On November 23, the National Healthcare Security Administration held a press conference to interpret the 17 batches of medical service price project approval guidelines that have been newly compiled and released. It is reported that a total of 271 main projects are involved in the 17 batches of project initiation guidelines that have been issued so far. Palliative care, neonatal care, AI assisted diagnosis, etc. have all been included in the project guidelines. The so-called medical service price items refer to the pricing units provided by medical institutions for diagnosis and treatment services, which are commonly known as "examination fees", "nursing fees", and "surgical fees". Whether such fees are standardized or not is not only related to the patient's medical burden but also to the expenditure of medical insurance funds. The National Healthcare Security Administration recently reported that 7 hospitals have exceeded the standard fees and other issues, and the funds that should be returned to the medical insurance fund have not been refunded. Moreover, there are significant differences in the quantity and content of price items across regions, and some even break down price items according to operational procedures, which not only increases the burden of hospital billing, but also makes it difficult for the public to understand and compatible with new technologies. In response to the existing problems, the National Healthcare Security Administration has implemented a system reform and organized an expert team to study and formulate project approval guidelines. Currently, 17 batches of project approval guidelines have been compiled and released to provide unified guidance for price projects in various regions. Not only does it involve multiple projects (up to 609), but it also introduces a batch of new pricing projects, involving both "old" and "small" ones; To ensure the treatment of critically ill patients, a new "aviation medical transfer" pricing project has been established. To support the new treatment pricing project, AI assisted diagnosis has been included in the project guidelines for the first time, which can meet the diverse needs of patients. This reform has been interpreted by public opinion as a 'big shot'. The so-called 'big' firstly refers to its rich connotation, which requires a unified solution to the various drawbacks of medical service pricing projects under the background of individual governance. Secondly, the extension is very timely, incorporating new medical technologies, medical service capabilities, etc. into the project proposal guidelines in a timely manner, making it easier for patients to choose. Thirdly, it is expected to create a win-win situation. After standardized management, the problem of irregular charges in medical institutions is expected to be corrected, and the burden of billing can be reduced; After squeezing out unreasonable charges, the burden of medical treatment for patients can be reduced. This is of great significance for the improvement of medical system services in our country. Recently, the reform of medical service pricing projects led by the National Healthcare Security Administration has entered an intensive period. Firstly, we will promote the reasonable reduction of prices for "expensive and commonly used" examination and testing items. Then, we will issue a trial guide for the approval of radiation examination price items. Now, we have released 17 batches of medical service price item approval guides. It can be seen that the logic of reform is becoming increasingly clear, and the scope of reform is expanding from small to large. The ultimate goal is to make hospital fees clearer and more standardized, patients pay more clearly, and the burden of medical treatment is lighter. Undoubtedly, this is the healthcare service pricing reform that public opinion expects. On the basis of the 17 batches of project approval guidelines already issued, we will continue to accelerate the progress of project approval guidelines, strive to prepare project approval guidelines covering most disciplinary fields by the end of 2024, basically complete the top-level design of national medical service price project standardization, and guide each province to do a good job in docking and landing. All regions should actively follow the requirements of the project approval guidelines, not only systematically reshape existing price projects, but also strengthen standardized management of newly added price projects, so as to benefit more patients. The medical pricing project that has undergone systematic reform will move towards standardization and rationalization. At present, the guidelines for medical service pricing items are clear, and the key next step is for each region to implement them according to the requirements of the guidelines. Each hospital is the specific implementing unit of the reform, while patients and public opinion are the supervisors of the reform. Only with joint efforts from all parties can the reform of the medical service pricing guidelines be implemented from a macro level to specific implementation stages, and ultimately benefit everyone. (New Society)