What changed
Qinghai’s township health centers reported an average outpatient cost of 58.9 yuan in 2025, down 10.08% from the previous year. Average inpatient costs fell 1.8% to 1,600.7 yuan, while community health-service centers recorded a 14.37% decline in outpatient costs to 97.1 yuan.
Qinghai now has 46 county-level medical communities across 39 counties, districts and administrative areas, covering 74.75% of the province’s resident population. County hospitals lead the networks, with township clinics and village health stations under unified management.
Why it matters
The figures point to a shift in where care is happening. Primary-care facilities handled 44.76% of all consultations in the province, up 3.04 percentage points from the previous year. More patients are being treated closer to home, while county hospitals support smaller facilities through staff rotations, visiting specialists and remote diagnosis.
The digital link is becoming practical rather than decorative. Remote imaging services reached 446.7 cases per 10,000 residents, a 39.2% increase. Qinghai also deployed an average of 2.09 doctors per 10,000 residents to lower-level facilities.
The model is backed by a broad family-doctor network. Its 2,558 teams had signed contracts with 81.6% of residents and 90.12% of priority groups. More than 73% of patients with hypertension, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were under standard management.
The most useful reading is cautiously positive: Qinghai appears to be making basic care more accessible while keeping average costs down. But the figures alone cannot show whether the decline came from lower prices, different treatment patterns, reimbursement changes or fewer services. The next test is whether the province can sustain the shift while maintaining care quality.
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