Coverage expansion and faster approvals

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, a total of 516 drugs have been added to the medical insurance catalog. Over the 25 years since the first version was released, the total number of drugs in China's medical insurance list has doubled, with the dynamic adjustment mechanism maturing from exploration to stability. The time from approval to coverage for innovative drugs has consistently shortened.

On August 5, the National Healthcare Security Administration released data on the national basic medical insurance drug catalog from 2000 to 2025. The figures show that the total number of drugs rose from 1,535 in 2000 to 3,253 in 2025, achieving a doubling in quantity. The administration noted in the chart's remarks that the drug count refers only to the number of Western and traditional Chinese medicine entries in the catalog. As of July 3, 2026, the 3,253 drugs correspond to 5,890 generic names. A generic drug name, such as "acetaminophen tablets," is the official name adopted by the National Pharmacopoeia for a cold remedy, used by all manufacturers. Each company also has its own brand and product name. The 5,890 generic names in the medical insurance catalog, when detailed by brand and specification, represent a vast total number, sufficient to meet the daily treatment needs of insured patients.

The current medical insurance drug catalog includes Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and drugs under negotiation during the agreement period (including competitive bidding drugs). The number of Western medicines grew from 913 in 2000 to 1,857 in 2025, serving as the main driver of catalog expansion. For negotiated drugs, starting in 2017, China gradually established a system for exclusive drug negotiation access. The number of drugs under negotiation during the agreement period increased from 36 that year to 472 in 2025, with numerous innovative and exclusive drugs being included for reimbursement after price reductions through negotiation. The catalog's coverage has expanded from common diseases to major disease areas like tumors and rare diseases.

The National Healthcare Security Administration also released data on anti-tumor drugs (Western medicine), rare disease treatment drugs, and pediatric medications, all of which are key focus areas in annual national negotiations each year. Anti-tumor drugs (Western medicine) increased from 54 in 2000 to 219 in 2025. The first rare disease list was issued in 2018, so the statistical baseline starts that year with 39 drugs, rising to 121 in 2025. "Pediatric medications" refer to drugs with child-specific indications and clear dosage for children. Addressing the practical challenge of "relying on dose splitting and guessing dosage" for children's medications, the National Healthcare Security Administration has consistently favored pediatric drugs in catalog adjustments in recent years, adding applicable products annually. Data shows that in 2017, there were over 580 pediatric drugs, with 76 added in 2019 and an average of 25 added each subsequent year.

In a recent signed article, National Healthcare Security Administration Director Zhang Ke stated that the administration is actively implementing the innovation-driven development strategy, strengthening medical insurance strategic purchasing and policy incentives. This fully reflects the value orientation of "truly supporting innovation, supporting genuine innovation, and supporting differentiated innovation," comprehensively empowering medical innovation development. The administration is advancing catalog management reform, establishing a dynamic adjustment mechanism for the medical insurance drug catalog. On the basis of adhering to the principle of "ensuring basic coverage," eligible innovative drugs will be included in the catalog through procedures. Zhang Ke noted that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, a total of 516 drugs have been added to the medical insurance catalog, including 167 innovative drugs (primarily Class 1 innovative drugs). The time from approval to inclusion for innovative drugs has been reduced from around five years in the past to about one year. The National Healthcare Security Administration will continue to improve the dynamic adjustment mechanism for the basic medical insurance drug catalog, incorporating more new and effective drugs into the medical insurance payment scope through procedures, and exploring the establishment of a linkage mechanism between commercial insurance innovative drug catalogs and the basic medical insurance catalog.