Beijing. A new health policy recently implemented in China has become a topic of discussion on social media. This policy has given a new and controversial turn to government efforts to increase the birth rate in China. Under this policy, pensioners will also be given the facility of prenatal checkup before pregnancy. Not only this, the government will compensate for its expenses. According to the announcement of the National Health Security Administration, from January 1, 2026, self-employed citizens and pensioners linked to the social insurance scheme can claim the cost of prenatal testing. In this, the maximum amount of reimbursement per person has been increased from 3,000 Yuan to 10,000 Yuan.
Apart from this, male employees working in the city can also claim prenatal expenses of their unemployed wife. However, after the inclusion of pensioners in the policy, people gave surprised and sarcastic reactions on social media. Many users called it impractical and ridiculous. In China, the retirement age for men was earlier 60 years and for women 50-55 years, which is now being increased to 63 and 55-58 years respectively. According to research, the average menopause age of women is around 49 years, so many people found the plan for prenatal checkups for pensioners strange. Experts believe that this step is part of the government’s efforts to increase the birth rate. The birth rate in China had been declining for a long time, but recently it increased to 6.77 per thousand, the first increase in seven years. Three children were allowed in 2021 after the one-child policy was scrapped in 2015, and a 3,600 yuan childcare subsidy for children under three was announced last year.
Apart from this, the government has also decided to impose 13 percent VAT on condoms and other contraceptives from 2026. In some areas, women are being asked to provide menstrual information, while universities are encouraging students to form romantic relationships. People on social media are calling this policy strange and an excessive step, but experts say that pregnancy is possible in some cases even at the age of more than 50 years.
