Since Jan 1, unemployed urban and rural residents in Beijing can get more reimbursement for treating severe diseases.

According to the new reimbursement policy, effective on Jan 1, unemployed residents can get additional reimbursement if their out-of-pocket medical expense exceeds a certain level after they are reimbursed by the city’s health insurance programs for urban and rural unemployed residents.

The city will take five percent of the money from the programs to set up a fund for this additional reimbursement.

For an unemployed urban resident, if the amount of their out-of-pocket medical payment is more than the city's urban disposable income per capita last year, they can get 50 percent of reimbursement for the out-of-pocket payment.

For a rural resident, they can get the reimbursement if their out-of-pocket medical payment exceeds last year's average net income for the city’s rural residents.

If their out-of-pocket payment exceeds 50,000 yuan ($8,270), they can get 60 percent of it reimbursed.

In 2012, the average disposable income per capita in urban Beijing was about 36,469 yuan, and the average net income for its rural residents was 16,476 yuan.