In the face of a critical illness, in addition to medical technology, financial pressure is often unbearable for the patient's family. In order to alleviate this predicament, China and all sectors of society have set up a series of rescue policies and projects for seriously ill patients. This article will introduce several common ways to receive assistance for serious illnesses and the application process, in order to help people with serious illnesses and their families find the right path to assistance.
1. Basic medical insurance and serious illness insurance
Basic medical insuranceBoth urban and rural residents and urban workers can participate in basic medical insurance, including the new rural cooperative medical care (NCMS), the basic medical insurance for urban residents and the basic medical insurance for urban employees. In the event of illness, especially a critical illness, a part of the medical expenses can be reimbursed through medical insurance.
Critical illness insuranceOn top of the basic medical insurance, all localities have launched a serious illness insurance system, which can be compensated for the medical expenses of serious illnesses that are still heavy after medical insurance reimbursement, so as to further reduce the financial burden of patients.
2. Medical assistance system
Eligible low-income groups or families who have been impoverished due to illness can apply for medical assistance in the event of a serious illness. The specific conditions and standards are formulated by the local civil affairs departments, and usually include specific groups such as those who are eligible for subsistence allowances and persons living in extreme poverty, and may also cover some families whose lives are difficult due to serious illness.
3. Charitable organizations and public welfare**
Many non-profit charitable organizations and public welfare associations have also set up special relief projects for seriously ill patients, such as the Red Cross Society of China, the China Charity Federation, Shuidi Chip and other platforms. This type of assistance often requires the submission of a detailed medical certificate, medical bills and a statement of the family's financial situation, and an application through an online platform or directly to the relevant authorities.
4. Commercial health insurance
Commercial health insurance products, such as critical illness insurance, can pay a lump sum insurance payment to the policyholder when he or she suffers from a critical illness as agreed in the contract, which can be used to pay for medical expenses or other living expenses. Purchasing this type of insurance needs to be planned and purchased in advance when you are in good health.
5. Social mutual aid and crowdfunding
With the development of the Internet, online crowdfunding platforms have become an important channel for more and more seriously ill patients to seek social support, such as Easy Fundraising and Water Drop Funding. Patients or their families can raise funds from the public by posting help information, but it should be noted that this is not a stable and reliable assistance**, and the relevant information must be truthfully disclosed and subject to public scrutiny.
6. Local ** special relief plan
Some areas** will also set up special relief plans according to the actual local situation, such as special assistance for rare diseases, medical assistance for special diseases, etc., patients need to pay attention to local policy developments, understand and apply for corresponding relief measures in a timely manner.
When applying for the above types of assistance, you must prepare all the required materials, including but not limited to identity documents, household registration booklets, diagnosis certificates, medical expense lists, poverty certificates and other relevant materials. At the same time, they actively communicate with the social work departments of the community and the hospital, and they often provide professional guidance and services to help patients smoothly obtain rescue resources.
In short, in the face of the huge economic pressure brought about by serious illness, patients and their families should make full use of the existing social assistance system, comprehensively use various assistance resources, and strive to reduce the burden economically, so that patients can get timely and effective treatment, so as to improve the possibility of treatment. At the same time, all sectors of society should continue to pay attention to the seriously ill patients and jointly promote the establishment and improvement of a more complete social security system, so that every life can receive the respect and care it deserves.