China unveils national catalogue for long-term care insurance services

The catalogue has 36 services items for daily life care and medical care.

China has released a national catalogue of long-term care insurance services to standardize payment ranges and services quality.

The catalogue has 36 service items, 20 items under daily life care— such as eating assistance, hygiene care, and dressing support— and 16 items under medical care— including general examination care, basic nursing, and specialized care, amongst others, according to a report by China Daily published on 26 September 2025.

A total of 49 regions have participated in the national pilot program for long-term care insurance since 2016. About 190 million people in China are now covered by the program, with cumulative expenditures exceeding US$12b, according to the report.

All regions implementing the program must strictly adhere to the national catalog and are prohibited from making arbitrary adjustments to the scope of service, authorities said.

Regions with existing local catalogs are required to transition to the national standard in the next three years.