Patients reviewing their medical bills may soon find clearer answers about which charges are reasonable and which are already included in overall service fees. By 2026, standardized pricing systems for medical consumables will be implemented across China, marking a significant step toward more transparent healthcare cost management.
Multiple Provinces Release Standardized Consumables Lists
The beginning of 2026 has seen concentrated adjustments to medical consumables pricing policies. On January 26, Henan Province's healthcare administration took the lead by publishing a draft list of billable medical consumables for public consultation. This comprehensive catalog covers 4,887 items across multiple clinical specialties including non-vascular interventions, vascular interventions, orthopedics, neurosurgery, dentistry, and ophthalmology.
The new regulations mandate "zero markup" pricing for listed items and require strict adherence to approved usage scopes. Consumables classified as "basic materials" within existing service price structures will continue under current policies without separate billing.
Henan will implement dynamic adjustment mechanisms for consumables not currently covered by existing price structures. Certain items like respiratory biopsy forceps are temporarily included but will be removed when pathology guidelines are finalized, while others like biliary/pancreatic catheters will be classified as basic materials.
Other regions are following similar paths. Beijing recently published standardized pricing for 11 service categories with corresponding lists of billable disposable consumables. Yunnan Province will implement its transitional list for non-basic consumables starting May 30, 2026, covering 30 service categories including dental implants and assisted reproduction.
Insurance Catalog Updates Align With Pricing Reforms
Parallel updates to medical insurance catalogs are creating a more coherent system for consumables approval and reimbursement. Tianjin's healthcare administration clarified that consumables constituting inherent service costs won't be included in the reimbursable items catalog, preventing duplicate charges.
Several provinces have already released updated insurance catalogs. Liaoning's 2025 catalog containing 3,388 items takes effect April 1, 2026, while Shanxi's first batch of 3,786 items began implementation in January 2026. Henan's catalog of 4,796 items became effective February 1, 2026.
These provincial catalogs maintain direct connections with centralized procurement results, service item guidelines, and payment policy adjustments. Both Henan and Shanxi have established mechanisms for periodic updates to accommodate market and technological developments.
Precision Payment Policies Emerge
Payment systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Anhui Province has implemented maximum reimbursement limits for various consumables with differentiated copayment rates for different insurance types. Henan has set copayment ratios between 5-40%, measures designed to promote rational use and control costs while reducing patient burdens.
Nationally, the healthcare administration announced plans in 2023 to develop unified reimbursement catalogs for mature consumable categories, signaling movement toward standardized nationwide management that could reduce administrative costs and improve efficiency.
Industry Faces Transformation
The comprehensive reforms spanning market access, clinical use, and reimbursement systems are reshaping China's medical consumables industry. Manufacturers now face heightened requirements to align product strategies with evolving payment policies while maintaining focus on quality and innovation.
To thrive in this new environment, companies must enhance policy awareness, strengthen communication with healthcare providers and payers, and improve product value propositions. This multifaceted adaptation will be crucial for sustainable success in an increasingly regulated market.