Free medical insurance for Shanghai residents affected by coronavirus

One year's free medical insurance coverage for Shanghai residents who have recovered from COVID-19 is being offered by Tencent’s insurance platform WeSure. 

By joining hands with developer Shui On Land, Shenzhen Radio and Television Charity Foundation as well as other institutions, the firm will give all newly recovered patients  in the city a one-year medical policy with insurance  totaling 6 million yuan (US$847,000).

This is the city’s first customized medical plan for recovered COVID-19 patients.

From now until July 2, all new survivors aged 0-65 who were diagnosed with the infection and treated in Shanghai can receive this public welfare insurance free of charge, WeSure said.

The initiative is the second of its kind the company has made since the outbreak. In April, it provided insurance protection to 2,600 recovered COVID-19 patients in Wuhan.

Currently, individuals affected will be generally classified as “high risk” under the vast majority of commercial medical insurance policies and cannot be insured within two years following infection.

The campaign aims to offer a longer-term guarantee for those who need protection most and help them start a new life, said Alan Lau, CEO of WeSure.

As of early June, the cumulative number of newly discharged cases in China exceeded 78,000, according to data from the National Health Commission.