China Passes Medical Insurance Law to Take Effect in 2027

China's top legislative body passed the Medical Insurance Law on August 28, 2026, establishing a formal statutory framework for the national healthcare security system. Promulgated through Presidential Order No. 80 signed by President Xi Jinping, the law will enter into force on January 1, 2027. The legislative session also finalized new laws on farmland quality, revisions to national defense mobilization and agriculture statutes, and ministerial changes in the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The passage of the Medical Insurance Law fills a major specialized legislative gap in China's social security framework, placing universal basic medical insurance and fund supervision on a formal statutory footing.

China's top legislature has formally adopted the Medical Insurance Law, creating a dedicated statutory foundation for the country's public healthcare coverage and fund administration, according to official state media announcements. The law was approved on August 28, 2026, during the 24th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress. Chinese President Xi Jinping subsequently signed Presidential Order No. 80 to promulgate the statute, which is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027. The same legislative session concluded with the promulgation of several other key legal measures via presidential decrees. Under Presidential Order No. 81, the Farmland Protection and Quality Improvement Law was passed, also set to take effect on January 1, 2027. Presidential Order No. 82 enacted a newly revised Agriculture Law, which shares the same January 2027 implementation date. In addition, lawmakers approved revisions to the National Defense Mobilization Law under Presidential Order No. 83, taking effect on October 1, 2026, as well as an amendment to the Lawyers Law under Presidential Order No. 84, scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2026. The Standing Committee also finalized leadership adjustments at the executive level. Under Presidential Order No. 85, the legislature decided to remove Lu Zhiyuan from his post as Minister of Civil Affairs and appointed Li Changguan as the new minister. The passage of the Medical Insurance Law marks a formal consolidation of China's medical security rules into national law, providing clear legal definitions for basic coverage, fund management, and regulatory enforcement across the country's extensive healthcare network.