China issues pricing guideline for brain-computer interface services

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China's National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) has released a pricing guideline for neural system care services, specifying brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) as an independent category.

According to the NHSA, this move aims to boost the clinical application of the cutting-edge technology to benefit patients in need, against the backdrop of BCIs' rapid development over recent years.

The guideline also outlines the pricing of invasive and non-invasive BCIs respectively based on the distinctive features of the two BCI approaches.

The guideline will pave the way for the swift translation of mature BCI technology into clinical use in the future, and offer a compass for localities nationwide to manage relevant medical services, said the NHSA.

The guideline is part of the country's efforts to boost people's health and wellbeing by facilitating the application of pioneering technologies. In January, the government released a set of guidelines on elderly care services reforms, including measures to support the development of technologies such as humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces and artificial intelligence to enhance relevant services.