The National Medical Insurance Bureau recently issued the work plan for the adjustment of the national basic medical insurance, work injury insurance and maternity insurance drug catalogue in 2022 (Draft for comments) (hereinafter referred to as the work plan). According to the work plan, before June 30, 2022, the rare disease treatment drugs approved by the State Drug Administration for marketing can be included in the adjustment scope of the national medical insurance catalogue in 2022, which also means that more rare disease drugs are expected to be included in the medical insurance. The work plan specifies that the drugs out of category 6 can be included in the adjustment scope of the national medical insurance drug catalog in 2022, including the new generic drugs approved by the State Drug Administration for marketing from January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2022; Drugs whose indications or functions have changed significantly with the approval of the State Drug Administration from January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2022; Drugs included in the latest version of the diagnosis and treatment plan for novel coronavirus pneumonia; Drugs included in the national essential drugs catalogue (2018 Edition); Drugs included in the catalogue of encouraged generic drugs or the list of children's drugs encouraged to develop and apply, and approved for marketing by the State Drug Administration before June 30, 2022. Among them, the catalog adjustment of drugs for the treatment of rare diseases has attracted much attention. In the adjustment of the national medical insurance catalogue in 2021, the "sky high price drug" nosinasheng sodium injection, which is used to treat spinal muscular atrophy, a rare disease, with a price of 700000 yuan per needle, entered the new medical insurance catalogue at a "floor price" of less than 33000 yuan per needle after medical insurance negotiation. Such "soul bargaining" not only gives patients with rare diseases hope, but also makes this group receive more attention. Up to now, more than 60 drugs for rare diseases have been approved for listing in China, of which more than 40 have entered the national medical insurance catalogue, involving 25 diseases. It is reported that since the establishment of the national medical insurance administration, it has carried out negotiations on the access to the medical insurance drug catalog for four consecutive times. A total of 250 drugs have been added to the catalog through medical insurance negotiations, with an average price drop of more than 50%. Through negotiation on price reduction and medical insurance reimbursement, a total of 1494.49 billion yuan will be reduced for patients in 2021. According to the work plan, the adjustment of the national medical insurance drug catalog in 2022 is divided into five stages: preparation, application, expert review, negotiation and publication of the results. The adjustment results of the medical insurance drug catalog will be published in November 2022. (Xinhua News Agency)