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BEIJING, Dec. 23-- The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee will review a report on a pilot program that combines maternity and basic medical insurance during its ongoing bimonthly session. The program was initially launched in 12 cities in early 2017 after a plan was released by the General Office of the State Council, and has been running smoothly ever since, the report reads. The combined insurance program increased the coverage of maternity insurance in the pilot cities by 12.6 percent within a year after its launch, which is clearly above the average increase rate of 5.5 percent across the country, according to the report, which says that conditions are ripe for the program to be implemented nationwide. The program unified the fund management of both insurance areas, allowing maternity insurance to share the funds of basic medical insurance, helping solve the deficit in maternity insurance funds mainly brought about by the two-child policy. The pilot program also unified the medical service management and information systems of the two insurance policies, which strengthened supervision over maternity medical services and brought convenience to beneficiaries. The program so far has gained full support from local governments and departments, and has received positive feedback from people from all walks of life, the report reads. | 
