China's healthcare overhaul may prove a tonic for investors

Wall Street Journal (subscription required), March 6, 2008

With a government plan for a healthcare overhaul nearing completion in China, analysts say now may be a good time to invest in some Chinese healthcare companies. One major issue for the government is affordability. According to the Health Ministry, China's average personal out-of-pocket payments rose to 52 percent of total healthcare spending in 2005 from 20 percent in 1978. The plan is aimed at "expanding the coverage of basic healthcare services to both urban and rural residents, so as to provide them with safe, effective, convenient and cheap public health and basic medical services," Health Minister Chen Zhu said in 2007.