Anhui Model A Bitter Pill for Many

In 2009, China started a new round of health care reforms, and as 2012 gets underway, it is time to assess the results. Media reports said the reform, known as the Anhui Model, was the most sweeping attempt at improving the health care system in China, but there are signs it is running into trouble.

Since the first day it was implemented, the policy has faced tough questions and even resistance in many provinces and cities. In November 2011, Li Yaoguang, an official with the State Council's Health Care Reform Office, said nine provinces and municipalities, including Beijing, were reluctant to fully implement the new directive. Even as central authorities are urging local governments to follow orders, the Auhui Model is being changed. The province's government issued a new policy on September 1, 2011, altering the reform plan, a step some scholars interpreted as a setback.