Zhanjiang, a trial area for medical insurance reform, is stressing healthcare aid and treatment of critical illness this year, said Chen Yun, the city's deputy mayor in charge of social security.

In the countryside, it is never easy to see a doctor, and costs can be high. Headlines are full of heartrending stories about rural families unable to afford their high medical bills.

Because Zhanjiang has a large population reliant on subsistence agriculture and a relatively small tax base, it is a challenge for the government to cover basic medical fees for each citizen.