“Now I can get the blood pressure medication I’ve been taking for years right at the town health center, and it’s completely free. The family doctor service is very thorough. This is a real, practical solution for us elderly folks!” said Grandma Shen, who is in her seventies from Chatian Town, Longquan City, and has been struggling with hypertension for over a decade. Previously, her family often had to make trips to the city hospital in Longquan to fetch her medication. Sometimes, unable to refill her prescription on time, she was forced to interrupt her treatment. Now, with the implementation of Lishui’s “Family Doctor Value-Added Service” public welfare project, Grandma Shen’s health problem has been resolved. Her experience is a vivid reflection of the policy benefits shared by thousands of elderly patients with “Two Chronic Diseases” in Lishui.

In 2025, Lishui incorporated the “Family Doctor Value-Added Service” into its public welfare projects, launching the “Triple Co-pay Waiver” program. This initiative is designed for residents aged 70 and above with primary hypertension and type 2 diabetes, waiving standard outpatient copays, providing free essential medications, and covering the cost of personalized health management plans. The goals are to alleviate the financial burden on elderly patients and improve the standard of care for these chronic conditions. Since its unified launch across the city on July 1st, the project quickly ensured that all eligible patients could access the benefits. By the end of September, 80,000 patients with the “Two Chronic Diseases” in the city had received free medication, totaling 312,000 patient visits, with cumulative cost reductions (after deducting insurance reimbursements) reaching 6.3978 million yuan. This outlines a new picture of integrated healthcare and prevention that is convenient and beneficial for the people.

To ensure the precise implementation of the policy, Lishui built a project execution system from multiple dimensions. For identifying eligible individuals, clear criteria were established: participants must be urban and rural resident insurance enrollees aged 70 or above, diagnosed with one or both of the “Two Chronic Diseases” and requiring long-term medication, and have completed family doctor signing and health record establishment. Local areas are also encouraged to flexibly expand coverage based on their financial capacity. Regarding medication supply, the Municipal Health Commission and the Medical Insurance Bureau assembled an expert team to strictly review and determine the 2025 list of 31 types of free medications, all selected from nationally procured domestic drugs within the medical insurance system, balancing safety, efficacy, and supply stability. Addressing individual patient differences, they innovatively introduced the “Five Prescriptions” for health management: medication, nutrition, smoking cessation and alcohol limitation, vaccination, and exercise health. Family doctors tailor service plans based on these. After signing with a family doctor, Grandma Shen not only enjoys routine services like home blood pressure monitoring but also receives traditional Chinese medicine techniques for wellness and targeted health education, making the family doctor service more tangible.

The construction of the service network has also been solidly advanced. Currently, 273 primary medical institutions across the city are designated service points, achieving 100% coverage of community health service centers and township health centers. Integrated village clinics are being gradually included based on actual needs. The upgrade of the primary care outpatient HIS system for free medication and the medical insurance “one-stop settlement” were completed simultaneously. Patients receive direct cost reductions when visiting and getting prescriptions, which is convenient for the public and allows for precise cost supervision.

The project’s advancement has yielded positive effects benefiting multiple parties. Guided by the policy, patients with the “Two Chronic Diseases” are seeking initial and follow-up care at the primary level. Measures like long-term prescriptions for chronic diseases and the “Smart Mobile Hospital” delivering medications to the countryside have significantly increased the appeal of primary medical institutions, effectively activating primary healthcare resources. For patients, the "Triple Co-pay Waiver" Program directly reduce their financial burden, particularly benefiting low-income elderly groups. In just three months, 69,000 patients enjoyed free outpatient services, with their healthcare experience and satisfaction continuously rising. More importantly, the free policy strengthens the commitment to family doctor sign-ups, significantly improving patient treatment adherence. Through health management and follow-ups, family doctors are shifting the management of the “Two Chronic Diseases” from passive treatment to proactive health, reducing the risk of complications and enhancing patients’ self-management capabilities.

Addressing potential demands during the project’s rollout, Lishui has already planned systematic responses. For publicity, they will rely on new media platforms, “Health Lectures”, and diverse channels to accurately reach the target population, ensuring policy benefits reach more patients in need. Regarding capacity building, they will intensify specialized training for general practitioners in managing the “Two Chronic Diseases”, while optimizing the medication supply model. They will actively promote convenient dispensing methods like the “Smart Mobile Hospital” delivering drugs and “Intelligent Medicine Cabinets” to solve the “last mile” challenge in primary care services. For supervision and evaluation, a multi-departmental collaboration mechanism will be established to dynamically optimize the free medication list and subsidy standards. Scientific regulation will ensure the project’s long-term sustainable operation, allowing the beneficial policy to continue delivering real results.

From Grandma Shen’s “medication freedom” to the health protection for thousands of patients, Lishui’s “Family Doctor Value-Added Service” public welfare project is a vivid practice of the people-centered development philosophy. In the future, Lishui will continue to focus on public needs, implementing beneficial practical matters more solidly and meticulously, laying a solid health foundation for advancing the construction of a Common Prosperity Demonstration Zone.