BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature
made public Sunday a draft law on social insurance, the first of its kind in the
country.
It specifies a common right for citizens, urban and
rural alike, to pay premiums and enjoy social insurance for medical care, work
injuries, unemployment and childbirth.
The draft highlights more efficient fund management.
Governments at municipal, provincial and the state-level should encourage and
support the public's participation in supervising insurance funds. Any
individual or organization has a right to complain or report illegalities.
The law also allows Chinese citizens to pay pension
premiums in one place and draw money in another, if they migrate to other cities
or provinces. This stipulation is particularity significant as the country has a
much more mobile population than in the past.
The draft also determined that a new rural medical
system, in which farmers and governments raise funds together, would be included
in the medical insurance plan.
Meanwhile, governments will cover medical insurance
expenses for citizens who live on low-income subsidies, have serious
disabilities or are older than 60 years, the draft said.
The draft law was discussed on Monday by the Standing
Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top
legislature.
Public opinions will be gathered and submitted to the
NPC by Feb. 15, 2009. The draft law will then be reviewed in committee.