Once you set up family medical expense sharing in the yibao app, funds from your individual medical insurance account can be used to pay for your spouse, parents, and children’s medical care and medication.

No cost at all. You can set up family medical expense sharing either through your local medical insurance app or by visiting a local medical insurance office.

Funds in your individual medical insurance account can be used to pay for any out-of-pocket medical costs you, your spouse, parents, or children incur at designated medical institutions. They can also be used to cover out-of-pocket costs for purchasing medicines, medical devices, and other medical supplies at designated retail pharmacies. Additional plans are also in place to explore allowing these funds to be used to pay for basic medical insurance premiums for eligible family members.

国务院办公厅 (2021). 关于建立健全职工基本医疗保险门诊共济保障机制的指导意见（国办发〔2021〕14 号）第（五）项：「个人账户主要用于支付参保人员在定点医疗机构或定点零售药店发生的政策范围内自付费用。可以用于支付参保人员本人及其配偶、父母、子女在定点医疗机构就医发生的由个人负担的医疗费用，以及在定点零售药店购买药品、医疗器械、医用耗材发生的由个人负担的费用。探索个人账户用于配偶、父母、子女参加城乡居民基本医疗保险等的个人缴费。个人账户不得用于公共卫生费用、体育健身或养生保健消费等不属于基本医疗保险保障范围的支出。」https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2021-04/22/content_5601280.htm

Many people have thousands of yuan sitting unused in their individual medical insurance accounts, while elderly family members often have to pay for medicines out of pocket. This setup is valid for the long term once completed. Most regions refer to this service as “family medical expense sharing”, and it can be set up directly through local medical insurance apps. There is a strict rule against using these funds for fitness activities, wellness services, or similar purposes. Using these funds to buy health supplements at pharmacies for cash payouts is considered insurance fraud.