Gradually, we will achieve online payment of medical insurance expenses at pilot medical institutions by having insured persons download and log in to the APP of the pilot medical institution, bind the electronic social security cards, and pay the expenses online.

(3) To realize real-time payment for normal medical treatment during the manual reimbursement period for insured persons

When insured persons apply for manual reimbursement of medical expenses, they do not need to provide a social security card or an electronic social security card. During the manual reimbursement period, the insured person can pay their expenses on time by scanning the social security card or the electronic version.

II. Work requirement

(1) To strengthen organization and leadership. Beijing Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau is responsible for the promotion and application of electronic social security cards. Healthcare security departments of all districts should fully understand the significance of the promotion and application of electronic social security cards, strengthen organization and leadership, gather personnel strength, make overall plans, deploy and formulate work plans, and strengthen business guidance and communication with designated medical institutions in the jurisdiction. All designated medical institutions should attach great importance to organizing, strengthening the mission, consolidating work forces, completing high-quality information system upgrades, and qualifying technical and business acceptance. They should do a good job in the configuration of scanning equipment and settlement windows based on the service amount to ensure the smooth operation in an orderly manner.

(2) To strictly schedule the process. The promotion and application of electronic social security cards and the upgrading and transformation of medical insurance information systems are a huge systematic project with miscellaneous links, tight time and heavy tasks. Medical insurance departments of all districts and designated medical institutions should strictly schedule the time limit and the process in accordance with the requirements to ensure that various goals and tasks are completed on time, further make easy settlement of medical insurance expenses of the insured persons, and enhance the sense of fulfillment of the insured persons.

(3) To guarantee the safety of the fund. All designated medical institutions shall strictly implement real-name registration regulations when insured persons seek medical treatment, and promptly stop behavior that violates medical insurance regulations such as taking medical treatment using another person's name. In the process of diagnosis and treatment, doctors in designated medical institutions shall provide treatment based on symptoms, examine, and prescribe, reasonably and rationally, to prevent unreasonable medical expenses. Medical insurance departments of all districts should further strengthen the management of designated medical institutions in their jurisdictions, jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the insured persons, and ensure the safety of medical insurance funds.

(4) To publicize and guide actively. Medical insurance departments of all districts and designated medical institutions shall increase online and offline publicity through various forms in accordance with unified deployment, publicize the application scope and use methods of electronic social security cards, and train insured personnel to correctly activate and use electronic social security cards. They should speed up social awareness and create a good social atmosphere for the promotion and application.

Beijing Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau

December 15, 2020