The General Office of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security ("MOHRSS") has recently distributed the Circular on Applying Electronic Social Security Cards in All Aspects (the "Circular").
The Circular clearly states that with regard to the practice of linking social security cards to certain online business, as explored in some regions in the early stage, these regions shall upgrade these cards into the nationally unified electronic social security cards by the end of April 2019; where the local payment platforms have been established, these regions shall shift from such platforms to the unified payment and settlement mode under the national social security card service platform, step by step by the end of 2020. In addition, the Circular states that the electronic social security card application provides functions of online identity verification, online inquiries about personal information, etc. Support will be given to integrating services and functions related to electronic social security cards into all levels of government-affair service halls and government portals, to enable the identity verification and convenient login. The multi-purpose medical care application will support the use of electronic social security cards for mobile payments of expenses (incurred for out-patient services, purchase of drugs, and hospitalization) under the medical insurance scheme.