CPPCC Member Lei Jufang: The healthcare reform direction of merely lowering drug prices is biased.

　　Political Consultative Conference member Lei Jufang accepts an interview. Photo by Zhao Chunxiao.

　　Her dark hair was streaked with many gray strands, and her braid was casually tied at the back of her head with a black rubber band. She was truly unassuming—so plain that she almost seemed out of place in this era. If she were to walk past you, you’d surely mistake her for a newly arrived older sister-in-law from the countryside. Yet, she is Lei Jufang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairwoman of Tibet Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd.

　　Lei Jufang has served as a deputy to the 10th National People's Congress, a member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and a member of the current CPPCC. The issue she focuses on most closely is healthcare reform. She says that in 2016, health insurance reform entered deep waters, public demand was extremely high, and the situation facing the pharmaceutical industry had become even more severe than before. In 2015, the overall healthcare sector grew by just over 9 percent, while the traditional Chinese medicine sector experienced a decline—the first downturn it has seen in recent years.

　　Committee Member Lei Jufang pointed out that the root cause of this situation lies in certain policy-level issues. For example, in the healthcare reform, the primary focus has been on lowering drug prices. However, healthcare reform is a comprehensive, market-oriented transformation—a process involving multiple interrelated choices. For the general public, the hope is to purchase high-quality medications at reasonable prices and receive excellent medical treatment. For doctors, the aspiration is to select high-quality drugs while also receiving academic support for their medical practice. And for government agencies responsible for funding, the goal is to minimize expenditures while ensuring robust health insurance coverage. She noted, “This is an ongoing process of continuous optimization and integration across multiple dimensions. I believe that implementing healthcare reform solely by focusing on price reductions represents a biased approach.”

　　In response to the situation where high-priced medications push people into poverty due to illness, the country is now rolling out major illness medical insurance. Regarding this policy, Lei Jufang said: “This is the nation’s most basic commitment to its people—it’s something that simply must be done. Everyone talks about rights and dignity; if, after a family member falls seriously ill, they can’t count on the nation’s commitment and support, then dignity ceases to exist.”

　　The issuance of the “Draft Law of the People’s Republic of China on Traditional Chinese Medicine” (hereinafter referred to as the “Draft”) has been a long and arduous process. Committee Member Lei Jufang shared her own views, stating that the “Measures for Drug Registration” are essentially “applying Western standards to Chinese medicine.” All the regulations and requirements are based on those used for modern Western pharmaceuticals, including the adoption of Western clinical trial standards during the clinical validation process. These standards simply do not apply to traditional Chinese medicine. She believes that these are precisely the areas that truly need reform.

　　Regarding the integration of Tibetan medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, Lei Jufang said, “The two don’t necessarily have to be rigidly combined—what matters most is meeting actual needs. Whether it’s Tibetan medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, or medicines from other ethnic groups, as long as they’re free of toxicity and side effects, I believe both doctors and patients will be willing to use them.” She gave an example: For a certain rare skin disease, some conventional treatments haven’t been very effective—but a local herbal remedy has proven to be highly effective against this particular condition.

　　Reporting Media: CRI - China International Radio

　　Report link: http://news.cri.cn/201634/7d04d27f-4ef6-6b9d-412f-f9cd76041271.html