Medical Fees Proposal Jolts China's Pensioners

(Beijing) – Minister of Finance Lou Jiwei's recent remarks about possibly charging millions of pensioners for what's now free medical care has churned up a sea of controversy.

Among those rattled by the prospects of new medical fees is Cao Deli, a 74-year-old retiree who used to work for a state-owned company in Dalian, in the northeastern province of Liaoning. Like most state company and government agency pensioners in urban areas, Cao enjoys health care through a subsidized medical insurance plan that he could not afford on his own.