The Zhitong Finance App learned that on October 16, the three departments of the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the National Health Commission jointly issued the “Guiding Opinions on Further Improving the Price Formation Mechanism to Promote the Quality and Expansion of Inclusive Pension Services”. Among them, it is proposed to rationally formulate and adjust fee standards to promote the high-quality development of old-age services. Clarify the principles for setting fee standards. To formulate or adjust government guidance prices for old-age services, procedures such as cost surveys must be carried out. The pricing costs mainly include all reasonable expenses incurred in the process of providing old-age services. Government subsidies, free social donations, etc. should reduce costs as required. For details, please refer to the “Measures for the Supervision of Price Costs Formulated by the Government”. On this basis, the level of per capita disposable income in local urban and rural areas and the affordability of the masses are fully taken into account, and the benchmark fee standard and fluctuation range are determined according to the principle of “compensation costs and reasonable profit”, taking into account factors such as market supply and demand conditions and the nature of pension institutions. Among them, bed fees are set according to different room types (single rooms, double rooms, multi-person rooms, etc.), and nursing fees are set separately according to different nursing service levels. The above standards can be formulated according to the service quality classification of pension institutions to achieve high quality and high prices.
The original text is as follows:
National Development and Reform Commission Ministry of Civil Affairs National Health Commission
On further improving the price formation mechanism to promote inclusiveness
Guiding opinions on improving the quality and expansion of old-age services
Revised Price [2026] No. 1476
Provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Development and Reform Commission, Department of Civil Affairs, Health Commission (bureau):
Improving the price formation mechanism for old-age services and promoting the quality and expansion of inclusive old-age services is an inevitable requirement for further implementation of the national strategy to respond positively to population aging. It is a key part of deepening the reform and development of old-age services, and an important measure to safeguard and improve people's livelihood. In order to implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council and help improve the hierarchical classification, inclusiveness, coverage of urban and rural areas, and sustainable development of the old-age service system, the State Council's State-owned Assets Administration Commission has now put forward the following opinions on improving the price formation mechanism for old-age services.
I. General Requirements
Adhere to Xi Jinping's ideology of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress and the 20th Plenary Session of the Party, give full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, give better play to the role of the government, improve the price formation mechanism for old-age services, promote the expansion of the supply of inclusive, basic and underpinned old-age services, promote the collaborative development of old-age services and industries, and ensure nourishment for old age. The main principles are: adhere to a people-oriented approach to better meet the needs of the elderly; adhere to inclusiveness and vigorously develop inclusive pension services with affordable prices, guaranteed quality, and sustainable operation; adhere to hierarchical classification to guide the increase in the supply of multi-level and diversified old-age services; adhere to integrated policies, and coordinate the price policy with other support policies and work in the same direction.
2. Classify and improve the price formation mechanism for old-age services to meet the needs of multi-level and diversified services
The fees of pension institutions include basic service fees, non-basic service fees, and door-to-door service fees. Among them, basic service fees refer to bed fees and nursing fees charged by pension institutions to the elderly; non-basic service fees refer to other expenses such as meals collected or collected from the elderly by pension institutions in addition to basic service fees; door-to-door service fees refer to fees charged by pension institutions to provide door-to-door services for the elderly. Distinguish the types of pension institutions and types of services, and implement different fee management methods. Among them, where government-guided price management is implemented, the provincial development and reform department, together with the competent industry department, formulates the benchmark fee standard and fluctuation range, or is determined by the people's government at the prefectural level or above authorized by the provincial people's government.
(1) Backed pension institutions. Undercover pension institutions refer to public pension institutions that fully or mainly accommodate groups such as the elderly in special hardship and the economically disabled. Public pension institutions include public institutions for the elderly and public health care institutions organized by government departments or public institutions that assume legal responsibility. Basic service fees for undercover pension institutions are managed at government-guided prices. Among them, the fee standards for housing the elderly in society (elderly people not covered by the undercover) can be implemented or separately determined by reference to the same quality inclusive support pension institutions, and income is managed in accordance with relevant regulations; non-basic service fees are subject to market price adjustments, and where necessary, government guidance price management can be carried out after approval by the provincial people's government. Undercover pension institutions implement free housing policies for special hardship elderly people who choose centralized support, and relevant departments grant relevant allowances to economically disadvantaged elderly people and other groups that voluntarily stay in accordance with regulations.
(2) Inclusive and supportive pension institutions. Inclusive support pension institutions are open to all elderly people and provide affordable and quality-assured old-age services, including public and public welfare institutions that mainly take in the elderly, as well as social pension institutions that receive government support such as site fee relief or construction and operation subsidies. Basic service fees for public construction and private inclusive support pension institutions are managed by the government; basic service fees for other social welfare support pension institutions are implemented by the provincial level and above development and reform together with industry authorities to determine the fee standard reference range reasonably by means of contract agreements, or implement government guidance price management. Specific fee management methods are proposed by provincial development and reform and implemented with the competent industry department. The specific fee management method is submitted and implemented after approval by the provincial people's government. Non-basic service charges are subject to market price adjustments. Where inclusive support institutions accept groups such as economically disadvantaged and disabled elderly people through government procurement of services, the fee standards for basic services are implemented in accordance with the fee standards of underfunded pension institutions.
(3) Fully market-based pension institutions. Fully market-based pension institutions include pension institutions other than underwriting pension institutions and inclusive support pension institutions. The fees of fully market-based pension institutions are adjusted by the market. The fee standards are reasonably determined by the institution based on factors such as actual costs, quality conditions, market supply and demand, etc., to encourage high quality and high prices to meet the diverse needs of the elderly.
(4) Integrated medical care services. Pension institutions operated by public medical and health institutions are inclusive support pension institutions. The basic service fees collected are managed by the government. On the basis of the fees charged by the inclusive support pension institution, the benchmark fee standard can be appropriately raised to promote integrated medical care development; other pension institutions providing integrated medical care services implement corresponding fee management methods according to the nature of the institution and implement government guidance prices or fee standard reference range management, the basic service fee is determined in accordance with the above principles.
(5) Community and home care services. In principle, fees charged by community pension service institutions with 10 or less nursing beds are subject to market price adjustments. If necessary, they can implement government-guided price management after approval by the provincial people's government. Pension institutions and community pension service agencies are encouraged to provide door-to-door services to the elderly in need on the basis of ensuring service quality. In principle, door-to-door service fees are adjusted in the market. Service agencies comprehensively consider factors such as service costs, transportation costs, supply and demand relationships, etc. Industry authorities at prefectural level and above can work with development and reform departments to clarify the reference range of fee standards to guide reasonable charges.
3. Reasonably formulate and adjust fee standards to promote high-quality development of old-age services
Establish and improve a system for formulating, adjusting, evaluating and publicizing fee standards, enhance the scientific, standardized and transparent nature of fees, and better protect the rights and interests of the elderly.
(6) Clarify the principles for setting fee standards. To formulate or adjust government guidance prices for old-age services, procedures such as cost surveys must be carried out. The pricing costs mainly include all reasonable expenses incurred in the process of providing old-age services. Government subsidies, free social donations, etc. should reduce costs as required. For details, please refer to the “Measures for the Supervision of Price Costs Formulated by the Government”. On this basis, the level of per capita disposable income in local urban and rural areas and the affordability of the masses are fully taken into account, and the benchmark fee standard and fluctuation range are determined according to the principle of “compensation costs and reasonable profit”, taking into account factors such as market supply and demand conditions and the nature of pension institutions. Among them, bed fees are set according to different room types (single rooms, double rooms, multi-person rooms, etc.), and nursing fees are set separately according to different nursing service levels. The above standards can be formulated according to the service quality classification of pension institutions to achieve high quality and high prices. The fee standard refers to the determination of the range and refers to the above procedures and principles.
(7) Establish a fee monitoring and regular evaluation system. Local development and reform departments should work with industry authorities to improve the price monitoring system for old-age services, and keep abreast of market price trends, trends in important costs such as manpower and rent, and changes in people's affordability. Establish a dynamic evaluation mechanism for charging policies, and regularly evaluate fee management methods, fee items, fee standards (or fee standard reference ranges) through self-evaluation and evaluation by entrusting third party agencies. In principle, the evaluation period should not exceed 3 years. Each provincial development and reform department and industry authority shall promptly report the evaluation and adjustment of the province's fee policy to the development and reform department and industry authority under the State Council.
(8) Improve the catalogue list publicity system. Civil affairs departments at prefectural level and above should work with relevant departments to establish and improve information disclosure systems for pension institutions, publicize the list of underwritten insurance and inclusive support pension institutions in the region through the department's official website and other media, and update them in a timely manner. Local development, reform, and civil affairs departments should guide pension institutions to establish a catalogue list of fees for old-age services, and publicize them in prominent places of business. If they have established a portal website, they should also publicize it on the website. The catalogue list should include fee items, fee standards, service content, fee basis, exemption policies, etc. No fees other than the catalog list may be charged. If the disclosure is not in accordance with the regulations or if the content of the publication is inconsistent with the policy, no fee shall be charged. Civil affairs departments at prefectural level and above are encouraged to centrally publicize and promptly update the list of fees charged by pension institutions in the region on a unified platform to facilitate public inquiries and comparisons.
4. Strengthen support guarantees to ensure that various policies are implemented and effective
Strengthen the coordination and linkage of price policies with policies such as subsidy support and industry management, consolidate departmental responsibilities, clarify the division of responsibilities, ensure the implementation of various measures, and jointly form joint efforts to support the high-quality development of old-age services.
(9) Expanding the supply of inclusive services. Provincial civil affairs departments, together with relevant departments, are promoting the reform of the classification of pension institutions in an integrated manner, clearly delineating the scope of various types of institutions, and formulating specific certification methods for inclusive support pension institutions. The civil affairs departments of local people's governments at prefectural level and above, together with relevant departments, are responsible for identifying specific tasks, increasing support for the construction and site supply of inclusive old-age service facilities, promoting the transformation of idle public service facilities into old-age service facilities and expanding inclusive old-age services through public construction and private construction; guiding undercover pension institutions to actively open up vacant beds to the community, provide inclusive services, and establish and improve income management and performance incentive systems; encourage all types of market-type pension institutions to provide appropriate inclusive services and provide policy support in line with local reality; guide all types of pension service institutions to promote the promotion of inclusive services and provide policy support in line with local reality; Benefit from the quality of services, strictly abide by relevant policies, regulations and mandatory standards, continuously improve the level of basic services such as life care, rehabilitation and nursing, and enhance safety management, risk prevention and control, and dispute resolution capabilities. To strengthen the layout of the state-owned economy in the field of old-age services, new pension institutions established and organized by central enterprises and local state-owned enterprises should expand the supply of inclusive old-age services.
(10) Strengthen policy integration. Relevant departments should cooperate closely to form policy synergies to promote the high-quality development of inclusive old-age services. Local development and reform departments do a good job in project approval, investment support, fee standard formulation, etc. in accordance with regulations, giving full play to the driving role of investment within the central budget, ultra-long-term special treasury bonds, and local government special bonds, focusing on supporting the facility renovation and equipment renewal of inclusive pension institutions, and supervise and guide relevant units to strictly implement relevant regulations such as implementing water, electricity, gas, and heat in pension institutions according to residents' lifestyle prices. Civil affairs departments perform their duties as industry authorities, make good use of local lottery community funds in accordance with regulations, support the improvement of the service capacity of inclusive and supportive pension institutions, and strengthen the construction of a nursing care worker team by strengthening training and subsidies. The health department further improves supporting policies to support the development of integrated medical care, optimizes rules such as financial accounting and performance assessment, and gives priority to supporting the construction, renovation and expansion of integrated medical care service facilities at level 2 and below; supports the improvement of integrated medical care service capabilities in counties; and promotes the development of integrated medical care services in county-level hospitals, community health service centers, township health hospitals, etc.
Local development, reform, civil affairs, and health departments should attach great importance to the management of fees for old-age services, formulate and improve the price policies for old-age services in the region in conjunction with actual practice, organically combine improving price policies with promoting industry expansion, quality and efficiency, and actively cooperate with relevant departments to further clarify specific support measures in terms of planning, land, facilities, taxes, subsidies, and talent teams. When introducing policies, it is necessary to simultaneously strengthen publicity, interpretation and guidance, respond to social concerns in a timely manner, enhance understanding among all sectors of society, and promote the smooth implementation of policies. Cooperate closely with relevant departments and adopt comprehensive supervisory measures to seriously investigate and punish acts such as failure to comply with relevant regulations on industry management, failure to implement government guidance prices, and failure to clearly label prices in accordance with regulations, so as to effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly.
National Development and Reform Commission
Ministry of Civil Affairs
National Health Commission
October 12, 2026
Three departments including the National Development and Reform Commission improve the price policy for old-age services
Recently, three departments of the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the National Health Commission jointly issued the “Guiding Opinions on Further Improving the Price Formation Mechanism to Promote the Quality and Expansion of Inclusive Elderly Care Services” (Development and Reform Price [2026] No. 1476, hereinafter referred to as the “Guiding Opinions”) to implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, help improve the hierarchical classification, accessibility, coverage of urban and rural areas, and promote the collaborative development of old-age services and industries.
The “Guiding Opinions” focus on the combination of problem orientation and goal orientation, adhere to classification policies and overall balance, and make better use of the driving and leveraging effect of price policies on high-quality and inclusive supply through clearly defining the scope of institutions, improving price formation mechanisms through classification, rationally formulating and adjusting fee standards, and strengthening policy integration and support guarantees. It mainly includes three aspects: the first is to clearly define the scope of various types of pension institutions. Undercover insurance institutions refer to public pension institutions that fully or mainly accommodate groups such as the elderly in special hardship and the economically disadvantaged elderly. Inclusive support institutions include public and public housing institutions for the elderly, as well as social pension institutions that receive government support such as site fee relief or construction and operation subsidies. Other pension institutions are fully market-based institutions. The second is to improve the way prices are managed for old-age services through hierarchical classification. Basic service fees for underwriting insurance institutions are managed at government-guided prices, and free housing policies or related subsidies are implemented for the elderly with special hardship and financial difficulties in accordance with regulations, so as to effectively play the basic role of protecting the basics, covering the bottom line, and stabilizing people's livelihood. For basic service fees for inclusive support institutions, public construction and private public construction institutions apply government guidance prices. Social agencies can set reference ranges for fee standards to guide or implement government guidance prices, so that the policy dividends invested by the government can truly be conveyed to the public. Implement market price adjustments for fees charged by fully market-based institutions to encourage high quality and superior prices to meet the diverse needs of the elderly. It is allowed to rationally set fees for integrated medical care services based on increased costs, etc., to motivate institutions, especially public medical institutions, to provide integrated medical care services. For community pension services, market price adjustments are implemented on the principle that 10 or more daycare beds are managed according to pension institutions, and 10 or less beds are adjusted to meet the needs of the elderly for convenient old-age care nearby. Implement market price adjustment management for home care services, drawing on beneficial empirical practices in some regions. Industry authorities can take the lead in clarifying the reference range of fees for door-to-door service fees and provide guidelines for service agencies to set their own prices. The third is to regulate pricing and charging practices. Establish a catalogue list management system. All fees are included in the list, and no charges are allowed outside of the list. Clarify the principles for setting fee standards, and generally determine the government guide price or fee standard reference range in accordance with the principle of “cost compensation and reasonable profit”. Establish a mechanism for dynamic evaluation and adjustment of fees. In principle, the evaluation period should not exceed 3 years. At the same time, emphasis is placed on the coordination and linkage of price policies with various other support policies to jointly support the development of relevant old-age service models.
In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission, together with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the National Health Commission and other relevant departments, will guide all regions to speed up the introduction of price policies for old-age services in the region, do a good job of certifying underwriting and inclusive support institutions, implementing relevant supporting policies, classifying and formulating fee standards, strengthen departmental coordination, publicity, interpretation, supervision and inspection, respond to social concerns in a timely manner, and promote the smooth implementation of policies.
This article was selected from the official website of the “National Development and Reform Commission”. Zhitong Finance Editor: Feng Qiuyi.