Medical Expenses Support
Program Description
The program raises funds to support the medical expenses of patients with severe cases, such as hematology disorders and tumors who have financial difficulties. The New Sunshine Charity Foundation provides a number of financial assistance programs for patients and their families to apply, including the Gift of Life, the “Green for Life – Children’s Severe Illness Relief” program and the Kangaroo Baby Charity Program.
Program Achievements
Every year, about 4 million new cancer cases are diagnosed in China, including 80,000 leukemia cases. Leukemia is a malignant cancer of the hematopoietic system, with morbidity of 5.76 per 100,000 in China. Due to the low reimbursement rate of national healthcare security scheme, families with low and middle income and families in poverty are under tremendous financial pressure. This is compounded by the fact that during the treatment, patients’ families often have to travel long hours between the hospital and their homes, and are therefore unable to work normally, which also results in their generally low, if not none, income sources.
From the Foundation’s founding to the end of 2021, New Sunshine Charity Foundation has provided financial support to around 6,000 patients, with a cumulative total amount of RMB 222 million.
The Gift of Life
As patients with severe diseases such as leukemia and their families have limited resources, it is often difficult for them to access adequate social resources, and they are therefore in great need of professional guidance from a dedicated social work team in seeking assistance. The main objective and mission of New Sunshine’s Gift of Life project is to link up the Foundation’s internal and external medical funding resources to provide online funds-raising platform and direct financial assistance to patients from poor families who are in urgent needs of help, thereby alleviating the financial pressure on the families of patients with severe diseases such as leukemia.
In 2021, New Sunshine Charity Foundation’s “Gift of Life” series of programs and internet fundraising supported a total of 160 patients, with a total funding of RMB 2,372,000.
“Green for Life – Children’s Severe Illness Relief” Program
The “Green for Life – Children’s Severe Illness Relief” Program in Wushan County, Fengjie County and Ulanqab City was jointly initiated and implemented by New Sunshine Charity Foundation and the China Charity Federation and China Life Charity Foundation. The program aims to further integrate social resources for children’s severe illness relief, establish an innovative platform for cross-border cooperation in social relief, utilize the professional skills of financial institutions, innovate relief models, promote the standardized and professional development of children’s severe illness relief, and explore innovative models of severe illness relief for minors in poor areas.
From August 13 to 14, New Sunshine Charity Foundation joined hands with the China Charity Federation and China Life Charity Foundation to hold the launching ceremony of the “Green for Life – Children’s Severe Illness Relief” Program in Fengjie County and Wushan County of Chongqing respectively. The program will sponsor a total of 14,113 underage children from low-income families or families in distress due to illnesses in the two impoverished counties. In 2021, the program was launched in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia.
In 2021, 49 children from Fengjie County, 27 children from Wushan County and 17 children from Ulanqab City were assisted with a total amount of RMB 1,554,000.
Kangaroo Baby Public Welfare Program
Kangaroo Baby Public Welfare Program is a public welfare program jointly initiated by Meituan Delivery, Beijing Meituan Public Welfare Foundation and New Sunshine Charity Foundation. Launched on 17 July 2019, the program is the first industry-wide support program for the children of deliverymen/women in China, aiming to provide support for children of deliverymen/women who suffer from major diseases and accidents.
In 2021, the program helped 216 children of deliverymen/women from Meituan, Eleme, Dada, Shansong and SF Tongcheng, with a total amount of RMB 8.805 million.
Charity Medical Insurance Supplementary Fund
The Charity Medical Insurance Supplementary Fund set up by the “Comprehensive Children Cancer Control Program” increases the reimbursement rate for children with leukaemia in the pilot areas to 90% within the coverage of the national medical insurance. For patients from poor families, the reimbursement rate within the coverage of the national medical insurance will be increased to 100% to supplement the government’s basic medical insurance system and prevent poverty due to illness and return to poverty due to illness.
In 2021, “Comprehensive Children Cancer Control Program” provided charitable supplementary reimbursement for 58 children with leukaemia in two designated hospitals in Qinghai, the total amount was RMB 2,632,000. Since the start of the program to the end of 2021, a total of 85 children with leukaemia in the two designated hospitals have benefited from the program, and the total supplementary reimbursement amount was RMB 4,495,000. To date, none of the children with leukaemia in the two designated hospitals have given up their treatment due to treatment cost. The program has greatly reduced the financial burden of the patients’ families.
In 2021, The Charity Medical Insurance Supplementary Fund was extended to more children with cancer in Qinghai Province, providing a supplementary reimbursement of RMB 74,000 for another two patients. In the future, the program will be expanded to cover more diseases.