Overview
- The National Healthcare Security Administration outlined the plan at a Beijing conference, as reported by state media.
- Coverage will extend to prenatal examinations and selected labour analgesia items, raising reimbursement levels for maternity services.
- The policy will be implemented through an expansion of the national health insurance system to make deliveries effectively free for insured parents.
- Several provinces, including Jilin, Jiangsu and Shandong, have already introduced near‑free childbirth policies that provide a template for the national rollout.
- The initiative follows consecutive population declines since 2022 and complements measures such as extended maternity leave, financial incentives, housing subsidies and pledges for free preschool.