Beijing Extends Maternity Benefits to Retirees, Sparking Debate on Older Mothers
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Beijing has extended prenatal insurance coverage to retired women, a move intended to boost a historically low birthrate that has sparked debate over the medical risks facing older mothers.
The policy, effective Jan. 1, is part of a broader overhaul of the capital’s maternity benefits. The city extended coverage to retirees, gig workers and others previously excluded from the general medical-insurance plan.
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- Beijing expanded prenatal insurance to retirees and gig workers, with coverage changes effective January 1, 2024.
- The new plan fully covers the first 3,000 yuan in prenatal exams, partially reimburses up to 10,000 yuan, and aims to address coverage gaps, not specifically incentivize older motherhood.
- Older pregnancies remain rare and risky; pregnancies by women over 50 tripled from 2017 to 2019 but remain low in number.
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Who’s Who
- Shanghai Oriental Hospital
- Duan Tao, chief of obstetrics at Shanghai Oriental Hospital, noted that pregnancies in women over 50 are rare. He added that such pregnancies often involve in vitro fertilization or families who have lost their only child.
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What Happened When
- After 2017：
- Surge in mothers aged 35 to 40 is observed following the relaxation of China’s one-child policy.
- Between 2017 and 2019：
- Births by mothers over 50 more than tripled, though the absolute numbers remain low.
- By 2026：
- National directive aims to make childbirth essentially free.
- 2026：
- Beijing reports employee medical-insurance fund income of 203.7 billion yuan and expenditures of 128 billion yuan.
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- CX Weekly Magazine
Jan. 16, 2026, Issue 02
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