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On May 20, new findings from a real-world study released by the National Healthcare Security Administration revealed that China’s centralized procurement program for coronary stents significantly reduces costs for patients without compromising clinical outcomes.
Through this program, inpatient costs for coronary stent procedures decreased by approximately 26%, while the rates of major adverse cardiovascular events within two years of surgery remained stable. The study, which analyzed data from over 90,000 patients across eight hospitals, showed that the average inpatient expense per coronary intervention dropped from roughly CNY60,000 (USD 8,500) to about CNY44,000 (USD 6,460). After insurance reimbursements, patients’ out-of-pocket expenses are even lower.
In 2020, coronary stents became the first high-value medical consumable included in China’s nationwide centralized procurement initiative. Prices plummeted from over CNY10,000 (USD 1,460) to under CNY1,000 (USD 145). As of April, more than 10 million of these stents had been used, representing over 90% of all coronary stents installed in clinical practice.
Experts emphasize that analyzing real-world data in healthcare insurance is essential for promoting value-based coverage and strategic purchasing. This approach ensures that insurance funds support treatments and products that are proven to be both effective and cost-efficient.
The study was spearheaded by the National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, in collaboration with Fuwai Hospital. It compared the volume of coronary interventions conducted in the eight participating hospitals before and after implementing the centralized procurement.
In 2022, these hospitals performed nearly 50,000 coronary interventions, a 15% increase from 43,000 in 2019. The average number of stents used per procedure declined from 1.5 to 1.3, indicating wider availability of longer stents that can replace multiple shorter ones, streamlining procedures.
Significant improvements in procedural quality were also observed. Utilization rates for intracoronary imaging, functional assessments, and complex techniques increased by over 200%, 300%, and 50%, respectively, from 2019, nearing levels seen in developed nations.
Use of drug-coated balloons—an approach that involves removing the device after widening the affected vessel—rose to 15% in 2022 from 5% in 2019. These balloons were included in the sixth cycle of national procurement, with all major clinical brands selected for widespread use.
The number of coronary interventions in China nearly doubled between 2020 and 2024, reaching 1.9 million compared to around one million in 2020. The number of hospitals performing these procedures increased from 2,400 to over 3,600, with second-tier institutions expanding from 1,200 to 1,700.
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