China's First Standard Social Security Card Issued in Fuzhou

Upon the approval of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the People's Bank of China, China UnionPay and Industrial Bank Headquarters, the Fuzhou branch of the Industrial Bank formally issued China's first standard social security card on December 29, 2009. The card, known as the Fujian Province social security card, uses single chip, single COS (operating system) and double controlled cipher code to combine the functions of social security and finance, which is a national first.

The social security card project is a major project implemented by the Fujian Party Commission and Provincial Government to benefit the people in Fujian Province. As the only national bank to be based in the West Straits Economic Zone, the Industrial Bank has long been an avid participant of public welfare projects and the development of the region. Therefore, the Bank has viewed the social security card project with a great deal of significance and has participated actively. This launch of the standard social security card not only realizes the integration of a hospital card and a health insurance card, but also realizes “one-card payment” thanks to the electronic purse function. It affords the card holder with a great deal of convenience and will lay down solid foundations for the development of a province-wide health information system. It has been reported that this card will make real time records of card-holder data that can be checked with ease, thereby addressing the issue of payment with dedicated funds in personal accounts in basic medical insurance. Moreover, the card-holder can access personal insurance information using self-service terminals of the social security computer information management system, thereby protecting his or her statutory rights.

Another highlight of this card is that it can provide a number of financial services in addition to satisfying social security functions. Card-holders can obtain access to personal financial business at outlets of the Industrial Bank, including deposit and withdrawal of cash, third-party depository, collection and payment, e-banking, investment and wealth management. Moreover, the Industrial Bank has offered a series of preferential policies for card-holders, including free card account management, and no transaction fees for public services like health care. Additionally, VIP card holders will be entitled to a number of value-added services including VIP treatment at airports, health and medical services, golf club services and free books.

It is reported that according to the centralized planning of the Fujian Provincial Health Bureau, the Fuzhou branch of the Industrial Bank will launch clinic all-in-one card services initially at the Fujian Provincial Hospital and Fuzhou General Hospital, and will consequently promote this type of service in other provincial hospitals. It will also make the card widely usable by renovating POS machines in the designated hospitals and pharmacies by assisting the Fujian Provincial Health Bureau, Medical Insurance Management Center Fujian Province , hospitals and China UnionPay upgrade card reading systems. In addition to affording convenience to card-holders, this initiative will ease the daily workload of social security institutions.

Officials from the Fuzhou branch of the Industrial Bank stated that the financial service function of the social security card will continue to be improved, covering more fields including health, civil administration, family planning, education and finance to allow more people to experience the convenience and benefit of the card. This will do more for communities and the economy and help to drive on the economic development of the region.