First Read China Healthcare Tiered framework established for medical equipment VBP in China

Research evidence excerpt

First Read China Healthcare Tiered framework established for medical equipment VBP in China

Global Research

14 July 2026ab

First Read

EquitiesChina Healthcare

Tiered framework established for medical China

equipment VBP in China Healthcare

Jun Deng

Analyst

jun.deng@ubs.com

Tiered VBP framework established for medical equipment +852-3712 2103

On 14 July 2026, the National Health Commission (NHC), along with two other Emma Ma, CFA

regulatory authorities, issued a notice on further improving volume-based procurement Associate

(VBP) of medical equipment by public healthcare institutions. Highlights include: S1460124070003

emma-mc.ma@ubs.com

Three-tier framework: 1) National: Class A large-scale medical equipment +86-21-3866 8981

such as high-end radiotherapy (RT) systems (see the full list below) will be included

Chen Chen, PhD in national VBP catalog and procured by the NHC. Highly customized equipment

that requires dedicated infrastructure and individual registration, such as proton

S1460520100001

and heavy-ion therapy systems, will remain outside the procurement program for chen-zb.chen@ubs.com

now. 2) Provincial: Class B large-scale medical equipment such as PET-CT, PET- +86-10-5832 8201

MR, laparoscopic surgical robots and conventional RT equipment, will be included

in provincial VBP catalog and procured by provincial health commissions. In

addition, other high-value medical equipment with substantial capital

expenditures and limited market competition are expected to be gradually

procured via VBP programs. 3) Municipal: Medical equipment outside national

and provincial catalogs will be subject to procurement organized at the municipal

level. On implementation timeline, all provinces are required to complete at least