Text/Picture Yangcheng Evening News reporter Ma Can
According to relevant regulations, medical insurance cards can only be used to buy medicines, but some netizens reported that medical insurance cards have almost become "shopping cards" in some pharmacies. A reporter from the Yangcheng Evening News discovered during an undercover investigation that some chain pharmacies in Guangzhou have started side businesses to attract business. Food, beverages, daily necessities, etc. can be purchased with medical insurance cards.
In this regard, some legal experts said that if medical insurance funds are used to purchase non-drug products, it is equivalent to cashing out by defrauding insurance in a sense.
The relevant person in charge of the Guangzhou Medical Insurance Service Management Bureau recently stated that once such illegal activities are verified, they will be dealt with together once they are discovered.
The pharmacy is like a supermarket, with a complete range of tobacco, alcohol and food.
According to reports from netizens, reporters squatted at the entrance of Linzhi Ginseng Pharmacy (Xinzhuang Branch) on Yonghe Street, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, and saw many citizens walking out carrying peanut oil, shower gel, laundry detergent, etc.
The reporter saw in the drugstore that in addition to medicines, there were also foods such as rice, grain and oil, as well as daily necessities such as toothpaste and facial cleanser. It can be seen that many consumers are choosing non-drug products. A middle-aged woman took a roll of paper and asked the staff to swipe her medical insurance card, then put it in the shopping basket to pay the bill.
Is this a common phenomenon or an isolated case? Subsequently, reporters from the Yangcheng Evening News randomly visited retail pharmacies such as Guokang Pharmaceutical and Renshen Pharmaceutical in the urban area that were marked with the words "Designated Medical Insurance". What they saw was similar. They were all arranged like a supermarket, with neatly arranged medicines on one side and commodities unrelated to medicines on the other, ranging from kitchen pots and pans to cereals and daily necessities such as toilet paper and toothpaste.
reporter purchased Shenling Atractylodes Pills, probiotic powder, Swire single crystal rock sugar, new Colgate children's toothbrushes and other products at a drugstore labeled "Guangzhou Medical Insurance Designated Pharmacy" and settled with a medical insurance card for a total of 157.40 yuan (right picture). The reporter saw that the shopping receipt clearly stated that rock candy and toothbrushes are not medicines; the stub of the UnionPay medical insurance card showed: medical insurance consumption. When the reporter was about to leave with the goods and receipts, he was stopped by: "I can't give you the receipt!" The cashier of the store explained that receipts cannot be provided to those who swipe the medical insurance card for non-medicine.
In Dongxingtang Pharmacy, the reporter found that many people buying daily necessities were waiting in line to check out with their medical insurance cards.
After Dongxingtang Pharmacy sells food, the checkout method is more careful. The reporter bought Ganmao Ling granules, oatmeal and a box of milk here. He paid with his medical insurance card. The cashier swiped the card twice for the reporter. The medicine was 28 yuan, with a receipt and deposit receipt; the stub of the food (oatmeal and milk) UnionPay medical insurance card showed: medical insurance consumption 81.80 yuan.
When a reporter questioned why he was only given a receipt for medicines, the cashier said, "You use your medical insurance card to buy food. Just know it yourself and give the receipt back!"
Afterwards, the reporter's unannounced visits to Guokang Pharmaceutical and Renshen Pharmaceutical were similar to the above. Citizens can use their medical insurance cards to purchase non-drugs. However, the cashier either did not give the sales receipt, or the name of the pharmacy was removed from the sales receipt.
What is the public attitude towards this?
Citizen Aunt Xiao said that it is very convenient to buy some simple daily necessities at the pharmacy and it is not a big deal. Uncle He said that he bought his peanut oil with his medical insurance card. "When I go to the pharmacy to buy food, I just need to swipe my medical insurance card. Otherwise, I would definitely go to the supermarket to buy it." He said that now there is no need to see a doctor or buy medicine, and the money in the medical insurance card is idle if not used. It is better to buy food, daily necessities, etc.
Of course, some citizens believe that pharmacies are not allowed to sell anything other than medicines, "thinking it is illegal."
It is illegal to use medical insurance cards to make purchases.
"It is illegal for pharmacies to use funds from the personal accounts of insured persons to pay for daily necessities, food and other non-medical supplies, or to withdraw cash." Lawyer Weng Chunhui from Beijing Yingke (Guangzhou) Law Firm said that designated retail pharmacies should provide drug sales services to insured persons in accordance with relevant regulations on drug supervision and social medical insurance.
He said that according to the provisions of the basic medical insurance system, medical insurance funds are actually equivalent to personal accounts, and funds can only be used to pay for medical expenses incurred in designated medical institutions and designated pharmacies. If medical insurance funds are used to purchase non-pharmaceutical products, it is equivalent to cashing out by defrauding insurance in a sense. This behavior affects the normal operation of medical insurance funds and violates the original intention of the design of the medical insurance system.
Weng Chunhui pointed out that the pharmacy involved allowed the insured to use personal medical account funds to pay for non-medical supplies, which allegedly violated the "Social Insurance Law of the People's Republic of China", the "Guangdong Provincial Social Insurance Fund Supervision Regulations" and the "Guangzhou Municipal Social Medical Insurance Regulations" and other relevant laws and regulations.
Serious behavior or agreement may be terminated
"Once verified, such violations will be investigated and dealt with if discovered." The relevant person in charge of the Guangzhou Medical Insurance Service Administration said that the general public is welcome to supervise and report.
The person in charge said that if medical insurance designated retail pharmacies illegally use insured personnel’s personal account funds to pay for goods outside the scope of the above-mentioned supplies, they will be subject to the recovery of illegal fees and suspension of the service agreement for 1 to 3 months.
If it causes serious damage to the social medical insurance fund or the interests of insured persons or has a negative impact on society, or if it happens again within a service agreement period, the agreement will be terminated.
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