On the 10th, it was learned from the regular press conference of the Ministry of Civil Affairs for the second quarter of 2024 that the Ministry of Civil Affairs and seven other departments have recently issued the "Guiding Opinions on Strengthening the Supervision of Pre collection Fees in Elderly Care Institutions", which stipulates the requirements for collecting pre collection fees and their uses. In recent years, some elderly care institutions have operated in the form of prepaid elderly care service fees, deposits, and membership fees. This approach allows the elderly and their families to enjoy preferential prices, saving time and cost of monthly payment. However, some elderly care institutions have also encountered situations such as failure to fulfill their obligations according to contracts, non-standard fund management and use, and bankruptcy due to broken fund chains, which urgently need to be regulated. In terms of pre payment limits, the opinion stipulates that the maximum period for pre collection of elderly care service fees shall not exceed 12 months, and the maximum deposit charged to a single elderly person shall not exceed 12 times the monthly bed fee of that elderly person. In terms of usage purposes, the opinion has listed a "negative list", such as membership fees not being used for high-risk investments such as non self use real estate, securities, financial derivatives, etc., not directly or indirectly investing in companies whose main business is buying and selling securities, and not being used for other lending purposes. The opinion also stipulates that elderly care institutions shall not induce elderly people or their agents to pay advance fees by promising repayment of principal and interest, or providing other investment returns. Deposits and membership fees should be managed through third-party custody and risk margin by commercial banks to ensure fund security. The opinion sets the goal of establishing and improving a cross departmental supervision mechanism for pre fees in elderly care institutions by 2025. At the press conference, Li Banghua, deputy director of the Department of Elderly Care Services of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said that civil affairs departments at all levels would clarify the division of responsibilities with relevant departments, regularly report problems and clues, study and judge major risks and hidden dangers, and work together to solve problems in stock; Strengthen collaboration and cooperation with deposit banks, achieve data integration between deposit banks and civil affairs department information systems, and form a management model with dual efforts from industry regulatory departments and financial institutions. Li Banghua also reminds elderly people and their families to be cautious when facing low prices, discounts, and discounts, and to choose the most suitable payment method for themselves. (Lai Xin She)