Today, on the 26th, the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) announced new initiatives aimed at promoting high-quality development in nursing services while addressing the concerns of healthcare providers and nursing staff. The NHSA has introduced a pilot guideline for nursing project establishment and an optimized nursing pricing policy, which aims to standardize nursing price projects across provinces, gradually improving price levels. A new pricing category, “unaccompanied care services,” has also been established to meet the diverse nursing needs of the public and encourage healthcare institutions to offer specialized nursing services for additional revenue.

**Standardization of Nursing Price Projects Nationwide Within the Year**

Following a defined reform direction, the NHSA has organized experts to conduct research and review existing nursing pricing projects. The focus is on clinical needs, with widespread consultation from healthcare facilities and medical personnel. Nursing price projects that currently have inconsistent names and definitions across provinces have been categorized into three main classes: graded nursing, specialized nursing, and specific nursing, consolidated into 22 distinct price items.

Graded nursing provides different levels of basic care according to the patient’s condition—ranging from severe to mild—based on assessments of their illness and self-care abilities. The categories from most to least intensive include special, Level I, Level II, and Level III nursing. The new guideline incorporates previously individually billed services such as oral, perianal, and perineal care into the special and Level I nursing price structure for easier billing.

Specialized nursing refers to care services designated for areas such as intensive care, emergency, psychiatry, infectious diseases, and neonatology, supporting the healthy development of these specialized services. Specific nursing covers unique treatment procedures such as tracheal intubation, tracheostomy, and stoma care, catering to various billing needs for these particular nursing services.

**Introduction of “Unaccompanied Care Services”**

This initiative aims to tackle the gaps in inpatient care. In response to the challenges of an aging society, particularly concerning the “421” family structure (where one person is hospitalized while the whole family juggles caregiving), several regions, including Tianjin, Zhejiang, and Fujian, have launched pilot programs for unaccompanied care or no-escort wards. Here, professional nursing staff provide 24-hour care for hospitalized patients, reducing reliance on family members for personal accompaniment or the need for hired caregivers. This approach not only improves patient care but also alleviates the burden on families.

Learning from local trials, the NHSA has added the “unaccompanied care services” pricing item in the guideline, which will be managed under government pricing. By the end of 2024, provinces will be expected to implement the guideline in pilot areas, establishing standardized charges for these services. To prevent misuse of this new service and protect limited nursing resources, the NHSA has clarified that “unaccompanied care services” will currently only apply to special and Level I nursing patients and will not be covered by insurance. Patients or their families can independently choose either the hospital’s unaccompanied care service or opt for privately priced aide services.

**Nursing Price Adjustments to Better Reflect Technical Service Value**

In conjunction with the standardization of nursing price projects, the NHSA has laid out plans to optimize and adjust nursing service prices for 2024 and beyond. They will guide provincial healthcare administrations to align with the nursing establishment guidelines, creating a reasonable unified base price across the province. Regions will then adapt their pricing within a certain range based on this base price, promoting a more equitable nursing service pricing system across provinces.

The NHSA supports areas meeting pricing adjustment criteria and maintaining balanced insurance fund operations to gradually optimize nursing service pricing. This will better reflect the value of nursing technical labor and help ensure that the outcomes of these adjustments translate into improved salaries for nurses, ultimately attracting and retaining more talent in nursing and encouraging healthcare institutions to enhance their service capabilities, thereby improving public health and well-being.

(Reported by Yang Yang and Zheng Yizhe from CCTV)