Beijing to subsidize accident insurance for elderly people_美文

Beijing to subsidize accident insurance for elderly people

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The Beijing municipal government has launched a program of subsidized accident insurance for senior citizens in the city, the city's Civil Affairs Bureau said on Wednesday.

According to experts, the insurance policy will not only provide affordable coverage for elderly people, but should also help reduce the number of claims made by elderly people with faked or self-inflicted injuries, a phenomenon that has made headlines recently.

In announcing the program, the bureau said there are about 3 million people aged 60 and over in Beijing, and the insurance policy will allow them to claim compensation if they are injured by public vehicles or in public places, such as parks, museums and stadiums.

The bureau said the insurance program will be open to all people age 60 and older in Beijing, as well as those between 50 and 60 who have officially retired.

The insurance policy is being provided by China Life Insurance, with subsidies provided by the city government, the first such arrangement in Beijing.

Those wishing to sign up for a policy will have to pay an annual premium of 17 yuan ($2.80), with a maximum of four policies allowed per person. The maximum payout per policy will be 50,000 yuan.

While most people will be required to pay for their insurance policies, an estimated 70,000 people falling into three particularly vulnerable categories will have their premiums paid for by the city government.